NEED TO KNOW
James Cameron is setting the record straight regarding Matt Damon’s claim that he was offered — and turned down — the lead role in Avatar.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Cameron — who has directed all three of the films in the Avatar franchise — said that Damon, 55, was never actually offered the role of Jake Sully in the original 2009 film. Damon told British GQ in 2019 that he had been offered 10% of the film’s profits if he took the lead role — and since the film grossed $2.79 billion at the box office, he claimed to have lost out on an estimated $250 million.
While they had had conversations about Damon joining the film, it never got past that point, Cameron claimed to The Hollywood Reporter.
PEOPLE is out to Damon’s rep for comment.
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“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.’”
Cameron then clarified: “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.”
The director then speculated that Damon has applied the idea that he should collect 10% of the gross on all his films afterwards — but, Cameron added, if that agreement is what it would have taken to get Damon on the film, “then it wouldn’t have happened — trust me on that,” he said.
Still, Cameron respected Damon for reaching out to him directly about the film, as well as the fact that he turned down Avatar for another film he was already committed to.
“He felt compelled to call me personally and tell me; he said he didn’t want it to come from the agent — that’s an honorable guy,” Cameron said. “So all respect to Matt. I’d love to work with him someday.”
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The lead role in Avatar, Jake Sully, also saw Channing Tatum in the running at one point, per The Hollywood Reporter, but the role ultimately went to Sam Worthington. The Australian actor is once again in the lead role for the franchise’s upcoming third installment, Avatar: Fire and Ash, following the success of the 2022 film, Avatar: The Way of Water.
Avatar: Fire and Ash debuts in theaters on Dec. 19.
