Money and The Movies!
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LISTEN TO SAFE 1 TALK WITH THE MONEYWISE GUYS ON THIS TOPIC! (Part II)
Movies give us the opportunity, at least for a little while, to escape from the rigors and stress of our daily lives and enjoy a change of pace. In doing this, most everyone has a favorite movie, actor or actress we turn to for our entertainment purposes.
Of course, not all movies, actors or actresses make it to the “superstar” level, but those that do not only create great memories for us but, in some cases, big dollars for themselves.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the all-time highest grossing movies as well as compensated actors and actresses!
Top Paid Actors and Actresses for a Single Role
- #10 – Adam Sandler, “The Ridiculous Six” – $62.5 million
Part of a four-movie deal with Netflix that pays him $250 million
- #9 – Harrison Ford, “Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” – $65 million
Ford was semi-retired but Paramount offered him almost half the film’s earnings after production and advertising costs.
- #8 – Keanu Reeves, “The Matrix” – $66.25 million
Reeves received a base salary of $15 million and a percentage of the ticket sales. Subsequent sequels in the franchise did not fare as well, as did Reeves salary.
- #7 – Johnny Depp, “Alice in Wonderland” – $68 million
Depp only spoke 661 words in the film, making him one of the highest paid actors for saying the least. He earned nearly $103,000 per word.
- #6 – Sandra Bullock, “Gravity” – $70 million
Bullock received $20 million upfront, 15% of the studio’s share of box office gross, 15% of the studio’s share of film rental gross, plus a percentage from TV and ancillary revenue. She is the only woman to land on the list.
- #5 – Tom Cruise, “Mission Impossible” – $75 million
The fact of the matter is Tom Cruise has earned $75 for each of the six Mission Impossible movies, with two more scheduled for release.
- #4 – Robert Downey, Jr. “Avengers: Infinity War” – $75 million
As part of the deal, Robert Downey, Jr. receives backend money from all the Avengers movies.
- #3 – Johnny Depp, “Pirates of the Caribbean” – $90 million
Depp has earned $90 million for each of the five “Pirates” movies for a total payday of $450 million. As Depp told Vanity Fair about the amount he has earned from the movie franchise, “It’s ridiculous!”
- #2 – Will Smith, “Men in Black 3” – $100 million
Some people just know how to negotiate.
- #1 – Bruce Willis, “The Sixth Sense” – $115 million
Willis received a $20 million salary for playing in the movie, negotiated for 17% of the film’s global box office plus additional rights to its home video sales.
Top Paid Actors and Actresses of All-Time
- #10 – Arnold Schwarzenegger, $450 million
Movies include Predator, Total Recall, True Lies and The Terminator franchise. His net worth is boosted by multiple business ventures including real estate, body building and body building products.
- #9 – Kevin Hart, $450 million
Known mostly for his live comedy tours, but has also appeared in movies such as The 40-Year Old Virgin, Ride Along and Little Fockers. He owns some of the most expensive sports cars in the world, including a Ferrari 488 and 1970 Plymouth Barracuda.
- #8 – Robert DeNiro, $500 million
Known for playing multiple iconic roles in movies like Mean Streets, The Godfather II, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Cape Fear, Goodfellas, Meet the Parents franchise and on and on and on, DeNiro also is co-founder of TriBeCa Productions and owns several top restaurants around the world.
- #7 – George Clooney, $500 million
Clooney got his break with the TV series ER before moving into Hollywood movies, with roles in Three Kings, From Dusk Till Dawn, Out of Sight, and the Ocean’s Eleven franchise. He is also a celebrated director of movies such as Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, The Monuments Men, and Good Night, and Good Luck. Not bad for a guy who got his start on Facts of Life!
- #6 – Tom Cruise, $600 million
Became an international movie star in the 1980’s with films like Risky Business, All the Right Moves, Cocktail and, of course, Top Gun. His 1989 film, Born on the Fourth of July, earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, cementing his reputation as a serious actor with box office clout. More recently, his starring roles in the Mission: Impossible franchise have helped propel Tom Cruise’s net worth to $600 million.
- #5 – Shah Rukh Khan, $600 million
Known as the “King of Bollywood”, Shah Rukh Kahn has appeared in more than 80 films since his career began. He also has a string of television shows and range of endorsements contributing to his astounding net worth.
- #4 – Dwayne Johnson, $800 million
Wrestler-turned-actor who has appeared in blockbusters such as Skyscraper, San Andreas, and the Fast & Furious franchise. In addition to his acting roles, Johnson has made a great deal of money through his brand of tequila, Teremana Tequila, selling hundreds of thousands of units worldwide.
- #3 – Jerry Seinfeld, $950 million
Best known for playing a version of himself in the hit comedy series Seinfeld, which ran for over a decade and was one of the highest-rated television shows of all time.
- #2 – Brock Pierce, $2 billion
Brock Pierce enjoyed a successful acting career as a child actor in the 1990s, appearing in such films as The Mighty Ducks, Little Big League, and Problem Child 3. His immense net worth came not from acting, but rather an extensive real estate portfolio and partnerships with Digital Entertainment Network and Internet Gaming Entertainment.
- #1 – Jami Gertz, $3 billion
Best known for her role in the film The Lost Boys, Jami moved away from acting in the 1990’s to focus on business and investment opportunities. However, the majority of her net worth is derived from her marriage to Tony Ressler, an American billionaire.
Top Ten Grossing Films of All-Time
- #10 – Furious 7 (2015) – $1.515 billion
- #9 – Marvel’s The Avengers (2012) – $1.519 billion
- #8 – The Lion King (2019) – $1.663 billion
- #7 – Jurassic World (2015) – $1.671 billion
- #6 – Spiderman: No Way Home (2021) – $1.901 billion
- #5 – Avengers: Infinity War (2018) – $2.048 billion
- #4 – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) – $2.07 billion
- #3 – Titanic (1997) – $2.72 billion
- #2 – Avengers: Endgame (2019) – $2.798 billion
- #1 – Avatar (2009) – $2.847 billion
Top Ten Grossing Films of All-Time – Adjusted for Inflation
- #10 – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) – $2.33 billion
- #9 – Doctor Zhivago (1965) – $2.36 billion
- #8 – The Ten Commandments (1956) – $2.49 billion
- #7 – E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1982) – $2.65 billion
- #6 – The Sound of Music (1965) – $2.70 billion
- #5 – Avengers: Endgame (2019) – $2.96 billion
- #4 – Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) – $3.22 billion
- #3 – Titanic (1997) – $3.26 billion
- #2 – Avatar (2009) – $3.5 billion
- #1 – Gone with the Wind (1939) – $3.9 billion
As we know, the best things in life – walking, jogging, hiking, exercising, playing in the yard, hanging out with loved ones, conversation, worship, smiling, etc. – are free. And while movies aren’t necessarily free, and are definitely more expensive than when we were kids, they remain affordable enough for us to escape from the rigors of life and be entertained