James Cameron Sued Over Use of Actress’ Likeness in ‘Avatar’

Filmmaker James Cameron and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. based the likeness of an “Avatar” character on the features of indigenous actress Q’orianka Kilcher without her permission, she said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday.

Cameron used a photograph of 14-year-old Kilcher from a 2005 Los Angeles Times article promoting her role in “The New World” to design “Avatar” character Neytiri’s face, she alleged in her complaint in the US District Court for the Central District of California. Cameron allegedly traced Kilcher’s lower facial features and directed artists to create physical sculptures and digital models based on her likeness for the 2009 blockbuster film.

“The result was a hugely lucrative film franchise that presented itself as sympathetic to Indigenous struggles, all while silently exploiting a real Indigenous youth behind the scenes,” the complaint said.

The defendants didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Kilcher discovered the alleged misappropriation in 2025 when Cameron publicly admitted in a museum interview that he used her face as the design “keystone” for Neytiri, who is played by Zoe Saldaña, according to the complaint. She alleges Cameron gave her a misleading note in 2010 describing her as merely an “inspiration” while concealing the extent of the alleged use.

The lawsuit seeks damages, including profits from the “Avatar” franchise, which has earned billion of dollars worldwide. Kilcher is also pursuing claims under California’s deepfake law, arguing the character’s romantic scenes constitute unauthorized sexual depictions of her likeness.

Peter Law Group and the Law Office of Asher Hoffman represent Kilcher.

The case is Kilcher v. Cameron, C.D. Cal., No. 2:26-cv-04832, complaint 5/5/26.