A-list Hollywood actors make a lot of money. That’s not exactly news, especially considering the massive contract that Robert Downey Jr. reportedly signed recently to return to the MCU. Having said that, most major stars don’t get paid quite as much for a single movie as George Clooney and Brad Pitt were recently reported to have made for the Apple TV+ movie, Wolfs.
A published piece in the New York Times claimed that Pitt and Clooney were paid $35 million each to co-star for the upcoming 2024 movie release. Needless to say, that’s a pretty hefty paycheck even for major movie stars, but now Clooney is clapping back at the report and saying that it’s inaccurate.
What George Clooney Says About His Wolfs Salary
Speaking at the Venice Film Festival (via THR) where Wolfs had its world premiere, Clooney addressed the salary report head-on, something that rarely happens when a film’s finances come up. While Clooney didn’t go into specifics, he insisted that what he and Brad Pitt was significantly less than what had been reported. He explained…
[It was] an interesting article and whatever her source was for our salary, it is millions and millions and millions of dollars less than what was reported. And I am only saying that because I think it’s bad for our industry if that’s what people think is the standard bearer for salaries.
George Clooney said that he and Brad Pitt actually made less on the movie than had originally been agreed upon because the pair gave a portion of their salaries back after it was decided Wolfs wouldn’t get the originally planned theatrical release. The movie wasn’t going to make the money it could have made during a theatrical run, with a secondary sell on VOD and streaming afterward. So, something had to be cut, and the actor stated it was their pay checks.
Where George Clooney And Brad Pitt’s Money Usually Comes From
Clooney said he wanted to address the $35 million salary number because he didn’t want it to become the “standard bearer." I don't find that surprising. There is something of a competition between actors when it comes to intake on films, and I could see other A-list stars believing Clooney and Pitt were making $35 million a film and wanting that much themselves. If not more!
While it’s not entirely uncommon for some stars to make as much as $20 million per movie, it has become an increasingly popular decision among many to forego a portion of their upfront salary in exchange for a percentage of a film’s box office take. This has helped films keep budget under control by saving several million up front, yet if a film is successful, it can allow for big pay days later. Think Tom Cruise making a reported $100 million on Top Gun: Maverick after the film made over $1 billion at the global box office. Only a fraction of that was his actual salary.
Obviously, with Wolfs not getting a major theatrical release, that sort of deal isn’t possible. It wouldn’t have been that surprising if Clooney and Pitt’s salaries had gone up, rather than down, as a result. When movies planned for theatrical release ended up going to streaming during the pandemic, studios reportedly had to make new deals for stars who had been expecting those back-end dollars. Scarlett Johansson was famously involved in a lawsuit about this very concept.
Whatever Pitt and Clooney made from Wolfs, we probably don’t need to worry about either of them going broke anytime soon. In fact, the news that Wolfs wouldn't get a theatrical release came alongside the news that a Wolfs sequel is already in development. They aren't hurting for work.
It's possible this was all part of the same complicated financial deal to help everybody involved make the money they wanted. Perhaps, if the first movie is popular -- and critics are praising Clooney and Pitt in the new film so far -- the sequel might get a theatrical release, and then Pitt and Clooney could make money on the back end. But $35 million?
