How Did Daniel Craig and Rian Johnson Each Make $100 Million Off 'Knives Out'?
You don't need to be a detective to pick up the clue that Netflix loved Knives Out.
News broke last week that Netflix had purchased the rights to the Knives Out sequels, but today we got the numbers behind the whole operation, and they are staggering.
We learned via the Hollywood Reporter that Johnson "doesn’t have to take notes from the streamer. The only contingencies were that Craig must star in the sequels and that each must have at least the budget of the 2019 movie, which was in the $40 million range. Sources say that Johnson, Bergman, and Craig stand to walk away with upwards of $100 million each."
That's a huge haul!
Just to summarize, sources say that Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman, and Daniel Craig will earn upwards of $100 million each. $300 million for them, $80 million more to make each movie.
This is enormous. Netflix definitely behaves as though they can do anything, perhaps believing that as soon as they just drive everyone else out of business, it won’t matter anymore. But this is a hefty bet on an original idea. I wonder if they think they can make the money back in subscribers or in a limited theatrical release.
It also pivots them into working with some of the most creative people in the business. If these movies hit, it's great for them and a way to attract more creatives to being part of their process.
Time will tell. Do you think this is a good deal? Let us know in the comments.
