With at least three Avatar movies still on their way, it’s safe to say we still know very little about Pandora. It was just a few years back that we first met the Metkayina, an ocean-based clan in Avatar: The Way of Water and, later this year, we’ll meet not just the fierce, fire-based Ash clan but also a more fun, freewheeling air clan called the Tlalim, also known as Wind Traders in Avatar: Fire and Ash. Today, our first look at that tribe’s leader was revealed, and he’s quite beautiful.
Over at Empire, we find our first look at Peylak, the leader of the Wind Traders, played by Harry Potter and Wonder Woman alum, David Thewlis. “They’re upbeat, happy, colorful,” costume designer Deborah L. Scott told Empire about the Wind Traders. “And when they come into our movie, everyone’s excited to see them. It’s like the circus is in town.” We’d previously seen hints of the tribe via a piece of concept art of massive creatures flying in the sky (see above) but, it’s this guy who’ll be leading them.
The intricate designs and embellishments on Peylak’s cloak are meant to read as “grand,” according to Scott. It seems these Navi have a flair for the dramatic.
How their story intersects with the Sully family, now officially members of the Metkayina, or what the conflict is with the Ash Clan, all remains to be seen. We’ll probably get our first glimpse at the film sometime early this summer once posters and trailers start to roll out for the highly anticipated sequel. But, for now, we’ll just have to look at these new Navi creatures and try to figure out how they’re going to help impact the world of Pandora.
Directed by James Cameron, and starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, and many more, Avatar: Fire and Ash opens December 19.
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