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Actress sues James Cameron over alleged Avatar likeness use

moviesMay 6, 202617265

Q’orianka Kilcher filed a lawsuit against director James Cameron and Disney, saying the Avatar character Neytiri used her facial features without permission. Kilcher, who made her acting debut at 14 as Pocahontas in Terrence Malick’s 2005 film The New World, says the suit was prompted after Cameron saw her in an advertisement for that film and wrote "this is actually her... her lower face." The complaint frames the claim as misappropriation of Kilcher’s unique biometric facial features and seeks monetary relief tied to Avatar’s billions in revenue. A ruling for Kilcher could reshape how studios use real actors’ biometric likenesses in character design and force new consent or licensing practices across Hollywood.

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