Academy Award-winning film director James Cameron says his New Zealand citizenship is “imminent” and is hinting at plans to relocate to the country permanently to escape Donald Trump’s second term in the White House.
Cameron, a Canadian born in Kapuskasing, Ont., and well-known for his slate of blockbuster movies including Titanic and Avatar, told New Zealand news outlet Stuff that he intends to make his farm in South Wairarapa his family’s primary residence.
The film director, already a resident of New Zealand, has owned the 1,000-hectare dairy farm since 2012. He also has a history of professional ties to the island nation, having collaborated with Wellington-based visual effects studio Weta Visual on Avatar, for which it was awarded an Oscar.
According to the Guardian, Cameron has long been vocal about his plans to live in New Zealand and Trump’s current presidency, which he described as “horrifying” and “like watching a car crash over and over again,” acted as a recent catalyst.
“I see it as a turn away from everything decent,” he said of the Trump 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.”
While Cameron says he doesn’t necessarily feel any safer in New Zealand than in the U.S., he prefers the way the country’s reporting operates, saying that it provides a welcome escape from America’s Trump-heavy news cycle.
The film industry veteran’s Kiwi citizenship is close to being finalized, which he says “means a lot,” adding that it is something he has worked hard and made sacrifices for and that he believes it is important to earn one’s standing in a country before calling it home.
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Despite no longer residing in Canada, Cameron drew parallels between the personalities and values of Canadians and New Zealanders.
“I grew up in Canada, and I see a lot of similarities here in the way people behave. I actually like it here a little better. There’s an innate respect and a demand for respect. Everybody has this kind of equal status in terms of personhood. And I love that — that’s what I wanted my kids to experience,” he said.
Meanwhile, social media users have been responding to the news of the filmmaker’s imminent move to the Southern Hemisphere.
“If filmmakers focused on storytelling and craft as much as they do on Donald Trump, movies might still be watchable. Alas…,” one X user commented.
“I feel you James,” another person wrote.
“If I had his money I’d do the same. This country is a disaster,” another responded.
In 2023, Cameron expressed plans to produce all his future projects in New Zealand and to hire local talent and cultivate the country’s film industry.
“I love working here. I love the people that I get to work with here,” he said.
