Cameron was asked about Damon’s decision during a recent interview with BBC Radio to mark the release of “Avatar: The Way of Water.” The director immediately laughed when Damon’s name got brought up.
“He’s beating himself up over this,” Cameron said. “And I really think you know, ‘Matt you’re kind of like one of the biggest movie stars in the world, get over it.’ But he had to do another ‘Bourne’ film which was on his runway and there was nothing we could do about that. So he had to regretfully decline.”
When pitched the idea of Damon having 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%, fuck that.”
Last year, the actor went viral for a press interview he did during the Cannes Film Festival, in which he brought up how Cameron not only offered him a starring role in the blockbuster hit but also offered him a deal where he would’ve received 10% of the film’s box office profits. At the time, Damon told the press that “You will never meet an actor who turned down more money,” as “Avatar” went on to become the highest-grossing movie of all time, earning over $2 billion worldwide. In other words, Damon would have earned over $250 million.
