In Bennett’s book, one of the production designers on “The Way of Water,” Ben Procter, describes the design of Bridgehead as being marked by dull utility. It’s a big, round, metal edifice that is meant to be intimidating, and notable, visibly, anti-nature. In his words:
“Bridgehead’s purpose is that of being a construction site. And it’s all about humanity implying they’re building a whole new city practically overnight. A sort of ‘Eff you, Eywa.'”
In the world of “Avatar,” 14 years have passed, meaning Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) have begun to raise a family together … and that Earth has become only that much more advanced. Several new technologies have been invented in that 14 years, including spindlier, more lightweight robot suits for human soldiers, and a better-equipped military. Additionally, it seems making avatar Na’vi bodies for humans is easier than it was before, and several humans now seem to occupy Na’Vi bodies permanently. Additionally, a few fleet of unusual and high-tech vehicles and guns needed to be invented, leaving Procter with an enormous task. In talking about Cameron and their mutual creative process, Procter said:
“He challenged us to create more toys in the toy box than we really needed, so there were ones that ultimately fell away. But a huge number of them didn’t. And of those, he had named them already, including the Kestrel and the SeaWasp. They were on his very first list.”
Later in the book, he expanded, saying:
“You could get a damn good start on a whole bunch of things in that period of time and then get feedback. […] Each thing informs the other. And eventually, you find out what the limits of the technology are.”