- James Cameron has responded to criticism over his use of 3D and high frame rates in his upcoming film. Avatar: Fire and Ashand its 2022 prequel
- He shared his thoughts in an interview with Discussing Film and bluntly said, “I happen to like it and it’s my movie.”
- In addition to this backlash, Cameron has been hit with a second copyright infringement lawsuit from fellow animator Eric Ryder.
James Cameron’s third installment Avatar movie series, Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025), will be released this week, but the director has already received a fair amount of criticism for his use of 3D, and at the same time a lawsuit for copyright infringement has arisen.
In addition to noting the use of 3D, critics have expressed harsh criticism of the film’s high frame rate, which some have called “too strange.” Both Avatar: Fire and Ash and its prequel Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) use a staggering 48 frames per second, which is double the standard film frame rate of 24.
However, the billion-dollar director hasn’t stayed quiet and gave a blunt and direct response to the wave of backlash in an interview with Discussing Film, saying, “I think $2.3 billion indicates that you might be wrong about that.”
Cameron then added: “Well, that’s the authority argument. But the artistic argument is that I like it and it’s my movie.”
James Cameron Responds to Criticism of His Use of 3D and High Frame Rate in ‘AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH’ “I think $2.3 billion says you might be wrong about that. Well, that’s the authority argument. But the artistic argument is: I happen to like it and it’s my movie.” pic.twitter.com/o7pwU5b9WYDecember 13, 2025
But this isn’t the only scrutiny Cameron faces in the run-up to his next blockbuster. Just when you think things couldn’t get any worse, a copyright infringement lawsuit hits, and it’s not the first time Cameron has faced one.
Ryder vs. Cameron
On Monday, 3D animator Eric Ryder filed a lawsuit against Disney and Cameron, alleging that he plagiarized his work on the second Avatar film. Avatar: The Way of Water.
However, this is not the first time Ryder has filed a lawsuit against Cameron. In 2011, Ryder sued Cameron for similar reasons over the first installment of the film. Avatar (2009), but the case was ultimately dismissed. According to their latest lawsuit, “This action is not an attempt to re-litigate prior claims” but rather “challenges new acts of copying occurring for the first time in Avatar 2.”
In Avatar: The Way of WaterRyder says that its plot centers on “the harvesting of a substance of animal origin that, when refined, can prolong human life”, which he claimed was an integral story of his own history. KRZ idea but not used for the first time Avatar movie.
While Cameron has expressed criticism of his use of 3D and high frame rates in his work, neither he nor Lightstorm Entertainment have issued a statement regarding Ryder’s lawsuit.
Avatar: Fire and Ash will be released in US theaters on December 19, 2025. His first two films, Avatar (2009) and Avatar: The Way of Water, are available to stream on Disney+.
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