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

Home Film News May 6, 2026 5:16pm PT James Cameron and Walt Disney Company Sued Over Unauthorized Use of Actress’ Likeness in ‘Avatar’ By Jazz Tangcay Plus Icon Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor @jazzt Latest James Cameron and Walt Disney Company Sued Over Unauthorized Use of Actress’ Likeness in ‘Avatar’ 6 minutes ago San Francisco International Film Festival Winners Include ‘Hot Water,’ ‘Figaro Up, Figaro Down’ – Film News in Brief 7 hours ago ‘Dragon Striker’ Trailer: First Look at Disney’s Sports Fantasy Animated Series (EXCLUSIVE) 7 hours ago See All Getty Images 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.” Related Stories Melissa Barrera Was Canceled by Hollywood for Speaking Out Against Israel. She’s Still Fighting Her Way Back.