Highlights
- Director says Matt Damon was never formally offered the role of Jake Sully
- Cameron rejects claims of a 10% profit-sharing deal
- Actor’s scheduling conflict with the Bourne films ends discussions early
Cameron responds to long-running claim
James Cameron publicly challenges Matt Damon’s long-standing story about nearly starring in Avatar. The director says conversations did take place, but insists they never reached the stage Damon has described over the years.
Damon has previously said he turned down the lead role of Jake Sully in the 2009 sci-fi epic and walked away from a lucrative profit deal. Cameron now says that version of events is inaccurate.
Talks end over scheduling, not a deal
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Cameron confirms that he and Damon spoke about working together while Avatar was in development. However, he says the actor is unavailable due to his commitment to the Jason Bourne franchise.
According to Cameron, Damon personally called to explain the conflict rather than letting his agent handle it, a gesture the director praises. Still, Cameron says discussions stop there and never progress to a formal offer, contract terms, or character conversations.
“He was never offered the part,” Cameron says, adding that there is no deal and no agreement at any stage.
The disputed profit share
A resurfaced video shows Damon claiming Cameron offered him 10% of Avatar’s profits if he joined the film. Damon says he declined because leaving the Bourne production early would have caused problems.
Cameron directly disputes this, saying no profit-sharing conversation ever happens. He suggests Damon later assumes that a standard percentage arrangement applies, something Cameron says would not have been possible.
He adds that if such terms were required, the casting would not have moved forward.
What the numbers would have meant
The claim draws attention because of Avatar’s extraordinary box office success. The original film earns about $2.9 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing movie of all time. A 10% share would have amounted to roughly $290 million.
The sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, later grosses more than $2 billion, which would have added hundreds of millions more under the same terms. Cameron says the speculation is unnecessary and tells Damon he did not miss out on anything.
Avatar franchise faces new test
The debate resurfaces as Avatar: Fire and Ash prepares to debut in theaters. Cameron has said future installments depend on how the latest chapter performs with audiences.
Previous Avatar films carry production budgets exceeding $400 million, raising the stakes for box office success at a time when theater attendance remains uneven. Still, the franchise’s track record suggests the series continues to defy industry expectations.
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