Indigenous actor sues James Cameron for ‘stealing’ her facial features for Avatar character
Why this matters: a developing story that could shape the day's news cycle.
Suit says director used Q’orianka Kilcher’s features without permission after seeing her in advert for The New World Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email James Cameron and the Walt Disney Company are facing a lawsuit that claims the director based a key character in the Avatar franchise on a teenage actor without her permission.The suit, filed by actor Q’orianka Kilcher, alleges that Cameron “extracted her facial features” and “directed his design team” to base the key Avatar character Neytiri on her appearance after seeing her in an LA Times advert for Terrence Malick’s 2005 film The New World. In the film Kilcher, who is Native Peruvian, played Pocahontas among a cast that also included Colin Farrell and Christian Bale. Continue reading...