James Cameron—the man who gave us killer robots, blue aliens, and a boat that wouldn't share the door—has some thoughts about America. And they're not warm.
In a new interview with "In Depth with Graham Bensinger," the director, who relocated to New Zealand years ago, delivered a blistering critique of his former homeland, contrasting it unfavorably with his adopted country's pandemic response and scientific literacy.
"A place that actually believes in science," Cameron said when asked where he'd rather live, "or a place where everybody's at each other's throats, turning its back on science and basically would be in utter disarray if another pandemic appears."
When Bensinger gently pushed back, suggesting America remains "a fantastic place to live," Cameron responded with the directorial equivalent of a raised eyebrow: "Is it?"
Ouch.
The Avatar maestro has been increasingly vocal about his New Zealand citizenship and his reasons for leaving the States. He praised New Zealand's COVID-19 response—including their 98% vaccination rate and temporary virus elimination—while criticizing America's fractured approach to public health.
This isn't new territory for Cameron. A year earlier, he called America "hollowed out" under Donald Trump, saying he felt "safer" in New Zealand, particularly to escape the relentless news cycle around the former (and now current) president.
Look, Cameron's hardly the first Hollywood figure to criticize American politics from abroad. But there's something particularly pointed about a filmmaker who literally invented the phrase "I'll be back" deciding he be back.
