• Q'orianka Kilcher accuses James Cameron and Disney of using her facial features for “Neytiri” in Avatar
• She seeks financial compensation, claiming her likeness was taken from a childhood photo

Disney and director James Cameron are facing a lawsuit filed by American actress Q'orianka Kilcher, alleging that her facial features were used as a key reference in designing the character “Neytiri” in the Avatar film series without her permission or compensation.

Court documents filed in California state that Cameron allegedly relied on a 2005 photograph of Kilcher, taken when she was 14 while portraying Pocahontas in The New World, and used it to guide the design team in shaping the character later portrayed by Zoe Saldaña.

The filing claims her facial traits were incorporated through a complex digital production process combining live-action performance with computer-generated imagery, and were used for commercial purposes without her consent.

It also argues that the Avatar franchise, one of the highest-grossing film series in cinema history with nearly $3 billion in global box office revenue, positioned itself as supportive of Indigenous issues while allegedly benefiting from the identity of a young Indigenous actress without credit or payment.

Kilcher says she only learned of the alleged use of her likeness after meeting Cameron in 2010, when he gave her a signed sketch of “Neytiri” noting that her appearance had inspired the character. She initially viewed it as a symbolic gesture and was unaware her features had been directly used in the design process.

In later comments, Kilcher expressed shock, saying she never expected her face to be used in a full production pipeline without her knowledge, describing the situation as a serious violation of her identity and personal rights.

She is seeking financial damages, a share of franchise profits, and formal recognition of what she describes as unauthorized commercial use of her image.

Kilcher has appeared in several film and television projects, including Princess Kaiulani and the series Yellowstone.