“Aliens” was a big hit in its day, and it was evident to actors like Paul Reiser just from the script that it would be. That’s not to say that Lang’s career wouldn’t have benefited greatly from being in that film. It’s not hard to imagine him as Bill Paxton’s character, for example. But the audition stuck in Cameron’s brain for roughly 20 years — long enough for him to remember Lang by the time “Avatar” came around. That proved to be far more valuable in the long run.
While it’s not clear how much Lang himself made from the film, Matt Damon famously walked away from an untold fortune when he turned down “Avatar.” More importantly for Lang, he got to star in “The Way of Water,” and will presumably be back for at least “Avatar 3.” Keep in mind, Cameron is planning to make a total of five of these films if he can. So, Lang could have crazy paychecks coming his way for years to come. Speaking in that same Ringer piece, the actor explained that even though there was a 13-year gap between the sequels, “Avatar” was ever-present in his life.
“The Avatar factor was always there in my life. Now and again there’d be a call from Jim or there’d be a call from Landau saying, ‘OK, we’re going to send a courier with a script, and he’ll sit there while you read it and then give it back to him.’ Finally, sometime around 2015 or ’16, we actually started getting together and preparing, schooling ourselves and rehearsing and underwater training.”
“The Way of Water” was itself an astonishing success, pulling in $2.32 billion worldwide. One imagines Lang was able to negotiate himself a fine payday for his participation, and he seems to have enjoyed the process.
“Avatar 3” is currently expected to hit theaters on December 9, 2025.