As we’ve seen with the recent lawsuit between Scarlett Johansson and Disney, there’s a lot of complicated math that goes into an actor’s contract with a studio for a project. In previous years, the biggest names in Hollywood would earn an upfront fee, but they would then have the chance to earn a lot more with “back-end” deals that include profit-sharing with the studio. Alas, with the rise of streaming services like Netflix, Apple TV+, and Amazon, the “back-end” doesn’t mean anything anymore. That leads to actors, such as Daniel Craig, signing absolutely massive contracts that dwarf typical film deals. All that to say, when looking at Variety’s list of actors with some of the richest contacts in 2021, there are some caveats to keep in mind with the numbers.
If you haven’t been paying attention to recent streaming deals in 2021, you might be surprised to know that Daniel Craig tops this year’s list with a whopping $100 million. That money comes from his deal that was signed with Netflix for the next two “Knives Out” films. Clearly, Netflix is making up for the lack of theatrical release with a deal worth a ton of money.
Unsurprisingly, 9 of the top 12 earners in 2021 all have special streaming deals where the “back-end” section was bought out by the streamer. That includes Dwayne Johnson’s $50 million which includes his “Red Notice” deal with Netflix, as well as streaming deals for folks like Will Smith (“King Richard,” $40 million), Denzel Washington (“The Little Things,” $40 million), Leonardo DiCaprio (“Don’t Look Up,” $30 million), and Mark Wahlberg (“Spenser Confidential,” $30 million).
As you might have noticed, those names are all male, which means the highest-earning females are Jennifer Lawrence with her Netflix deal worth $25 million for “Don’t Look Up” and Julia Roberts, who is earning $25 million for her “Leave The World Behind,” also with Netflix.
Sandra Bullock (“Lost City of D”), Chris Hemsworth (“Thor: Love and Thunder”), and Brad Pitt (“Bullet Train”) all have deals worth $20 million. Though it’s worth nothing, they’re the three people in the top 12 that don’t have streaming deals, so they could make substantially more money based on back-end earnings. Ryan Gosling rounds out the top 12 with $20 million thanks to his Netflix deal for “The Grey Man.”
You can see the full list over at Variety.
