When it comes to massive paydays, Hollywood is still a boy’s club.
Variety has run down the paydays of some of the biggest stars this year and all five of the top earners are men. (Emily Blunt is the highest paid woman, coming in at number seven.)
Ryan Reynolds leads the pack, fresh off the success of his Deadpool franchise. He’ll pocket $27 million for Six Underground, a Netflix-financed Michael Bay film about a billionaire vigilante squad.
The fact that Netflix is willing to spend big is the one thing keeping salaries high, says Variety. Tom Cruise earned $20 million for playing Maverick in the original Top Gun, but he’ll only make $12-$14 million in the sequel due next year.
Netflix paychecks, though, don’t include a share of the profits. So while they’re higher from the outset, they can ultimately be lower than what big stars earn from studios.
Dwayne Johnson and Robert Downey Jr. Were tied for the second highest paid, pocketing $20 million for Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw and the upcoming The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle (due in 2020).
There’s no question that star power still factors into salary. Will Smith will earn $17 million for Bad Boys For Life, while co-star Martin Lawrence will earn just $6 million. Johnson’s Hobbs & Shaw co-star Jason Statham pocketed $13 million.
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