The Rock is about to break a Hollywood record for highest-paid actor
The Rock’s new Christmas movie is reportedly set to make him the highest-paid actor of all time.
Red One, which is expected to debut on Prime Video later this year, will net Dwayne Johnson a hefty $50m according to Puck News (H/T Screen Rant).
If true, that would be the highest upfront fee – not counting backends, shares of box office takings, and other bonuses – for any single actor in Hollywood history.
Up until now, the single highest salary for an actor was thought to jointly be Robert Downey Jr. for Captain America: Civil War and Will Smith for King Richard – a total of $40 million. Of course, the exact total is almost never public record, with the likes of Tom Cruise getting a reported cut from ticket sales of over $100m on Top Gun: Maverick (via Variety).
"Shooting our new Christmas franchise Red One," Johnson tweeted last year, accompanied by behind-the-scenes images from production. "Think JUMANJI meets MIRACLE ON 34TH ST meets HOBBS & SHAW with a dash of HARRY POTTER & ITS A WONDERFUL LIFE."
That sneak peek later grew to include J.K. Simmons ripped and ready to deliver presents as Red One’s Santa Claus. The cast also includes Chris Evans, Kiernan Shipka, and Lucy Liu.
Plot details are thin on the ground but it was described by sources close to Variety as a "a globe-trotting, four-quadrant action-adventure comedy, imagining a whole new universe to explore within the holiday genre."
For more on what’s coming out this year, check out our guides to upcoming movies and movie release dates.
