Disney, James Cameron Sued Over Alleged Copyright Infringement in Avatar

Walt Disney Co. and filmmaker James Cameron have been sued in California federal court by 3-D animator Eric Ryder, who alleges that the 2022 blockbuster Avatar: The Way of Water infringes on his copyrighted science-fiction story titled KRZ.

The lawsuit was filed just days before the scheduled release of the franchise’s third installment, Avatar: Fire and Ash.

According to the complaint, Ryder collaborated with Cameron’s production company, Lightstorm Entertainment, in the late 1990s to develop a film project based on KRZ. Ryder claims that Cameron later incorporated key elements of that work into the Avatar franchise without authorization.

The lawsuit highlights similarities including anthropomorphic beings, expansive oceanic settings, an Earth-based corporation engaged in environmentally destructive mining, and a plot centered on harvesting a life-extending substance from animals.

Ryder argues that while the first Avatar film did not include this life-extending substance, The Way of Water introduced it as a central storyline, which he says mirrors KRZ. He is seeking at least $500 million in damages and has asked the court to block the release of the upcoming third film.

This is not Ryder’s first legal challenge. He previously sued over the original Avatar movie in 2011, but that case was dismissed after a court found Cameron had developed the concept independently. Ryder’s new filing argues that the alleged copying occurred only in the sequel, making it a separate legal claim.

Disney and Lightstorm Entertainment have not publicly commented on the lawsuit. The case will now proceed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.