Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (USE SPOILER TAGS!)

[Underworld54]

We don't know if her agent helped get her a incentive based contract. She may have gotten a small salary with bonuses based on box-office performance. I'm sure she's set for life now. In the long run she'll reap the rewards of being a very important character in a Star Wars film.

[jetjaguar4]

For being a lead in a Star Wars film, I would've done it for half of what they paid her. She's set for life.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Underworld54

We don't know if her agent helped get her a incentive based contract. She may have gotten a small salary with bonuses based on box-office performance. I'm sure she's set for life now. In the long run she'll reap the rewards of being a very important character in a Star Wars film.

Yes, the paper that initially reported the salaries said that she's gotten part of a point in the movie's grosses once it hits a certain level (as has Boyega), which was rumoured to be past the $1 billion mark. Let's say it ends up with $3B worldwide, a quarter of one percent of that $2B excess still comes out at $500K, for example. These kids ain't gonna be going hungry any time soon...

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by jetjaguar4

For being a lead in a Star Wars film, I would've done it for half of what they paid her. She's set for life.

Dude, I'd have paid them to be a freakin' tea boy on set, never mind be one of the lead actors. I bet they don't feel as hard done by as other people do on their behalf, they're living da dream.

[GC Riot]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Dude, I'd have paid them to be a freakin' tea boy on set, never mind be one of the lead actors. I bet they don't feel as hard done by as other people do on their behalf, they're living da dream.

I mostly just think it's silly the kind of money some of those "big stars" get. The numbers Robert Downey Jr is rumoured to be getting for the Avengers films as a recent example, it's just absurd. NO ONE should be able to get paid that much for that kind of work...

[Underworld54]

Originally Posted by GC Riot

I mostly just think it's silly the kind of money some of those "big stars" get. The numbers Robert Downey Jr is rumoured to be getting for the Avengers films as a recent example, it's just absurd. NO ONE should be able to get paid that much for that kind of work...

Why not? If you can secure a deal for that kind of money then good for them.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by GC Riot

I mostly just think it's silly the kind of money some of those "big stars" get. The numbers Robert Downey Jr is rumoured to be getting for the Avengers films as a recent example, it's just absurd. NO ONE should be able to get paid that much for that kind of work...

Okay, fine, THAT I understand. Point the finger at Jack Nicholson for that deal he brokered on Burton's Batman, he wasn't the first to get gross points participation but IIRC he was among the first to make such a deliberate killing from it. Didn't he end up with something like $50M (and that's in 1989 dollars, never mind inflation)?

But I can't blame actors for following in his footsteps since, although I do think it's partly to blame why budgets are regularly hitting the $250M+ mark these days. When you have to put up something stupid like $40M up front versus gross profit participation for just one actor it's getting crazy, and it's why I can readily believe the rumour that the two Infinity War films will cost $500M altogether.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I bet they don't feel as hard done by as other people do on their behalf, they're living da dream.

Star Wars has never been a huge earner for the actors', they've never had huge salaries, Ewan McGregor said he thought that they expected you to do it for Star Wars not the money ... plus you were going to be in high-demand if well received. Harrison Ford could have basically asked for anything this time around. He was always going to be the exception.

The movie star compensation system isn't a great system, but it's not going to change anytime soon. Actors get what they can until they can't and young actors have to rise through the ranks before hitting the big numbers (which happens a lot quicker these days). It would be a bold move to pay actors to scale and give them back-end deals of the profits (they'd really be singing for their suppers!), but can you imagine the difference in incomes? Some stars have made 30-40 million in the last few years but their box-office hasn't warranted a tenth of that!

The old adage is you ask for everything you can get, be they bigger dressing-rooms, bigger entourages, bigger Winnebago's, bigger paycheques, bigger fruit baskets ... you don't turn anything down and the sky's the limit.

[Geoff D]

Aye, I think a certain Mr J Depp is one of the most overpaid actors around at the moment. He had a fat points dividend on the Pirates movies and they brought in da cash at the box office, that's fine, but lately he can't buy a hit so his up-front payments are proving very poor value.

I still think the best example of getting "what you can, while you can" is the $20M that Kurt Russell got for Soldier.

[JamesKurtovich]

Originally Posted by GC Riot

NO ONE should be able to get paid that much for that kind of work...

Any reason why?

If the director/producer/casting team didn't think Ford was worth the money, he would not have been in the movie.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I still think the best example of getting "what you can, while you can" is the $20M that Kurt Russell got for Soldier.

If I remember he broke his ankle after falling over a flowerpot whilst taking a smoke-break in-between set-ups ... but been a trooper he hobbled on through the rest of the shoot.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by GC Riot

I mostly just think it's silly the kind of money some of those "big stars" get. The numbers Robert Downey Jr is rumoured to be getting for the Avengers films as a recent example, it's just absurd. NO ONE should be able to get paid that much for that kind of work...

"That kind of work?" What does that mean? They should get paid what is deemed fair by those who are paying the money in the first place. Once you're the one putting his money up, then you can decide what is fair.

[GC Riot]

Originally Posted by JamesKurtovich

Any reason why?

If the director/producer/casting team didn't think Ford was worth the money, he would not have been in the movie.

Or, Harrison could have, you know NOT have demanded that much? Just like the rest of the Hollywood elite? These paychecks are just absurd, regardless of who is getting them. I just find it wrong that such gaps exist.

Originally Posted by AaronJ

"That kind of work?" What does that mean? They should get paid what is deemed fair by those who are paying the money in the first place. Once you're the one putting his money up, then you can decide what is fair.

It means that acting is one part of a filmmaking process, and that ANYONE should be getting those sums is ludacris, while behind the scenes, people are working their asses off for just a fraction of that. Star power really shouldn't play into these things at all. Just find it funny that people are so quick to defend these things but scream bloody murder when someone starts talking about the 1%...

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by GC Riot

It means that acting is one part of a filmmaking process, and that ANYONE should be getting those sums is ludacris, while behind the scenes, people are working their asses off for just a fraction of that. Star power really shouldn't play into these things at all. Just find it funny that people are so quick to defend these things but scream bloody murder when someone starts talking about the 1%...

-- Lawrence quits after the 2nd HG movie.

-- Bale quits after TDK.

-- The studio contracts a new catering service.

Which of these three will have the least (i.e. zero) effect on the box office, licensing, merchandising, and home video receipts?

And not to get too political, but I don't think you quite understand the "1%" argument. I don't mind Ford getting that kind of money any more than it bothers me that, say, Miguel Cabrera (1B for the Detroit Tigers) made approximately 8% of the Tigers' total payroll last year. A MLB team has 25 players at any one time (until August 31 ... but that's a different story). Cabrera made about 12% of that all by himself last year.

There's a reason for that.

[Underworld54]

No actor is going to say, "$20M?!...I think that's a little much, make it $5M"

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Underworld54

No actor is going to say, "$20M?!...I think that's a little much, make it $5M"

Actually, it's unlikely that any person would do so. I mean, that sort of thing does happen on rare occasion. But yeah.

[GC Riot]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

-- Lawrence quits after the 2nd HG movie.

-- Bale quits after TDK.

-- The studio contracts a new catering service.

Which of these three will have the least (i.e. zero) effect on the box office, licensing, merchandising, and home video receipts?

And not to get too political, but I don't think you quite understand the "1%" argument. I don't mind Ford getting that kind of money any more than it bothers me that, say, Miguel Cabrera (1B for the Detroit Tigers) made approximately 8% of the Tigers' total payroll last year. A MLB team has 25 players at any one time (until August 31 ... but that's a different story). Cabrera made about 12% of that all by himself last year.

There's a reason for that.

I get what you're saying and I get that that's the way our capitalist society works. Doesn't mean I have to agree with it or think it's the right way to act. I've found it wrong for a long time, and this is just another example of many where things get out of hand.
Yes, there's a reason these people get these amounts, but that SHOULD bother you, when looking at the big picture.
Not gonna say anything more about this now as I've said what I wanted to, and don't want to wander too far OT.

[Gamma_Winstead]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Yes, the paper that initially reported the salaries said that she's gotten part of a point in the movie's grosses once it hits a certain level (as has Boyega), which was rumoured to be past the $1 billion mark. Let's say it ends up with $3B worldwide, a quarter of one percent of that $2B excess still comes out at $500K, for example. These kids ain't gonna be going hungry any time soon...

Especially since Disney pays for their travel, and living expenses while filming and on press tours. They're fine.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Gamma_Winstead

Especially since Disney pays for their travel, and living expenses while filming and on press tours. They're fine.

Damn those capitalist swines and their per diems!

[Gamma_Winstead]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Damn those capitalist swines and their per diems!

Pretty much!

I'd have given anything to be in Star Wars as a lead. That's pretty much "the dream" haha.