James Cameron is firing back at awards voters, claiming his visually stunning Avatar sequels have been unfairly overlooked by the Academy-and he blames a backlash against artificial intelligence that he insists doesn’t even apply to his films.
The 71-year-old director made the comments during a Jan. 14 appearance on The Hollywood Reporter‘s Awards Chatter podcast while discussing Avatar: Fire and Ash, the latest installment in his $1-billion-grossing franchise. Cameron argued that 2022’s The Way of Water was penalized by voters who mistakenly believed the production leaned on generative AI.
Cameron: ‘We’ve never used generative AI’
“We’ve never used generative AI-there’s not one image in the new film that was created by generative AI,” Cameron said. “I think we just got painted by a very broad brush and a backlash at that moment.”
He acknowledged legitimate criticism might exist, but added: “I happen to think it was f—ing good enough. It was good enough, guys!”
Franchise Oscar history
- 2009’s Avatar: 9 nominations, 3 wins (Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction)
- 2022’s The Way of Water: 4 nominations, 1 win (Best Visual Effects)
- 2025’s Fire and Ash**: awaiting Jan. 22 nomination announcement
Cameron expressed pride in the first film’s near-miss for Best Picture: “We were there. We were in play. We weren’t in play at all on Avatar 2, and I consider that to be, in many ways, the most beautiful film that I’ve ever made.”
Awards season so far for Fire and Ash
- Critics Choice Awards 2026: won Best Visual Effects
- Golden Globe Awards 2026: nominated for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement (lost to Sinners)
- Golden Globe Awards 2026: Miley Cyrus’ “Dream As One” nominated for Best Original Song (lost to KPop Demon Hunters’ “Golden”)
The director admitted he “wasn’t disappointed” by the Oscars shut-out for The Way of Water, but feels industry insiders misunderstand his filmmaking process.
What happens next
Oscar nominations for the 2026 ceremony will be revealed Thursday, Jan. 22, via live stream hosted by Danielle Brooks and Lewis Pullman. Avatar: Fire and Ash is currently in theaters.
