Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is reportedly receiving a hefty paycheck for one of his upcoming roles.
The former wrestler has made a career out of big action movies, which often came with salaries just as big, but he is expected to break the record for the highest-paid actor of all time in his new holiday movie.
The Rock is part of the star-studded cast of Prime Video's Red One, a Christmas action comedy also starring Marvel's ex-Captain America Chris Evans, Spider-Man's JK Simmons, Charlie's Angels' Lucy Liu, Big Mouth's Nick Kroll and Jumanji OG star Bonnie Hunt. Game of Thrones' Kristofer Hivju and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina's Kiernan Shipka also star.
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Helmed by the new Jumanji films' director, Jake Kasdan, the film has released a few first images seeing The Rock clad in a red and black leather suit as Callum Draft, with Evans playing a character named Jack O'Malley. Meanwhile, Simmons and Hunt portray Santa Clause and Mrs Clause.
Not much is known about the plot, but it seems viewers may be in for an high-octane festive ride thanks to the script penned by Fast & Furious's Chris Morgan from a story by Hiram Garcia.
As for Johnson, he isn't only taking the biggest cut among all of his cast members, but is also setting a new record for the actor receiving the highest upfront payment.
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More and more prevalent in the era of streaming platform-produced movies, upfront payment simply means that the performer is paid before the film is released to an audience.
When the film is released in cinemas (not a given in the direct-to-streaming days), actors also receive a percentage of the profits the film generates after it break evens in the form of backend points.
If a film isn't released in theatres exclusively, it's common for the actor to try and negotiate a higher upfront fee. Which brings us back to The Rock, who's going home with a jaw-dropping $50 million for Red One.
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He surpasses the previous record for upfront payment, a tie between Robert Downey Jr in Captain America: Civil War and Will Smith in King Richard, both being paid $40 million upfront.
This is a staggering amount even for The Rock, whose compensation strategy had earned him $22 million for Disney's Jungle Cruise, $13 million more than his co-star Emily Blunt.
Blunt was recently among the stars walking out of the Oppenheimer premiere in London when the SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) strike was announced on July 13.
The guild counts 160,000 members of film industry staff including some A-listers. Actors join the Writers Guild of America, who's been on strike for months now, after they failed to reach an agreement with studios around pay, conditions, and the implications of AI technology.
Topics: Money, Celebrity, Dwayne Johnson, TV and Film, US News
Stefania Sarrubba