James Cameron sets record straight on Matt Damon ‘Avatar’ casting role

James Cameron is setting the record straight on casting choices for one of his most iconic movies.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter earlier this month, the 71-year-old director addressed previous claims made by Matt Damon that he was offered a role in “Avatar,” and a percentage of the film’s gross, but had to turn it down because he was filming one of the “Jason Bourne” movies.

“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,” Cameron continued. “There was never a deal. We never talked about the character. We never got to that level. It was simply an availability issue.”

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The “Titanic” director went on to add that if getting a percentage of the film’s gross profit is what it would have taken to get Damon to agree to star in the film, “then it wouldn’t have happened. Trust me on that.”

Despite never having offered him the role, Cameron commended Damon for turning down the opportunity to work with him because he was already attached to another film, and for calling him personally to let him know.

“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. But that never happened. It was a conflation of different things that were happening.”

Cameron then let Damon “off the hook,” telling the actor he “doesn’t have to beat himself up anymore,” and assured him he “didn’t miss anything.”

Damon previously claimed he almost starred in the film, saying “Jim Cameron called me — he offered me 10% of ‘Avatar.'”

“You will never meet an actor who turned down more money than me … I was in the middle of shooting the ‘Bourne’ movie and I would have to leave the movie kind of early and leave them in the lurch a little bit and I didn’t want to do that,” he said. “[Cameron] was really lovely, he said: ‘If you don’t do this, this movie doesn’t really need you. It doesn’t need a movie star at all. The movie is the star, the idea is the star, and it’s going to work. But if you do it, I’ll give you 10 percent of the movie.'”

The role ultimately went to Sam Worthington, who reprised the character in the film’s two sequels.

“Avatar” went on to make $2.74 billion at the box office worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of all time in 2010, when it surpassed “Titanic.” It kept the record for the highest-grossing film ever for nine years, before “Avengers: Endgame” took the top spot in April 2019, making $2.79 billion.

It later reclaimed the top spot when it was re-released in theaters. Also included on the list are “Avenger Infinity War” and “Avatar: The Way of Water.”

Actress Zoe Saldaña stars in all four films, playing Neytiri in the “Avatar” series, and superhero Gamora in the “Avengers” movies, making her the only actor to star in four films which grossed over $2 billion at the global box office.

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“I feel grateful and like the luckiest girl in this town knowing that I was invited to join films with special directors in a special cast,” she told Deadline in December 2022, about appearing in many different franchises.

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“And they resonated with people so much, so that we get a chance to come back again and come back another time,” she added. “If anything, I’ve reaped all the benefits of that — I’ve gained friends. I still have mentors that I call, and I lean into.”