Despite releasing thirteen years after the first part, ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ managed to have a smashing opening at the box office and achieved rave reviews from critics as well as audiences. Released on December 16, the film collected $17 million on its opening day and has managed to rake in the third biggest opening worldwide box office in the post-pandemic era.
However, recently the sequel has come under scrutiny for its alleged cultural appropriation of native American and indigenous people. Director James Cameron has been accused of appropriating the cultures and histories of various Indigenous cultures for profit by showcasing a largely white cast.
Netizens have expressed their hatred on social media by calling ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ “Racist” and “Horrible”. Yuè Begay, a Native American influencer and co-chairman of Indigenous Pride LA wrote, “Do NOT watch Avatar: The Way of Water. Join Natives & other Indigenous groups around the world in boycotting this horrible & racist film. Our cultures were appropriated in a harmful manner to satisfy some man’s savior complex. No more Blueface! Lakota people are powerful!”
Another native American, Autumn Asher BlackDeer, an assistant professor in the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver has wrote, “Why watch a ridiculous movie about blue aliens when you could just support actual Indigenous people and our struggle for clean water here on Earth? Yes, we do exist.”
Not only that, a boycott campaign has been arisen and it constantly urging cine lovers to avoid the film. ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ shows the humans as colonizers, who look at Pandora as their next home because Earth’s resources are more or less running out.
Directed by James Cameron, ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ brought back Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña and Sigourney Weaver from the first installment. Opening in fifty-two thousand theatres worldwide, the film has got the most extensive release in history.
