James Cameron’s Avatar has definitely staked its claim as one of the most successful movie franchises in history. When the 2009 movie came out, it became the highest-grossing box office movie of all time reaching over $2 billion in gross. Now with two sequels out, and more hopefully to come, some celebrities want to bank on its success.
Matt Damon claimed that the Titanic director offered him the starring role of Jake Sully, but his schedule didn’t match up. “Jim Cameron called me — he offered me 10 percent of Avatar,” Damon says in the clips (below). “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 didn’t want to do that.”
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Now, James Cameron has addressed the claims. “He was never offered the part,” Cameron told The Hollywood Reporter, saying it was mostly availability issues. “I can’t remember if I sent him the script or not. I don’t think I did?”
“Now what he’s done is he’s extrapolated ‘I get 10 percent of the gross on all my films.’ And if, in his mind, that’s what it would’ve taken for him to do Avatar, then it wouldn’t have happened. Trust me on that.”
But did he offer that to any of the cast who did star in the film?
Avatar Salary: $4 million
Avatar: The Way of the Water Salary: $8 million
Avatar: Fire and Ash Salary: Unknown
Zoe Saldaña received $4 million for the first Avatar movie and her salary doubled for the second movie. While her salary for Fire and Ash hasn’t been disclosed, it’s estimated that it will go up since she won an Academy Award in 2025.
Avatar Salary: Unknown
Avatar: The Way of the Water Salary: $10 million + 5% gross
Avatar: Fire and Ash Salary: Unknown
Sam Worthington, who plays Avatar protagonist Jake Sully, does not have his salary for the first Avatar movie disclosed. However, GQ India disclosed that he received $10 million plus a 5% gross from the movie’s sequel’s earnings.
Avatar Salary: $11 million
Avatar: The Way of the Water Salary: Unknown
Avatar: Fire and Ash Salary: Unknown
While Sigourney Weaver’s salary hasn’t been reported, it’s been speculated that she received $11 million for her role in the first movie. Though her character died, she returned to play Kiri.
Avatar Salary: Unknown
Avatar: The Way of the Water Salary: $2 million
Avatar: Fire and Ash Salary: Unknown
Stephen Lang, who plays the antagonist Colonel Miles Quaritch in the franchise, reportedly received $2 million for Avatar: The Way of the Water, according to Collider.
Avatar: The Way of the Water Salary: $6 million
Avatar: Fire and Ash Salary: Unknown
Kate Winslet joined the cast of Avatar as Ronal in the second movie Avatar: The Way of the Water, where she broke the record for most minutes spent underwater in a film. She was reportedly paid $6 million for her role.
