Photo Credit: 20th Century Studios
James Cameron has opened up about claims from Matt Damon that he almost starred in and received a cut of Avatar‘s profits.
What did James Cameron say about Matt Damon’s viral Avatar story?
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Cameron addressed the story from Damon that has become a bit legendary. According to Damon, he was offered the role of Jake Sully in the original Avatar, as well as 10 percent of the movie. Given how much money Avatar made (close to $3 billion), this means Damon would’ve lost out on hundreds of millions of dollars.
Cameron did acknowledge that Damon and himself spoke, but that Damon was never offered any specific role for the movie. “He was never offered the part,” Cameron said. “I can’t remember if I sent him the script or not. I don’t think I did? Then we wound up on a call and he said, ‘I love to explore doing a movie with you. I have a lot of respect for you as a filmmaker. [Avatar] sounds intriguing. But I really have to do this Jason Bourne movie. I’ve agreed to it, it’s a direct conflict, and so, regretfully, I have to turn it down.’ But he was never offered. There was never a deal. We never talked about the character. We never got to that level. It was simply an availability issue.”
As for the bit about Damon getting a cut of the film’s profits? Cameron said that would have never happened at all, so Damon has nothing to worry about missing out on.
“Now what he’s done is he’s extrapolated ‘I get 10 percent of the gross on all my films.’ And if, in his mind, that’s what it would’ve taken for him to do Avatar, then it wouldn’t have happened. Trust me on that. So he’s off the hook and doesn’t have to beat himself up anymore. Matt, it’s okay, buddy! You didn’t miss anything.”
Despite the misunderstanding, Cameron did say that he had respect for Damon for reaching out personally to him to turn down a spot in Avatar. Cameron noted that Damon wanted to tell him personally, a move he found “honorable.”
“So all respect to Matt. I’d love to work with him someday. But that never happened. It was a conflation of different things that were happening.”
Cameron’s latest Avatar movie, Avatar: Fire and Ash, will release in theaters on December 19, 2025.
Originally reported by Anthony Nash on ComingSoon.
