Netflix reportedly paid $55 million (roughly Rs. 409 crores) for the combined talents of Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence for its upcoming sci-fi black comedy Don't Look Up, from The Big Short's Oscar-winning writer-director Adam McKay. That includes a $30 million (roughly Rs. 223 crores) salary for DiCaprio and $25 million (roughly Rs. 186 crores) for Lawrence, up from the standard $20 million (roughly Rs. 149 crores) they usually get. That's likely because unlike with movies that release in theatres, Netflix doesn't offer bonuses based on (box office) performance
The deal details
DiCaprio and Lawrence signed two separate deals to work on the film, one each in November 2014 and July 2015, and both are reported to be included in the new $55 million deal. An actress will also join the cast. Netflix is said to be negotiating with Scarlett Johansson, who starred in The Legend of Tarzan. Don't Look Up will tell the story of two Los Angeles bus drivers who discover a crashed UFO filled with dead aliens, reports Variety. The feature will be produced by McKay's Gary Sanchez Productions and DiCaprio's Appian Way production company. It's a Netflix original movie, like all its other output except for stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. DiCaprio's deal with Netflix is reported to be the highest to date.
The other side of the spectrum
Of course, money is a closely guarded industry secret, and no one's going to tell you what a given actor or actress is paid. But a group of actors, including Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Lawrence, signed a 2011 agreement that gave them a "Key and Peele" amount and up to 35% of the profits if the comedy film, directed by Steve Carell and co-starring Keegan-Michael Key, grossed more than $100 million (£75 million). The key and Peele result barely made $63 million (roughly Rs. 380 crores) worldwide, but it's one of the rare instances where an actor has been able to profit from contributing his services, so much so that Willis claimed in an interview that he received $20 million (roughly Rs. 130 crores) from the film.
What's next for movie theatres?
In case you were wondering what's next for the movie theatre industry, Variety had this to say: Though the exhibitors are bullish about the prospects of the new-to-Netflix slate of films, and say that they're exploring new theatrical strategies, they have reason to be concerned. MoviePass has made a more concerted effort to be seen at its customers' theatres. A recent decision to make a new product called MoviePass Premium available at nearly any movie theatre in the US has proved controversial. More than a quarter of the company's subscribers have opted out of the service after being told they would have to start paying $9.95 per month in a monthly plan that includes premium features.
Netflix and its competitors
Netflix may only be able to charge a fraction of the sums that have been spent for movies on their paid VOD services, but it is definitely worth it. The way it is, Hollywood producers and directors are forced to make huge compromises when making movies for Netflix and Amazon Prime. They have no guarantee about reaching audiences or making money, and have to accept these heavy discounts in return for access to those audiences and viewers. The founders of Netflix themselves want to change this trend and give filmmakers the freedom and the raw materials to make films, as long as they have their cameras on them. In other words, Netflix aims to offer freedom to filmmakers so they can realise their potential, but with a commercial eye on their films. Play Don't Look Up (2017).
Conclusion
After more than eight months since the announcement, it's finally confirmed that Thor: Ragnarok's Mark Mothersbaugh will compose the score for Disney's live-action Jungle Cruise. Disney confirmed in a press release that the composer will be in charge of creating original music for the upcoming film. Tiger Shroff To Play Kabir Khan's Next Though there are rumours that Saif Ali Khan may be part of the cast, Bollywood star Tiger Shroff has been signed to play the lead in Kabir Khan's much-awaited film on the famous 1983 Cricket World Cup winning Indian team that was captained by Kapil Dev. The film is expected to be launched in December. Disclosures Since all these are based on unofficial and unconfirmed news, we advise you to take it with a pinch of salt.
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