Sigourney Weaver created a fan-favorite character with her appearance as Dr. Grace Augustine in Avatar. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t make it through the 2009 film as she died from a gunshot wound by Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang) near the end of the movie. However, director James Cameron wouldn’t pass on the opportunity to bring her back, as Weaver is set to play Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldana) daughter.

Weaver will be a teenager in Avatar: The Way of Water, a significant change from her established role as a xenobotanist and brilliant scientist in the first film. The 73-year-old actress was in love with the idea, although she tells Vanity Fair the first concepts of her character required some drastic changes. Weaver remembers what it was like to be an awkward teenager, and she wanted to see that represented within her Na’vi character.

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“I had a very early conversation with Jim about this, and he was very already committed to this kind of character, but who she was, what she was about was something we talked about at the beginning. I loved the choices he made ultimately, that she was part of the family. We worked together too, because when I first saw the pictures of my character, she was so perfect, every hair in place. And I said, ‘Jim, when you’re a 13, 14-year-old girl, that is not how you feel about yourself.’ I was this tall when I was 11, so I was just like a big spider moving around, knocking things over. And I felt that it was a more difficult time for Kiri, especially because the family is uprooted in the beginning.”

Avatar: The Way of Water Features a Significant Time Jump

     20th Century Studios

It’s been 13 years since Avatar was released in theaters, and the upcoming sequel will reflect the monumental wait between movies. In the films, 15 years will have gone by between Avatar and The Way of Water, with Jake and Neytiri well into their years as parents. This allows Sigourney Weaver’s character to be familiar with her world and the family dynamics in the sequel.

Weaver tells Vanity Fair she took her experience as a teenager and easily implemented it into her performance. “For better or worse, my awkward, self-conscious teenager was able to flow right into Kiri,” Weaver explains. Her character eventually received the nickname “awkward Kiri,” with the actress saying James Cameron told her, “You can do this. You’re so immature. This is about how old you are anyway.”

Fans can see Weaver alongside Worthington, Saldana, Michelle Yeoh, Kate Winslet, Stephen Lang, and Jamie Flatters when Avatar: The Way of Water soars into theaters on Dec. 16.