About 13 years ago, renowned filmmaker James Cameron released a cinematic masterpiece called Avatar.

The science fiction movie starring Sigourney Weaver, Zoë Saldaña, and Sam Worthington was visually groundbreaking as the production team introduced a litany of never-seen-before technology and 3D practices in order to bring the imagery moon-planet of Pandora to life. The 2009 motion picture became the highest-grossing film of all time en route to claiming numerous honors, including Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and Critics Choice Awards. One year later, Time Magazine named James Cameron one of the most influential people in the world.

The success, notoriety, and overall presentation of Avatar provoked a significant amount of controversy as activist groups, and influential figures from various Native American Indian tribes alleged that James Cameron and the executive producers of the movie had appropriated their sacred culture to gain a profit. Although the famed filmmaker openly admitted that the successful film was greatly inspired by North American Indian culture (and the European settlers that came during the Colonial period), the depiction of the fictional race of indigenous humanoids known as the Na’vi caused an uproar that ignited boycotts nationwide. Not only were the campaigns centered around cultural appropriation, but the initiative also brought more awareness to the protester’s displeasure with actors/actresses who are not Native American Indians portraying roles based on Indigenous culture. 

Avatar: The Way of Water, a follow-up effort to the 2009 classic, dominated box offices on a global scale upon its December 16th release. But for James Cameron and 20th Century Studios, the return of an  Avatar production to the masses also signifies the return of backlash from the Native American Indian community. Prominent figures representing numerous tribes have already spoken out about the film and the way in which they find the material highly offensive.

Other leaders from the Native American community also offered pushback to the film. According to reports, James Cameron has already filmed the third installment of Avatar, which will drop in December of 2024. The fourth episode of the franchise is set to be released shortly thereafter. The controversy surrounding the film’s Na’vi humanoids isn’t the first time that a science fiction fantasy film and caused a stir socially.