Matt Damon refused to act in "Avatar" and lost about 280 million US dollars

Big stars often turn down roles in movies, and now another big star has confessed that he turned down a very successful movie. Oscar-winning actor Matt Damon said in an interview with British GQ magazine that James Cameron had offered him a role in the 2009 sci-fi blockbuster Avatar. Cameron said he would give Damon 10% of the box office revenue, which is a lot of money, totaling about $278 million.

Matt Damon said: "Cameron offered me a role in Avatar. When he proposed this, he said, 'Now, listen to me, I don't need anyone, I don't need a particularly loud name, a big star. If you don't accept this role, I will find an unknown actor and give it to him, because this movie really doesn't need you. But if you participate in it, I will give you 10%..."

Matt Damon paused there, but he seemed to be referring to the 10% of Avatar's box office revenue that Cameron would give him as compensation. The movie grossed $2.78 billion, so 10% would be about $278 million.

It's unclear what role Matt Damon was originally going to play in Avatar, but it was likely the lead actor Jake Sully, which was ultimately played by Australian actor Sam Worthington.

Mada may have turned down the role in Avatar for a variety of reasons, as few people thought Avatar would be a huge success. Mada is not the first big-name actor to turn down an unpopular role in a movie. Mada previously turned down the role of Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight.

"Avatar 2" will be the first of several sequels in the series to be released. After several delays, it is finally scheduled to be released in December 2021.