Renowned filmmaker James Cameron has revealed that his decision to relocate to New Zealand was heavily influenced by the country’s exemplary handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The director, who hails from Ontario, Canada, shared his thoughts in an interview on “In Depth with Graham Bensinger,” highlighting New Zealand’s swift and effective response to the crisis as a key factor in his move.

Cameron, now 71, articulated his preference for residing in a nation that prioritizes scientific understanding and unity. He posed a rhetorical question, contrasting New Zealand’s approach to that of the United States, asking, “Where would you rather live? A place that actually believes in science and is sane, where people can work together cohesively towards a common goal, or a place where everybody’s at each other’s throats, extremely polarized, turning its back on science, and would be in utter disarray if another pandemic appears?”

The Oscar-winning director, known for iconic films such as “Titanic,” “The Terminator,” “Avatar,” and “Aliens,” praised New Zealand for having successfully eradicated the virus on two separate occasions. He noted that it was only a third wave, with a mutated variant, that managed to breach the country’s defenses, demonstrating the challenges even well-prepared nations face in the ongoing battle against COVID-19.

‘Or a place where everybody’s at each other’s throats, extremely polarized, turning its back on science and basically would be in utter disarray if another pandemic appears.’

Cameron, who has directed cinematic blockbusters such as Titanic, The Terminator, Avatar and Aliens, said that ‘New Zealand had eliminated the virus completely’ on two occasions until a ‘third time when it showed up in a mutated form’ and ‘broke through.’

In the interview, Cameron said that by the time dangerous strain of coronavirus had spread across New Zealand, the population ‘already had a 98 percent vaccination rate’ – more than 36 percent higher than in the states.

James Cameron, 71, says his move to New Zealandwas tied into the country’s competence in conquering COVID-19 

‘This is why I love New Zealand,’ Cameron said. ‘People there are, for the most part, sane as opposed to the United States where you had a 62 percent vaccination rate, and that’s going down – going the wrong direction.’

At one point in the exchange, Bensinger called the U.S. ‘a fantastic place to live’ to which Cameron asked, ‘Is it?’

When Bensinger referenced the stunning nature in New Zealand, Cameron responded, ‘I’m not there for scenery; I’m there for the sanity.’

Cameron said that he initially flirted with the idea of moving to New Zealand in 1994 after a visit left him enchanted with the nation and its populace, who he ‘just really fell in love with.’

Said Cameron: ‘I made myself a promise – “I’m going to come live here someday.”‘

Cameron said that he and his spouse Suzy, 64, had past explored the topic and she had always been amenable to the idea of moving.

‘When Suzy and I were first getting serious, she said, “Fine, no problem” – she was game,’ Cameron said.

Cameron said that while he and his spouse owned properties in Southern California, they always kept an eye on New Zealand, and finally went ahead with the plan after Avatar’s release.

The Oscar-winner described the current US as ‘a place where everybody’s at each other’s throats, extremely polarized, turning its back on science’

President Donald Trump pictured at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Said the filmmaker: ‘Now, later, we have children, we have a family, we’ve got roots in Malibu and Santa Barbara, that conversation had to be amended slightly, but we did say after Avatar, “Let’s make this happen.”‘

An admittedly ‘frustrated’ Cameron last month slammed Trump and his administration for its environmental policies.

Cameron called the president ‘most narcissistic a**hole in history since f***ing Nero,’ adding, ‘Yeah, you can quote that.’

Cameron told The Hollywood Reporter, ‘I’m frustrated because the human race seems to be delusional about what they think is going to happen next. 

‘We are going backwards.’

Cameron last year said he found Trump’s re-election in 2024 to be ‘a turn away from everything decent’ while appearing on he F#$%ing News with Paddy Gower podcast.