James Cameron accused of ripping off ideas for ‘Avatar’
By ANIThursday, January 14, 2010
LONDON - Filmmaker James Cameron has been accused of the lifting ideas from two renowned Soviet Union science fiction writers for his latest flick Avatar.
Avatar bears resemblance to extracts from The World of Noon, or Noon Universe, a series of 10 bestselling fantasy novels penned by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky in the mid-1960s.
Pandora, a green and lushly forested planet in the movie is also mentioned in the books. The events of both the flick and the books take place in the 22nd century.
Moreover, humanoids named Na’vi in Avatar and the Nave in the Strugatsky novels live on both the Pandoras.
Arkady Strugatsky died in 1991 and his surviving brother Boris, 76, said last week that he had not seen the movie.
Not only did he reject any similarities between Avatar and his Noon Universe but also rubbished all reports of accusing Cameron of plagiarism.
Dmitry Bykov writing for the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta had pointed out the similarities between the film and the novel.
“The Na’vi are unequivocally reminiscent of the [Strugatskys'] Nave,” the Telegraph quoted him as writing.
However, Cameron had denied ripping off any ideas and said Avatar’s idea is original. (ANI)
