James Cameron’s 2023 release Avatar: The Way of Water was no less than a cinematic masterpiece. From the awe-inspiring visuals to the thrilling action and emotional bond of family, the film keeps you gripped to your seats till the end. The engaging storyline and the fantastic visuals are proof of the genius mind of Cameron. Apart from the bigger picture, the director paid attention to even minute details which add to the beauty of the high-grossing film.
Reportedly, Jake Sully’s outfit in the movie was inspired by the costumes of the acting legend Clint Eastwood. The Million Dollar Baby star opened up on his poncho-style outfit, which inspired Jake’s looks in Avatar 2.
Clint Eastwood on his poncho-style outfits in Dollar Trilogy
Clint Eastwood is known for his work in promoting Western Spaghetti films as a genre. He has given numerous hits in his vast career span like Dirty Harry, Cry Macho, The Bridges of Madison County, Escape from Alcatraz, and others. Among his most successful and critically acclaimed films is The Dollar trilogy. The films were titled, A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965), and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966).
In all three movies, he is seen wearing a soft material poncho with some patterns and fringes on it. He paired the look with a shirt, vest coat, pants with a leather belt, and a hat. The looks were most accurate for obtaining the Western look.
In an interview with Entertainment Today, Clint Eastwood was asked about his poncho look in the movies. He was asked about the rumors that his poncho was never washed. The Unforgiven actor replied that it was very fragile and that he still has it,
“If you washed it, it would fall apart. [laughs] Yeah, I still have that poncho.”
On being asked if it was ever laundered, he said,
“No. It was folded up after The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and it hasn’t been unfolded yet.”
It is proof of the dedication of the actor, towards his character and his films, which has made him one of the legends of Hollywood.
Clint Eastwood’s outfit was the inspiration of Jake Sully’s look in Avatar 2
Sam Worthington was in charge of the development and ever-changing get-up of the movie actors. In one of the scenes, Jake Sully is seen in Avatar: The Way of Water a poncho-like outfit. Academy Award-winning costume designer Deborah L. Scott shared that pop culture was the inspiration that led to the creation of the star’s wardrobe,
“It’s a protective piece, and [James Cameron] was like, ‘I want him to look like Clint Eastwood here.’ So, we came up with that, and in his mind, those are the things that are related. I think it’s because Clint had ponchos in some of those movies. That’s going to stay with Jake into [Avatar 3] a little bit, so it’ll get a little bit more airplay.”
James Cameron was inspired by the poncho from Clint Eastwood‘s films that depicted Western characters. He was portrayed as a lone gun-slinging action hero traveling to different places wearing a poncho-like material, protecting him from the desert heat.