It appears as though Matt Damon never made it to the land of Pandora. Following his previous claim that he turned down the lead role of Jake Sully in Avatar, which he could have accepted in exchange for a substantial 10% of the film's earnings, director James Cameron has shared his side of the story, and it's clear that the two accounts don't match. "He was never offered the part," James told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published on December 18th. "I can't remember if I sent him the script or not. I don't think I did."
James recalled their decade-old conversation about the movie, where Matt, who shares kids Alexia (25), Isabella (19), Gia (17), and Stella (15) with wife Luciana Damon, explained how much he would have loved to be in the 2009 film but had a scheduling conflict due to his role in the action-thriller series Bourne. "Then we wound up on a call and he said, 'I'd love to explore doing a movie with you,'" James recalled. "I have a lot of respect for you as a filmmaker. 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.'"
While it's true that the two had discussed the blockbuster hit, the Titanic director wants to make it clear that Matt's involvement was never a done deal. "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."
At the time of his claim, the Good Will Hunting star, now 55, asserted that he turned down a $250 million offer—10% of the film's box office income—for the role of Jake Sully, which ultimately went to Sam Worthington. "I'm sure it's the most money an actor ever turned down, you know?" Matt revealed on the July 2023 episode of Who's Talking to Chris Wallace. "But I had a contract."
However, James, 71, dispelled that claim as well. "Now what he's done is he's extrapolated 'I get 10% of the gross on all my films,'" he added. "And if, in his mind, that's what it would've taken for him to do Avatar, then it wouldn't have happened. Trust me on that." James playfully continued, "So he's off the hook and doesn't have to beat himself up anymore. Matt, it's okay, buddy! You didn't miss anything."
