A Lawsuit Against "Avatar": Actress Q'orianka Kilcher Accuses Filmmakers of Borrowing Her Appearance (2 photos) (photo)

American actress Vaira Koyana Kilcher has filed a lawsuit alleging that the character Neytiri from the Avatar franchise may have been created using her likeness without her consent. According to Kilcher, when she was around 14 years old, director James Cameron allegedly used her photograph as a reference for the character's face. The lawsuit alleges that studio designers were explicitly instructed to use the actress's facial features as a reference when creating Neytiri's digital likeness. Kilcher insists the resemblance is not coincidental, but rather the result of intentional use of her likeness without permission or compensation. Representatives for Cameron and Disney have not publicly commented on the situation. If the lawsuit is upheld, it could set a significant precedent for the film industry regarding the use of actors' likenesses and digital likenesses.