James Cameron and Disney Sued for Plagiarism of Neytiri’s Character in ‘Avatar’

Actress and Indigenous advocate Q’orianka Kilcher, known for her role in Yellowstone, has filed a lawsuit against director James Cameron and The Walt Disney Company, alleging the unauthorized misappropriation of her likeness for the Avatar film franchise.

According to Kilcher, Cameron encountered her on the set of Terrence Malick’s historical epic The New World, where she portrayed Pocahontas. She contends that Cameron subsequently appropriated her facial features to design the franchise’s lead character, Neytiri, portrayed by Zoe Saldaña.

Kilcher’s legal team asserts that Cameron engaged in extensive, unauthorized manipulation of the actress’s facial identity. They allege he utilized her likeness in early conceptual sketches and 3D models, performed laser scans of her, and integrated these assets into the digital workflow used for the film’s visual effects.

He [Cameron] appropriated the unique biometric facial features of a 14-year-old Indigenous girl, exploited them for industrial-scale commercial gain, and generated billions of dollars without ever seeking her consent. This is not filmmaking; it is theft,

— stated Kilcher’s attorney. The original Avatar, released in 2009, followed Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) as he arrived on the planet Pandora and underwent an experimental process to transfer his consciousness into a synthetic body of a native Na’vi inhabitant.

The sequel, The Way of Water, premiered in 2022, followed by the third installment, Fire and Ash, in 2025. Collectively, the Avatar franchise has amassed $6.7 billion at the global box office.

Source: Variety

Photo: Getty