Brad Pitt was originally set to star in a Martin Scorsese crime thriller, but Matt Damon ended up with the role instead. Here's why Pitt didn't appear.

James Cameron has denied that Matt Damon was offered the lead role in Avatar, despite the actor previously claiming that he rejected a lot of money by passing on the part in the 2009 fantasy film, which ended up being played by Sam Worthington.

One of those great behind-the-scenes Hollywood stories has been the idea that Matt Damon walked away from Avatar , and in doing so, missed out on a jaw-dropping payday. According to James Cameron , that version of events has been wildly overstated.