James Cameron and Walt Disney Company Sued Over Unauthorized Use of Actress’ Likeness in ‘Avatar’

May 6, 2026 5:16pm PT James Cameron and Walt Disney Company Sued Over Unauthorized Use of Actress’ Likeness in ‘Avatar’

By Jazz Tangcay

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Jazz Tangcay

Artisans Editor

@jazzt

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Director James Cameron and The Walt Disney Company have been sued for unauthorized use of an Indigenous actress’ likeness without her knowledge and consent.

In the complaint, obtained by Variety, actress Q’orianka Kilcher alleges that when she was 14 and had recently appeared as Pocahontas in Terrence Malick’s film “The New World,” Cameron extracted her facial features from a published photograph and directed his design team to use it as the foundation for the character of Neytiri in “Avatar.” The filing states, “Plaintiff never consented to Defendants’ use of her likeness, either in Avatar or in any related product or promotion.”

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