The Movie Offer Matt Damon Rejected That Came With Life Changing Money

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Matt Damon continued to thrive after winning an Oscar in the late 1990s, avoiding the usual career slowdown that often follows such an award. He proved his talent with his role in The Talented Mr. Ripley, and then became widely known for his work in the Ocean’s Eleven films and the action-packed Bourne series.

Matt Damon became known for his role in the first two Bourne films, The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy. These movies quickly gained a large and dedicated following in the mid-2000s.

Following the success of the first two films, Paul Greengrass directed the third movie, The Bourne Ultimatum. While the title came from a well-known book, the film’s story differed significantly, and Matt Damon has said he initially had serious doubts about the script.

Damon was very critical of the film’s troubled production, saying the studio pushed for a release before they were truly ready. He described the script from Tony Gilroy as nearly impossible to work with – so poor, in fact, that it could have seriously damaged his career. Damon felt the project initially lacked direction and was humiliating, explaining that the writer seemed to have delivered the script and then disappeared.

The actor was also annoyed that the movie had a release date set for the following August even before the story was finalized. He was also troubled by a disagreement over who should be credited with writing the screenplay. Initially, the screenwriter, Gilroy, tried to claim he wrote it all himself, but after a review, he ended up sharing credit with two other writers, which the actor felt was a fair outcome.

Damon later realized he was mainly upset because he truly admired Gilroy’s skill. He wished he hadn’t complained so much after things calmed down. At the time, though, his annoyance was probably increased by having to decline a huge job offer due to the tight filming schedule for the Bourne movie.

Damon shared that director James Cameron originally wanted him to star in the huge hit movie Avatar, a role that would have paid around $270 million. He recounted this to his friend John Krasinski, who playfully suggested they’d be talking from space if Damon had taken the part. Despite missing out on potentially the largest movie paycheck ever, Damon remains positive, saying his family is well-provided for and he’s doing just fine.

James Cameron didn’t mince words with Matt Damon, telling him to move past his disappointment because he was already a huge star. Cameron understood Damon needed to finish his work on the Bourne movies and couldn’t join the Avatar project. Even though Avatar has become incredibly successful, Damon’s career has continued to thrive regardless.

This year, Matt Damon and his longtime friend Ben Affleck are both appearing in the Netflix thriller, The Rip, which launched on January 16th. The film, directed by Joe Carnahan, is a dark and realistic story about betrayal and dishonesty, and Damon plays a police lieutenant who’s lost faith in the system.

This summer, Matt Damon will star in what’s expected to be one of the year’s biggest films, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. The epic fantasy, hitting theaters July 17th, casts Damon as the famous Greek king Odysseus and features a star-studded supporting cast including Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, and Zendaya.

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2026-01-29 19:44