Oscar-winning filmmaker James Cameron has explained why he and his family chose to relocate permanently from the United States to New Zealand—framing the decision as one driven by social cohesion and trust in science, rather than scenery or celebrity lifestyle.
Speaking on In Depth with Graham Bensinger, Cameron said New Zealand’s approach during the COVID-19 pandemic reinforced what he had felt for years about the country. “I’m not there for scenery, I’m there for the sanity,” he said.
A connection that began in the 1990s
Cameron told Bensinger that his relationship with New Zealand goes back to the mid-1990s, when he first visited and became deeply drawn to the people and the way of life. Over time, that affinity evolved into a long-term plan—one he and his wife, Suzy Amis Cameron, discussed well before the pandemic.
The couple ultimately purchased a farm in New Zealand in 2011 and spent years travelling between California and New Zealand while work commitments kept them anchored to the U.S.
The pandemic accelerated the permanent move
According to Cameron, the turning point came in 2020, when New Zealand’s public-health response stood out to him as coordinated and science-led. He said that after months of navigating disrupted schedules and restarting production operations, the family decided to “make the move as a family” in August 2020.
In the interview, Cameron contrasted New Zealand’s cohesion with what he described as a more polarised atmosphere in the United States. He specifically cited high vaccination uptake in New Zealand and argued that a shared commitment to evidence-based decision-making created a calmer, more unified environment.
“A place that believes in science”
Cameron described the choice as both philosophical and practical, suggesting that communities that can align around public-interest goals are better positioned to handle future crises. He framed New Zealand as an example of that collective mindset while questioning whether the U.S. could respond as cohesively if another major public health emergency emerged.
Citizenship and longer-term roots
Cameron’s commitment to New Zealand has also become formal. In August 2025, he became a New Zealand citizen following a citizenship ceremony in Wellington, according to reporting cited by RNZ.
RNZ also reported that Cameron owns extensive land in South Wairarapa and has lived with his family in the Wairarapa region since 2012, underscoring that his presence in the country predates the pandemic-era move becoming permanent.
Still active professionally
While establishing New Zealand as his home base, Cameron remains professionally active, continuing work connected to the Avatar franchise and related projects—now increasingly tied to New Zealand’s production ecosystem.
By – Sonali