James Cameron responds to Matt Damon's claim of being offered Avatar

Filmmaker James Cameron has addressed actor Matt Damons longcirculating claim that he turned down the lead role in Avatar along with a lucrative share of the films profits saying the version widely believed online is not exactly trueFor years Damon has spoken publicly about being offered the role of Jake Sully in the 2009 blockbuster in exchange for 10 per cent of the films gross a deal that would have translated into hundreds of millions of dollars given Avatars global earnings of USD 29 billion The role eventually went to Australian actor Sam Worthington according to The Hollywood ReporterJim Cameron called me he offered me 10 per cent of Avatar Damon says in the clips 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 didnt want to do that Cameron was really lovely he said If you dont do this this movie doesnt really need you It doesnt need a movie star at all The movie is the star the idea is the star and its going to work But if you do it Ill give you 10 percent of the movieHowever speaking to The Hollywood Reporter Cameron said Damon was never formally offered the partI cant remember if I sent him the script or not I dont 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 Ive agreed to it its a direct conflict and so regretfully I have to turn it down But he was never offered There was never a deal according to The Hollywood ReporterThe director added that discussions never progressed to character details or negotiations We never talked about the character We never got to that level It was simply an availability issue he saidAddressing the widely shared belief that Damon turned down a massive payday Cameron said the actor may have unintentionally merged separate ideas over time What hes done is extrapolate I get 10 percent of the gross on all my films Cameron said adding that such a deal would not have happened in this case So hes off the hook and doesnt have to beat himself up anymoreCameron also praised Damon for handling the situation professionally He felt compelled to call me personally and tell me He didnt want it to come from the agent thats an honourable guy the filmmaker said describing Damons decision to honour a prior commitment as ethicalDespite the confusion Cameron said he holds Damon in high regard and would still like to collaborate with him in the future All respect to Matt Id love to work with him someday he addedFollowing Damons decision Cameron went on to cast Sam Worthington who was relatively unknown at the time The director has previously said he had to push hard for Worthingtons casting despite other established actors being considered Worthingtons screen test with Zoe Saldana ultimately convinced Cameron according to The Hollywood ReporterCameron also noted that Worthingtons performance has continued to evolve particularly in the upcoming Avatar installment Avatar Fire and Ash Sams character is challenged in ways he hasnt been before Cameron said adding that the actor has grown in confidence and depth over the course of the franchise according to The Hollywood ReporterCameron is currently promoting the future of the Avatar series and discussing broader topics including artificial intelligence and upcoming projectsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever