- James Cameron has responded to criticism over his use of 3D and high frame rate in his upcoming movie Avatar: Fire and Ash, and its 2022 prequel
- He shared his thoughts in an interview with Discussing Film, bluntly saying, "I happen to like it, and it's my movie"
- On top of this backlash, Cameron has been hit with a second copyright infringement lawsuit by fellow animator Eric Ryder
The third installment to James Cameron’s Avatar film series, Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025), is set to release this week, but the director has already received a fair share of criticism for his use of 3D, and a copyright infringement lawsuit has emerged at the same time.
As well as pointing out the use of 3D, critics have voiced harsh criticism of the movie’s high frame rate, which some have called 'too uncanny'. Both Avatar: Fire and Ash and its prequel Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) use a staggering 48 frames per second, which is twice the standard movie frame rate of 24.
The billion-dollar-grossing director hasn’t remained silent, however, giving a blunt and upfront response to the wave of backlash in an interview with Discussing Film, saying, "I think $2.3 billion says you might be wrong on that."
Cameron then added, "Well, that's the argument from authority. But the argument from artistic is, I happen to like it, and it's my movie.”
James Cameron responds to criticisms about his use of 3D and high frame rate in ‘AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH’“I think $2.3 billion says you might be wrong on that. Well, that’s the argument from authority. But the argument from artistic is: I happen to like it, and it’s my movie.” pic.twitter.com/o7pwU5b9WYDecember 13, 2025
But this isn’t the only scrutiny that Cameron is facing in the lead-up to his next blockbuster. Just when you think things couldn’t get worse, along comes a copyright infringement lawsuit – and it’s not the first time Cameron’s been hit with one.
Ryder vs Cameron
On Monday, 3D animator Eric Ryder filed a lawsuit against Disney and Cameron, claiming that he plagiarized his work in the second Avatar movie, Avatar: The Way of Water.
According to Reuters, Ryder says he previously worked with Cameron’s production company, Lightstorm Entertainment, to make a movie based on his sci-fi story KRZ. KRZ, who is suing Cameron for $500 million in damages and is also requesting a court order blocking the new film's release.
This isn’t the first time Ryder has issued a lawsuit against Cameron, however. Back in 2011, Ryder sued Cameron for similar reasons over the first movie installment, Avatar (2009), but the case was eventually dismissed. According to his latest lawsuit, "This action is not an attempt to relitigate prior claims" and instead “challenges new acts of copying that occur for the first time in Avatar 2."
In Avatar: The Way of Water, Ryder says that its plot focuses on "the harvesting of an animal-based substance that when refined can extend human life," which he claims was an integral storyline of his own KRZ idea but wasn’t used for the first Avatar movie.
While Cameron has been vocal about criticism of his use of 3D and high frame rate in his work, neither he nor Lightstorm Entertainment has issued a statement regarding Ryder’s lawsuit.
Avatar: Fire and Ash will be released in US cinemas on December 19, 2025. Its first two movies, Avatar (2009) and Avatar: The Way of Water, are available to stream on Disney+.
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