Indigenous Actress Sues Over Alleged Theft of Likeness

Qualianka Kilcher, known for her role as Pocahontas in the 2005 film New World, has initiated legal action against James Cameron and the Walt Disney Company. She claims they unlawfully drew inspiration from her features for Neytiri, a character in the Avatar series.

According to Kilcher’s lawsuit, Cameron, after viewing her face in the film, “extracted her facial features” and allegedly directed his design team to mold a character that resembled her. Statements in the case express concern about how one of Hollywood’s prominent filmmakers made use of an Indigenous girl’s image without acknowledgment or compensation, all while creating a commercially successful franchise.

The lawsuit goes on to assert that Avatar portrays itself as supportive of Indigenous issues but remains complicit in exploiting real Indigenous youth behind the scenes.

The complaint recounts an encounter between Kilcher and Cameron in 2010, post the release of Avatar. At this meeting, Cameron presented Kilcher with a framed sketch of Neytiri that he had both drawn and signed. He also included a note stating, “Your beauty was an early inspiration for Neytiri. Too bad you were making another movie. Next time.”

The lawsuit alleges that despite trying to offer Kilcher an audition, Cameron ultimately decided against hiring her for the project.

Moreover, Kilcher accuses Cameron of incorporating his likeness into the design process.

“I was among the many who opened their hearts to the message of Avatar,” Kilcher remarked. “I never dreamed that someone I trusted would methodically use my face in a design process without my knowledge or consent. This truly crosses a significant boundary. It’s simply wrong.”

Kilcher’s lawyers highlighted a previous statement made by Cameron, where he acknowledged using a photograph of her as a primary source for Neytiri’s design, stating, “This is actually her… her lower face. She had a very interesting face.”

They assert that Cameron’s actions were not inspired but rather constitute “extraction,” arguing that he took a young Indigenous girl’s unique facial features, leveraged them in a commercial context, and generated immense profits without this girl’s permission. They emphasized that this is not filmmaking; it’s theft.

As of now, Prime Minister David Cameron has not issued a statement regarding the lawsuit.