James Cameron’s Response to Matt Damon Losing Out on $250 Million by Rejecting Avatar

Filmmaker James Cameron has shared his thoughts on Hollywood star Matt Damon's decision to decline a role in his film Avatar, stating that Damon is “beating himself up over this.”

Ultimately, the lead role went to then-newcomer Sam Worthington.

During the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, Damon revealed that Cameron had not only approached him to star in the 2009 epic, but also offered him a deal where he would receive 10% of the film's box office profits.

According to Variety, Avatar went on to gross over $2.9 billion worldwide, which could have earned Damon more than $250 million.

Damon expressed his regret, saying, “I will go down in history.

You will never meet an actor who turned down more money.”

However, he had committed to finishing his Bourne action trilogy, so he had to decline the offer.

When Cameron was asked about Damon's decision in an interview with BBC Radio, he chuckled at the mention of the actor's name.

He advised Damon, “Matt, you're kind of like one of the biggest movie stars in the world, get over it.”

Cameron acknowledged that Damon's commitment to another Bourne film left no room for him to take on Avatar.

He stated, “He had to regretfully decline.”

When questioned about the possibility of Damon making a cameo in a future Avatar sequel, Cameron responded, “Must do it.

We have to do it so the world is in equilibrium again.

But he doesn't get 10%, f*ck that.”

Currently, Cameron is enjoying the success of his latest film, Avatar: The Way of Water, at the global box office.

In India, the film has collected around Rs 160-162 crore in its first five days and is expected to surpass Rs 200 crore in its second weekend.

Critics worldwide have praised the film's visual effects, with Avatar: The Way of Water receiving a 94% audience score and a 78% positive rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.