Dwayne Johnson will be paid a whopping total of $50 million for his upcoming performance in Red One. Johnson has been on an absolute tear lately in terms of blockbusters. After the Fast & Furious spinoff Hobbs & Shaw, Johnson went on to the Jumanji sequel, The Next Level, to cap off a tremendously successful 2019. Following a brief break due to COVID-19, Johnson began working on the star-studded Netflix heist film Red Notice, followed by his DC superhero movie Black Adam which wrapped filming last month. All the while, his action-adventure family film, Jungle Cruise, was finally released in theaters and on Disney+.
In late June, it became clear Johnson's unprecedented string of blockbusters was not over yet when he agreed to star in Red One for Amazon Studios. The project will reunite him with screenwriter Chris Morgan, who previously penned multiple Fast & Furious movies, including Hobbs & Shaw. Conceived by Hiram Garcia, the president of Johnson's Seven Bucks Productions company, Red One is being touted as a globe-trotting, action-adventure Christmas movie. Now, it has been revealed just how much the studio shelled out to secure Johnson as the face of the film.
According to Variety's recent comprehensive report on the highest-paid actors in Hollywood this year, Dwayne Johnson will earn a total of $50 million for his upcoming role in Red One. The report breaks that whopping figure down into $30 million which Johnson received upfront for agreeing to star in the film following Amazon's acquisition, and an additional $20 million which he will likely receive on the backend.
Johnson's massive payday for Red One is dwarfed only by the $100 million fortune Daniel Craig will receive following the sale of Knives Out 2 and 3 to Netflix, which is roughly the same salary as The Rock's when broken down per film. The reason these figures are so eye-popping compared to the $20 million industry-standard paycheck that Hollywood's top stars generally receive is because streamers like Netflix and Amazon compensate stars upfront based on a percentage of the projected box office total they would receive if their movie was released exclusively in theaters.
Amazon Studios acquiring Red One earlier this summer was a clear sign they are continuing to move in the direction of four-quadrant blockbusters to claim their stake in the streaming wars. Early on, Amazon's priority seemed to be competing during awards season with titles like Manchester by the Sea, but their recent offerings like Borat 2, Without Remorse, and Coming 2 America signify a clear change in direction. Shelling out $50 million to partner with Johnson for Red One seems like a drastic move, but one that will likely pay off given his status as one of Hollywood's biggest draws.
Source: Variety