Will Smith and 5 other stars who have signed million-dollar Netflix film deals
Wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson will both produce and star in the film Red Notice, alongside Deadpool’s Ryan Reynolds and Wonder Woman’s Gal Gadot
Actors don't get paid like they used to, and the days of them making US$100 million for a single role – like Will Smith did on 2012’s Men in Black 3 – are over.
Yet as traditional film star salaries have declined over time, Netflix salaries are on the rise.
More and more Hollywood heavy hitters, from Smith to Bird Box star Sandra Bullock, are turning to Netflix because they can get paid as much – if not more – than they would for a Hollywood studio film.
More and more Hollywood heavy hitters, from Will Smith to Sandra Bullock, are turning to Netflix because they can get paid as much – if not more – than they would for a Hollywood studio film
Netflix has just picked up the rights to the action film Red Notice from Universal.
Stars Ryan Reynolds, best known for his role in Deadpool and Gal Gadot, who played the title role in the film Wonder Woman, are both expected to earn US$20 million for the film, according to Variety.
Dwayne Johnson will earn more than US$20 million, Variety reported, given that he both stars in and produces the film.
Will Smith made US$20 million from the Netflix original film Bright in 2017, and will make US$35 million for its sequel, according to Variety.
It's good to note that many actors get paid a percentage of box-office earnings, which Netflix does not have.
However, Netflix is proving to be a lucrative platform for actors, especially if it buys out “back end” profits.
The greatest example of Netflix's willingness to invest in star power is Adam Sandler, who signed a four-film deal in 2014 worth US$250 million (or US$62.5 million a film). And it signed him on for four more films in 2017.
Check out six stars who have signed big deals with the streaming giant:
Ben Affleck – US$8 million for Triple Frontier