Oh Snap, James Cameron Just Called Out Matt Damon’s Story About Passing On 10% Of Avatar

by

It’s common to hear stories about actors who were almost cast in famous roles – like Leonardo DiCaprio in Boogie Nights or Will Smith turning down The Matrix. But the story of Matt Damon almost starring in Avatar is particularly well-known, as it involves a potentially massive financial gain he supposedly passed up. Recently, though, director James Cameron has disputed some of the details of that story.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, James Cameron clarified the story about Matt Damon potentially being in Avatar. Cameron stated that Damon was never officially offered a role, meaning they never discussed salary or other financial details, as he explained.

He wasn’t actually offered the role. I’m not even sure if I ever sent him the script. I probably didn’t. Later, we spoke on the phone and he expressed interest in working with me, saying he admired my filmmaking and thought the project sounded interesting. However, he’d already committed to another Jason Bourne film, which created a conflict, and he had to decline. But to be clear, he never received a formal offer, we didn’t discuss the character in detail, and it never got to the point of negotiation – it was simply a scheduling issue.

This doesn’t align with how Damon recalls events. He’d mentioned earlier that they initially discussed sharing in the film’s profits, which would have been a huge sum given that Avatar became the highest-grossing movie ever.

Whether it was actually 10 percent or not, any share of the movie’s profits would have meant a huge payout for Matt Damon. But Cameron seemed determined to point out that Damon wouldn’t have received that much money, even if he had decided to star in the film.

He’s basically calculated that he should have received 10% of the profits from all his movies. He feels that if that hadn’t been the case with Avatar, he wouldn’t have done it. And honestly, he’s right. So he’s letting it go and doesn’t need to feel bad about it. It’s alright, Matt, you didn’t make a mistake.

Even if Cameron’s correct that no money changed hands, I’m a little disappointed he felt the need to correct the story. It’s a fantastic tale that’s become a well-known part of Hollywood history, and honestly, it’s often said that a good story is more important than strict accuracy.

Cameron admitted he might have accidentally spoiled a potentially great story Damon was planning to tell, but he had plenty of good things to say about the Good Will Hunting actor. Apparently, Damon turned down Avatar with a lot of grace, and Cameron seems genuinely impressed with how he did it. He explained:

Matt actually called me himself to share the news, which I really appreciated. He didn’t want me to hear it through his agent, and that just speaks to what a genuinely good person he is. I have a lot of respect for him and would jump at the chance to collaborate with him, but it just never worked out. A lot of different things were going on at the time, and it didn’t align.

Perhaps once James Cameron finishes the Avatar movies, he and Matt Damon will collaborate on a project. Regardless of whether Cameron’s account is completely correct, or if Damon remembers the financial details accurately, it seems like everything ended positively.

John Krasinski pointed out that Matt Damon is already a well-established actor, and I agree. A slightly bigger paycheck wouldn’t have made much difference for him. In fact, because Damon didn’t take the Avatar role, he was free to star in several other fantastic films we might have missed out on. So, it’s probably a good thing he passed on that project.

You can now watch Avatar: Fire and Ash in theaters everywhere – this time without Matt Damon. Plus, the first two Avatar movies are available to stream on Disney+. For Matt Damon fans, his new film, The Odyssey, will be in cinemas on July 17th as part of the 2026 summer movie season.

Read More

2025-12-20 22:12