James Cameron blasts Matt Damon’s viral claim he was offered $290 million Avatar payday in scathing chat

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James Cameron has publicly disputed Matt Damon’s story about declining a starring role in Avatar, a decision Damon says cost him $290 million.

The 71-year-old director recently explained something in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, as he gets ready to release the next movie in the popular series.

Damon has said before that he turned down the part of Jake Sully, which Sam Worthington ultimately played.

Matt Damon, known for his role in ‘The Martian,’ has stated that James Cameron offered him 10% of the earnings from the film ‘Avatar.’ Considering ‘Avatar’ earned nearly $2.9 billion worldwide, Damon reportedly missed out on a potential payment of hundreds of millions of dollars.

The director said he never actually offered the actor the role. He wasn’t even sure if he’d sent the script, adding that he probably hadn’t.

Cameron remembered a phone call with Damon where Damon said he liked Avatar, but his commitment to making another Jason Bourne movie created a scheduling problem.

The director explained that while there was interest, a deal was never actually offered or discussed. It wasn’t a creative decision; it simply came down to scheduling conflicts and availability.

‘Now what he’s done is he’s extrapolated “I get 10 percent of the gross on all my films.”‘

Cameron explained that if James Cameron believed making Avatar required such a compromise, he simply wouldn’t have made the film. He emphasized this point firmly.

The filmmaker reassured Matt Damon that he shouldn’t feel bad about not being involved, jokingly telling him he hadn’t missed out on anything.

Even though he disagreed with the actor’s recent statements, Cameron expressed his willingness to work with the star of Good Will Hunting someday.

He also mentioned he appreciated Damon contacting him directly about declining the role in Avatar because of scheduling conflicts.

Cameron expressed his respect for Matt and said he’d be open to collaborating with him in the future. However, he clarified that they never actually worked together, explaining it was due to a combination of unrelated circumstances.

Daily Mail has reached out to Damon’s reps for comment, but did not immediately hear back. 

Released in 2009, Avatar featured Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, and Sigourney Weaver in its cast.

The science fiction film reportedly cost about $237 million to make and became a huge commercial hit, earning $2.9 billion worldwide.

Avatar wasn’t just a hit movie – it became the highest-grossing film ever made. Its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, was released in 2022.

Damon has said he regrets not appearing in a movie directed by Cameron, calling it one of his biggest disappointments.

Jim Cameron approached me with the project Avatar, and he specifically told me he wasn’t looking for a well-known actor or relying on star power, as I recall telling British GQ.

Damon said Cameron told him, “If you turn down the role, I’ll find another actor, because the film doesn’t depend on you. But if you accept, I’ll give you 10 percent of the profits.”

Damon also expressed regret over possibly not having the opportunity to ever work with Cameron. 

He doesn’t make movies very often, but because everyone knows his work, it seems like he’s been much more prolific than he actually has.

The actor explained that turning down the opportunity likely meant he’d never get to work with that person again, which was really tough. However, he’s managing financially and his family is doing well.

And then in 2023, Damon once again discussed the topic while talking to Entertainment Tonight. 

Saldana also spoke to him then, reassuring him that his career hadn’t been negatively affected. She said, ‘Trust me, I don’t think it hurt your career at all.’

Damon playfully asked, ‘Can you imagine what kind of movie it would have been if I’d been in it?’

The actor said that despite appearing in around 50 films, he’s never been in one that earned a billion dollars at the box office.

Throughout his career, Damon has appeared in many films, including the acclaimed Good Will Hunting (1997). He and his friend Ben Affleck even won an Academy Award for the film’s original screenplay.

He’s also been in the Jason Bourne movies, which have earned approximately $1.6 billion worldwide across five films.

I was so thrilled to see Matt Damon shine in ‘The Martian’ back in 2015! It was an incredible performance, and I was absolutely delighted when he received an Oscar nomination and even won a Golden Globe for Best Actor – he truly deserved it!

Over the years, Matt Damon has appeared in several acclaimed films, including Saving Private Ryan (1998), True Grit (2010), Ford v Ferrari (2019), and Oppenheimer (2023). He’s also set to star in Christopher Nolan’s next big movie, The Odyssey.

The highly anticipated film, Avatar: Fire and Ash, costing over $400 million to produce, will be released in theaters this Friday, December 19th. It was co-written and directed by James Cameron.

Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, and Stephen Lang are back in their familiar roles, joined by returning cast members Kate Winslet, Oona Chaplin, and Cliff Curtis.

Two more books will continue the story after “Fire And Ash,” with releases planned for 2029 and 2031.

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2025-12-19 02:06