(NewsNation) — Director James Cameron says he didn’t offer Matt Damon a role in “Avatar” despite the actor’s claim he turned down the role.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Cameron said that Damon “was never offered the part” and said, “I can’t remember if I sent him the script or not. I don’t think I did?”
For years, Damon has claimed that he turned down the lead role of Jake Sully in the movie in which he would have accepted 10% of the movie’s earnings, netting him around $290 million.
“I’m sure it’s the most money an actor ever turned down, you know?” Damon said on a 2023 episode of “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace.” “But I had a contract.”
James Cameron confirms he spoke to Matt Damon
The “Titanic” director said he did speak to Damon, but the Academy Award winner said he wouldn’t be able to film due to filming the action movie “Bourne.”
“Then we wound up on a call, and he said, ‘I’d love to explore doing a movie with you,”’ James told THR. “’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.’”
Director James Cameron walks in Purmamarca, Jujuy province, Argentina, Thursday, June 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Javier Corbalan) 
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 26: Matt Damon attends the “Stillwater” New York Premiere at Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center on July 26, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images) 
SHANGHAI, CHINA – DECEMBER 21, 2025 – Fans queue up in front of the SFC IMAX CINEMA big screen promotional video to watch the Hollywood 3D sci-fi movie Avatar: Fire and Ash, Shanghai, China on December 21, 2025. (Photo credit should read CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Cameron, who just released “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” said a deal with Damon never actually materialized.
“There was never a deal. We never talked about the character. We never got to that level. It was simply an availability issue,” Cameron said.
“The Martian” actor’s would-be role ultimately went to Sam Worthington.
Released in 2009, “Avatar” earned $2.9 billion at the global box office, making it the highest-grossing movie of all time.