James Cameron says that not only was Matt Damon never formally offered the lead in 2009's Avatar, but that he was never offered 10 percent of the film's earnings, either.
"He was never offered the part," Cameron told The Hollywood Reporter. "I can’t remember if I sent him the script or not. I don’t 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. I’ve agreed to it, it’s a direct conflict, and so, regretfully, I have to turn it down.’ 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."
