James Cameron drops bombshell about abandoning the US

James Cameron, the creator of Titanic and Avatar, has revealed why his New Zealand citizenship is “imminent.”

Speaking to NZ Stuff, the 70-year-old shared that his New Zealand citizenship is “imminent” after Donald Trump won a second term in November 2024, highlighting that the move is “something I’ve worked toward, something I’ve had to sacrifice for.”

Cameron explained, “I see a turn away from everything decent” under Trump’s administration.

“America doesn’t stand for anything if it doesn’t stand for what it has historically stood for. It becomes a hollow idea, and I think they’re hollowing it out as fast as they can for their own benefit,” he added.

The Terminator director went on to claim that “I don’t know if I feel any safer here, but I certainly feel like I don’t have to read about it on the front page every single day. And it’s just sickening.”

Expressing his dislike for Trump, he quipped, “There’s something nice about the New Zealand outlets—at least they’ll put it on page three. I just don’t want to see that guy’s face anymore on the front page of the paper. It’s inescapable there; it’s like watching a car crash over and over and over.”

Moreover, Cameron, who owns a farm in Wairarapa and plans to film in Wellington, articulated that people should “earn your right to be in a place.”

“If you’re going to uproot your family and move somewhere, you have to invest, you have to be part of it, you have to earn standing,” the Aliens maker said.

For the unversed, in 2023, Cameron shared his vision of bringing “some young blood” into New Zealand’s film industry, saying, “I love working here. I love the people that I get to work with here.”

“We’ve got to have the new people. I’m not talking just about writers and directors. I’m talking about the tradies, the craftspeople, the dolly grip, the crane grip. Those are all art forms in of themselves,” the three-time Oscar winner clarified.

It is essential to mention that James Cameron’s latest project is Avatar: Fire and Ash, an epic science fiction film, which he co-produced, co-edited, co-wrote, and directed.

Notably, the movie is to hit theatres on December 19, 2025, under the banner of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.