Overview
- Cameron told In Depth with Graham Bensinger he settled in New Zealand after seeing the country's early elimination approach and public cooperation during COVID-19.
- He contrasted what he described as New Zealand's roughly 98% vaccination rate with about 62% in the U.S., arguing the U.S. had become highly polarized.
- The director first visited New Zealand in 1994, bought a farm in 2011, and moved his family in August 2020 while continuing work on Avatar: The Way of Water.
- He said civic sanity mattered more than scenery, declaring, "I'm there for the sanity," and criticized the U.S. for "turning its back on science."
- Cameron was granted New Zealand citizenship in August 2025 and earlier received special entry permissions for himself and 55 crew during border closures to keep filming.