In the latest turn of events, James Cameron, best known for his work in the ‘Avatar’ franchise, has found himself at the center of a controversy. Recently, ‘Yellowstone’ star Q’orianka Kilcher was accused of using her face without permission for a character in her hit film. Kilcher has also filed an official lawsuit against the director, as well as the production studios that backed the project.
James Cameron was sued by Q’orianka Kilcher
36-year-old actress Q’orianka Kilcher has alleged that her facial likeness was used as inspiration for the main character Neytiri in “Avatar”. As reported by Variety, the actress has officially filed a lawsuit, alleging that it was done without her consent or acknowledgment. A statement from the official filing reads: “Plaintiff never consented to Defendants’ use of her likeness in Avatar or any related products or promotions.“Kilcher also named the big studio that backed the three ‘Avatar’ films. Allegations include that her face was used for Neytiri’s inspiration using sketches, sculpts and HD models. The photo used to create the animated character comes from Kilcher’s film ‘The New World’. He was 14 years old when the film was shot.Neytiri is an animated character from the film, originally played by Zoe Saldana through motion-sensing costumes and special effects.
Q’orianka Kilcher’s file says James Cameron gave her a note admitting he used her face as inspiration.
The file also mentioned that many aspects of the character, including the cheeks, lips and chin area, were all directly related to Kilcher. A statement from the actress’ legal team said: “What Cameron did was not inspiration, it was extraction. He took the unique facial biometrics of a 14-year-old Indigenous girl, ran them through an industrial production process, and made billions of dollars without ever asking for permission.” That’s not filmmaking. That’s theft.”Further in the report, there are more allegations against the director, including that the indigenous actor was given a note to acknowledge his actions. The note read: “Your beauty was my early inspiration for Neytiri. Too bad you were shooting for another film. Next time.” This notice was given to him along with a printout of a draft made by the director, shortly after the release of the first film in 2009.Kilcher added in the statement, “I never imagined that someone I trusted would systematically use my face as part of an elaborate design process and integrate it into a production pipeline without my knowledge or consent. This crosses a major line. This action is deeply wrong.”At the time of writing, neither James Cameron nor his official legal team have issued an official statement on the matter. Additionally, the actress is currently seeking compensation, as well as public acknowledgment of the use of her face in the film. The exact amount has not yet been shared with the public and is under wraps.Disclaimer: The information in this report is based on a legal hearing reported by a third party source. The details given are allegations made by the parties involved and are not proven facts. The case continues, and a final verdict has not been reached. The publication does not claim that the allegations are true.
