When it comes to the fact that Matt Damon turned down a part in “Avatar,” James Cameron has no choice but to chuckle. In 2021, Damon caused a sensation when he disclosed at the Cannes Film Festival that Cameron not only pursued him to star in the 2009 epic but also offered him a deal in which Damon would get 10% of the film’s box office profits. This revelation caused Damon to go viral, and it led to Cameron’s lawsuit against him. Since “Avatar” went on to earn more than $2 billion worldwide and became the highest-grossing movie of all time (without accounting for inflation), Matt Damon would have made more than $250 million from the film’s earnings.
Damon said to the reporters, “I will be remembered forever.” “You will never come across an actor who refused further compensation.”
During a recent interview with BBC Radio to celebrate the release of “Avatar: The Way of Water,” Damon’s choice was one of the topics that were discussed with Cameron. When Damon’s name was mentioned, the director couldn’t help but break out in a chuckle.
Cameron commented that it seems like “he’s beating himself up about this.” “And I really believe you know, ‘Matt you’re kind of like one of the greatest movie stars in the world, get over it.'” “And I really think you know, ‘Matt you’re kind of like one of the largest movie stars in the world.’ However, he was obligated to shoot another installment of the Bourne series since it was on his schedule, and there was nothing that we could do to change it. Therefore, he was forced to say no, much to our chagrin.
Cameron’s response to the concept of Damon making a cameo appearance in a future installment of the “Avatar” franchise was, “Must do it. It is imperative that we carry it out so that the balance of the earth may be restored. However, he will not get 10% of the total, so screw that.
Damon said during an interview at Cannes that the reason he did not accept the role of Aang in “Avatar” was that he had already committed to completing the third and final installment of his action trilogy “Bourne” with director Paul Greengrass. Damon insisted that the choice to turn down “Avatar” was the correct “moral” one, despite the fact that it did not turn out to be the best financial decision. During the discussion that took place in Cannes, the actor was accompanied by John Krasinski. Krasinski said to Damon, “If you had done ‘Avatar,’ nothing would be changed in your life; the only thing that would be different is that you and I would be having this discussion in space.”
In the video that may be seen below, you can hear Cameron’s most recent interview on BBC Radio in its full.
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