James Cameron, Disney Sued Over Unauthorised Use of Actress’ Likeness in Avatar

James Cameron and Disney are facing a suit implicit the alleged unauthorised usage of an actress’ likeness during the accumulation of the 2009 movie Avatar, reports Variety. Filed by histrion Q’orianka Kilcher, the suit claims Cameron based the halfway quality of Neytiri connected her without her cognition and consent.

Neytiri is portrayed by Zoe Saldaña successful the movie series.

Kilcher alleges that, pursuing her quality arsenic Pocahontas successful Terrence Malick’s 2005 movie The New World erstwhile she was 14 years old, Cameron overtly instructed his plan squad to usage her likeness from a photograph from the acceptable of The New World arsenic the ground for Neytiri. The filing explains that Kilcher “never consented to Defendants’ usage of her likeness, either successful Avatar oregon successful immoderate related merchandise oregon promotion.”

The filing besides states that Kilcher and Cameron met concisely astatine a foundation lawsuit soon aft the merchandise of the archetypal Avatar, wherever Cameron personally invited Kilcher to sojourn his office. Upon doing truthful astir a week later, Cameron was not contiguous – but his unit gave Kilcher a framed people of a quality accumulation sketch, on with a handwritten enactment which read, “Your quality was my aboriginal inspiration for Neytiri. Too atrocious you were shooting different movie. Next time.”

“When I received Cameron’s sketch, I believed it was a idiosyncratic gesture, astatine astir a escaped inspiration tied to casting and my activism,” said Kilcher. “Millions of radical opened their hearts to Avatar due to the fact that they believed successful its connection and I was 1 of them. I ne'er imagined that idiosyncratic I trusted would systematically usage my look arsenic portion of an elaborate plan process and integrate it into a accumulation pipeline without my cognition oregon consent. That crosses a large line. This enactment is profoundly wrong.”

Q’orianka Kilcher arsenic seen successful 2005's The New World.

Kilcher reportedly learned the existent inheritance of the sketch precocious past twelvemonth aft seeing footage of an interrogation with Cameron wherever helium specifically identified Kilcher arsenic the archetypal source.

“The root for this was a photograph that was successful the LA Times arsenic portion of the promotion for The New World,” says Cameron successful the video. “There’s a young histrion named Q’orianka Kilcher, who played Pocahontas successful The New World. This is really her little face. She had a precise absorbing face.”

Cameron and Disney are yet to comment.

At a worldwide gross of conscionable nether $3 billion, the archetypal Avatar is the highest-grossing movie of each time.

The 3rd installment of the series, Avatar: Fire and Ash, was released successful December past year. A 4th and 5th movie already person merchandise dates and are reportedly “full velocity ahead” successful planning, adjacent though James Cameron precocious conceded helium needs to find a mode to nutrient them cheaper to get them implicit the line.

Luke is simply a Senior Editor connected the IGN reviews team. You tin way him down connected Bluesky @mrlukereilly to inquire him things astir stuff.