Q’orianka Kilcher, best known for playing Pocahontas in The New World, is now in a legal battle with James Cameron after claiming her recent claims.
The star said that her face was used as inspiration for a major character in Avatar without her permission.
Kilcher added that the look of Neytiri, the famous character played by Zoe Saldana, was partly based on her appearance from the 2005 movie The New World, where she played Pocahontas. As per to that lawsuit, Cameron’s team allegedly used her facial features during the design process but never told her or offered any payment. Kilcher went on to add that the situation feels very upsetting to her now as as she believes that her identity was used in a way that crossed a line, especially because the film series often speaks about respecting Indigenous culture. The lawsuit, however, also mentions a meeting that happened in 2010 after the first Avatar movie came out, where she claims that Cameron showed her a signed drawing of Neytiri and said that she was an inspiration for the character’s look. A past interview clip that recently resurfaced online also reportedly pushed her to take legal action. Q’orianka Kilcher is now asking for at least $1.5 million in damages. Moreover, Cameron and the studios involved have not publicly responded in detail just yet.