Dwayne Johnson’s next movie, Red One, will reportedly earn him the biggest payday ever for an actor. Over the last decade or so, the former WWE star-turned-actor has solidified himself as one of the biggest movie stars alive with roles in the Fast & Furious franchise, Jumanji, the DCEU, and other standalone action flicks. Johnson’s next movie Red One, which finished filming earlier this year, is an action-adventure Christmas film that is expected to release on Prime Video during the 2023 holiday season.
Now, a new report reveals that The Rock was paid a record-breaking salary for the Red One movie. According to Puck News (via The Direct), Johnson earned a total of $50 million for his lead role as Callum Drift, the Commander of the E.L.F. This is not only the highest salary of his career, but the biggest payday an actor has ever received for a single role.
How Dwayne Johnson’s Red One Salary Compares To Others
Before $50 million for Red One, the highest salary Johnson received was a tie between 2019’s Jumanji: The Next Level and Netflix’s Red Notice at $23.5 million. Black Adam ($22.5 million), Jungle Cruise ($22 million), and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw ($20 million) weren’t too far behind though. All time, Johnson’s Red One salary is well-above the previous record-holder, which was a tie between Robert Downey Jr.’s Captain America: Civil War salary and Will Smith’s for his Academy Award-winning performance in King Richard, both of which were $40 million.
Not too long ago, the industry-standard salary for Hollywood’s biggest stars was $20 million plus a percentage of the movie’s box office gross. However, streaming has certainly changed the game in this regard. Since Prime Video and Netflix movies usually don’t receive wide theatrical releases, these streamers compensate stars upfront based on a percentage of would-be box office earnings. Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions is also behind Red One, which could be another reason for his record-breaking payday. Though The Rock is generally a bankable draw, whether his whopping Red One salary pays off remains to be seen.
Source: Puck News (via The Direct)