‘Avatar’ director James Cameron has relocated to New Zealand permanently, moving there with his family after years of considering the shift. The director said the country won his confidence during COVID-19, when public life followed science and people worked toward the same goal. He has praised New Zealand for its stability and unity, and he framed the move as a choice between order and division. “Where would you rather live?” Cameron asked. He added that he was not chasing views or a fresh backdrop. “I’m not there for scenery, I’m there for the sanity.”
James Cameron moves to New Zealand for sanity and science
Cameron discussed the move during an interview on ‘In Depth with Graham Besinger’, where he explained his thinking in detail. Speaking to Besinger, the 71-year-old filmmaker said New Zealand’s handling of the 2020 global health crisis played a decisive role. He framed the decision as a simple question of values rather than lifestyle.“A place that actually believes in science and is sane and where people can work together cohesively to a common goal,” Cameron said, contrasting it with a society he described as “extremely polarized” and dismissive of science. He summed it up plainly. “I’m not there for scenery, I’m there for the sanity.”
‘Avatar’ director James Cameron relocates with family after COVID-19
The move was years in the making. Cameron first visited New Zealand in 1994 and said the country stayed with him. “I committed to myself,” he recalled. “I’m going to come live here someday.” He and his wife, Suzy Amis Cameron, later revisited the idea as their family grew. “She was game,” Cameron said, even as they built long-standing roots in Malibu and Santa Barbara.In August 2020, the family made the move official. Cameron shares an adult daughter, Josephine, with actor Linda Hamilton. Suzy Amis Cameron has a son, Jasper, from a previous marriage to actor Sam Robards, and the couple has three children together.
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash ’ box office and cast at a glance
Cameron’s most recent release, ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, has continued his box office dominance. The film topped the North American box office for five straight weeks and crossed the USD 1.3 billion mark worldwide, according to industry estimates cited by Exhibitor Relations. The US and Canadian total alone stands at more than USD 367 million.The film stars Zoe Saldana as Na’vi warrior Neytiri and Sam Worthington as Jake Sully, as the family faces a new threat on Pandora. ‘Fire and Ash’ is Cameron’s fourth film to pass USD 1 billion globally, joining the first two ‘Avatar’ films and ‘Titanic’.