Breaking News: The Biggest Earnings That Actors Missed Out On – A Shocking Revelation!
In a stunning turn of events, it has come to light that some of the biggest stars in Hollywood have missed out on astronomical earnings due to their contract negotiations. In this exclusive report, we will reveal the top 5 actors who have lost out on the most significant earnings due to their poor deal-making skills.
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1. Tom Cruise – $100 Million Lost
Tom Cruise, the king of Hollywood blockbusters, has reportedly lost out on a whopping $100 million due to his contract negotiations with Paramount Pictures. The actor was initially offered a 10% stake in the profits of the Mission: Impossible franchise, but he declined, thinking he could negotiate a better deal. However, the studio held firm, and Cruise walked away with a mere 5% stake. The result? He missed out on a massive $100 million windfall.
2. Will Smith – $80 Million Lost
Will Smith, one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood, has also suffered a significant loss due to his contract negotiations. The actor was offered a $20 million salary for the movie "I Am Legend," but he turned it down, thinking he could negotiate a better deal. Unfortunately, the movie went on to gross over $585 million worldwide, and Smith lost out on an estimated $80 million in backend profits.
3. Robert Downey Jr. – $60 Million Lost
Robert Downey Jr.’s contract negotiations for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies have been the subject of much speculation. It is believed that the actor lost out on a significant amount of money due to his reluctance to sign a long-term contract. While he eventually signed a deal worth over $500 million, insiders claim that he could have earned an additional $60 million if he had been more willing to negotiate.
4. Leonardo DiCaprio – $40 Million Lost
Leonardo DiCaprio’s Oscar-winning performance in "The Revenant" earned him critical acclaim, but it also cost him a significant amount of money. The actor reportedly turned down a $40 million upfront salary for the movie, thinking he could earn more through backend profits. However, the film’s limited budget and commercial performance meant that DiCaprio lost out on a substantial sum.
5. Johnny Depp – $30 Million Lost
Johnny Depp’s contract negotiations for the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise have been the subject of much controversy. The actor was reportedly offered a significant increase in salary for the final installment of the series, but he turned it down, thinking he could negotiate a better deal. However, the movie’s disappointing box office performance meant that Depp lost out on an estimated $30 million in backend profits.
Conclusion:
These shocking revelations highlight the importance of contract negotiations in the entertainment industry. While these actors have gone on to earn millions through their careers, they could have earned even more if they had been more willing to negotiate. As the industry continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how actors and studios approach contract negotiations in the future.
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Actors turn down roles all the time for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they turn them down despite the large earnings offered, while the other times the actor that ends up accepting the role makes heaps of money. What are some big earnings actors missed? Here's some I could think of:
Sean Connery – The Lord of the Rings
- Connery was famously offered $10 million per film plus 15% of the gross to play Gandalf, but he turned it down simply because he didn't understand the script. Had he accepted, he would've earned a total of $450 million.
Matt Damon – Avatar
- Damon was offered 10% of the gross to play Jake Sully, but turned it down because he already committed to The Bourne Supremacy. Damon made plenty off Bourne, but would've earned nearly $300 million if he accepted Avatar, and probably even more for the sequels.
Will Smith – The Matrix
- One of the most infamous career moves in Hollywood history was Smith turning down The Matrix in favor of Wild Wild West, and he himself has since regretted it. Keanu Reeves earned $156 million from the two sequels, and Smith might've earned even more, given what a huge box office draw he was.
Dougray Scott – X-Men
- Scott was originally cast as Wolverine, but had to drop out due to delays on Mission: Impossible II, and was replaced by Hugh Jackman after filming had already begun. Jackman has made bank off X-Men, estimated to be as much as $100 million.
Toshiro Mifune – Star Wars
- George Lucas wanted Mifune to play Obi-Wan, since Star Wars was inspired by Mifune's samurai films. According to Mifune's daughter, he turned it down because he was afraid Star Wars would "cheapen the image of samurai." Alec Guinness famously accepted a portion of the gross in lieu of a salary, which ended up earning him an estimated $95 million by the time of his death in 2000. However, it's unknown if Mifune would've had the foresight to take the same deal.
John Travolta – Forrest Gump
- Travolta was the first choice to play Forrest, and he later regretted turning it down. Tom Hanks ended up making $70 million from the film.
Tom Selleck – Indiana Jones
- Selleck was originally cast as Indy, but dropped out in favor of Magnum, P.I. Selleck made plenty of money off Magnum, but Harrison Ford made a lot from Indy, including $65 million for Crystal Skull alone.
Jared Leto – Titanic
- Leto was one of the first choices to play Jack Dawson, but he refused to audition. Leonardo DiCaprio ended up earning $40 million from the film.
Rachel McAdams – Iron Man
- McAdams was Jon Favreau's first choice to play Pepper Potts, but she turned it down. Forbes reported that Gwyneth Paltrow made $19 million in 2014, partly from Iron Man 3, and she has probably made plenty more from other Marvel films. McAdams regretted her decision, and ended up playing Christine Palmer in Doctor Strange.
Several actors – James Bond
- Sean Connery was among the last choices to play Bond, including by Ian Fleming himself, who deemed Connery a "roughneck." Peter Lawford, Richard Burton, Cary Grant, James Mason, and Patrick McGoohan were among those that turned down the role, for reasons including salary disagreements, age concerns, and simple disinterest. Connery ended up earning a total of $18.3 million from his seven Bond films, including the non-Eon Never Say Never Again.
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I wouldn’t have enjoyed Lord of the Rings as much knowing that Gandalf was played by a wife-beater.
Apparently Bill Murray and Eddie Murphy were once asked to play Eddie Valiant in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. I can’t find the exact amount Bob Hoskins got paid, but I imagine it was really well; and both Bill and Eddie said they regretted not taking the part.
Selleck wanted to do Indiana Jones but he was already under contract for Magnum and the filming schedules overlapped and CBS wouldn’t work around it so he could do both.
Damn, Matt Damon in Avatar would have been great. Worthington is OK but pretty bland and Damon would have be a big upgrade.
I know Will Smith was asked to be Neo in the Matrixand I think he turned it down to do Wild Wild West. I think I saw somewhere he regrets turning that role down for obvious reasons lol
It seems silly to assume that Scott would have duplicated Jackman’s full Wolverine career considering how beloved his run was.
Thank God travolta declined forest Gump. I only see Tom Hanks in that role.
None of these figures are correct as the movies would not have performed the same with different actors.
McAdams has famously turned down a ton of huge projects though, there was a period where she turned down tons of blockbuster roles because she didn’t want to be too famous coming off of the Notebook and Mean Girls. Confirmed or heavily rumored included turning down other than Iron Man were at least one Mission Impossible film, Casino Royale, and Devil Wears Prada amongst others.
OP usually these types of deal isn’t over total box office gross but over the percentage the studio takes (so around 50% of total gross). Like Sean would have gotten 15% of those 50%, so around 7.5% per movie.
Jonathan Majors lost whatever 7 or 8 figure payday he would have had as Kang in the MCU, most notably having an Avengers movie NAMED AFTER HIS CHARACTER, and undoubtedly other appearances lined up as well, all because he apparently couldn’t manage basic human decency.