James Cameron, the Canadian filmmaker behind the Avatar franchise, has said he is not interested in becoming a U.S. citizen despite living and working in the country for nearly 47 years. In a recent Buzzfeed Canada interview (see below), Cameron said he once believed in what he described as the “American democratic experience” but no longer feels connected to it. As he stated:
I did live there for 47 years in Los Angeles, I did think about it for a while. I thought there was a lot of nobility in the ‘American Democratic experience.’ But where the hell did that go? I’m over it. I think Canadians are way over it.
Cameron added that debates about Canada becoming a “51st state” reinforced his views, saying Canadians would “fight until the last moose.”
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The remarks were made as Cameron reflected on his long residency in the United States and his continued identification as Canadian.
James Cameron Worked in Hollywood for Decades Without U.S. Citizenship
James Cameron | Image: Gage Skidmore CC BY-SA 2.0 Wikimedia Commons
Cameron moved to the United States in the late 1970s and spent much of his working life based in Los Angeles (via IMDb). He lived in the city for 47 years while developing his career in the American film industry. During that time, he worked with major Hollywood studios and remained professionally active in the U.S. while retaining Canadian citizenship.
His long residency in the United States coincided with the period in which he directed and produced several studio-backed films that were developed and released through the U.S. film system. His work during these decades placed him among filmmakers operating at the highest levels of Hollywood production (via Forbes), even though he never became an American citizen. Cameron has said he considered applying for U.S. citizenship at various points but ultimately chose not to pursue it (via Wikipedia).
Throughout his years in Hollywood, Cameron’s citizenship status did not limit his ability to lead large-scale studio projects, including directing films produced and released by U.S.-based studios such as Titanic and the first Avatar, both of which were developed while he was living and working in Los Angeles.
Now Cameron has shifted much of his film production activity outside the United States, though his career remains closely tied to Hollywood through distribution, financing, and studio partnerships.
James Cameron Continues International ‘Avatar‘ Production Work
In recent years, Cameron has carried out much of his work on the Avatar franchise outside the United States. Filming and production for Avatar: The Way of Water and upcoming sequels have been based largely in New Zealand, where Cameron relocated much of the franchise’s operations (via Deadline).
The Avatar films have involved long shoots, international crews, and overseas production facilities. Work on the sequels has taken place over several years, including filming and post-production.
Cameron has continued to direct and oversee the films while working outside the United States. The Avatar franchise remains in production, with additional sequels likely in development. Although Cameron spent decades based in Hollywood, his recent work shows a shift toward internationally based production as the franchise continues to expand.
What’s your take on his recent remarks? Let us know in the comments!
Avatar: Fire and Ash is currently only available in theatres, and all previous Avatar movies are available to stream on Disney+ (USA).
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