Outrage at the “Avatar 2” premiere
Stars applaud ‘cruel’ dolphin show
At a Japanese “Avatar 2” event, the stars of the film watched a dolphin show.
© 2022 20th Century Studios. All rights reserved.
Director James Cameron and the film’s stars have been criticized for a dolphin show on the sidelines of the “Avatar 2” premiere in Japan.
The highly anticipated “Avatar” sequel “The Way of Water” has opened in cinemas worldwide. Like its predecessor, the film carries a strong message for nature conservation. Director James Cameron (68) has been personally committed to environmental protection and sustainability for many years. But at the Japanese premiere of “Avatar 2” a dolphin show took place before the eyes of the filmmaker and the stars Zoe Saldana (44), Sam Worthington (46) and Sigourney Weaver (73), which has been criticized by environmental activists.
James Cameron: ‘Dolphins have certainly been asked for permission’
A video that can be seen on “Yahoo! News” shows, among other things, as the stars and director of “Avatar: The Way of Water” sit next to a huge pool where trained dolphins perform tricks. At one point in the clip, a trainer is riding one of the marine mammals. The “Avatar 2” stars applaud standing, leading actor Worthington and producer Jon Landau (62) appear to be filming the captive animal show with their smartphones.
Oscar winner Cameron explained in a clip shared on Instagram during the dolphin show: “I love these animals, I love their intelligence” to jokingly add: “And I’m sure everyone has asked their permission to be on this show”.
Activist Lisa Lange from the animal rights organization PETA said according to Yahoo! News: “To see James Cameron, Sigourney Weaver and Sam Worthington sitting there and applauding was shocking. The trainers treated these dolphins like circus clowns. They rode on their noses – it doesn’t get any worse”.
dr In a statement, Naomi Rose of the Animal Welfare Institute called it “truly unfortunate” that filmmaker Cameron “didn’t do his homework” ahead of the Japanese premiere of Avatar 2, given the film’s strong environmental message. This sends a “contradictory message”.