As anticipation builds for David Fincher’s “The Adventures of Cliff Booth,” Puck’s Matt Belloni has been examining the financial details behind the highly anticipated Netflix project.
The film, a follow-up to “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” that filmed in California last year, reportedly carries hefty above-the-line expenses. Sources say Brad Pitt is earning $40M to star, Fincher will receive $20M to direct, and Quentin Tarantino was paid $20M for the screenplay while also keeping ownership of the underlying material.
Altogether, these payments total $80M in above-the-line costs. Furthermore, Leonardo DiCaprio was reportedly offered $3M for a cameo role but declined to take part. Regardless, “Cliff Booth” is rumored to carry a total budget of around $200M.
Fincher breaking into the “$20 Million Club” is an extremely rare feat for a director — Zach Cregger recently entered the club, as that’s reportedly how much he was paid to direct the upcoming “Resident Evil.” Only a handful of filmmakers command an upfront payday so large that the check alone could bankroll three Sundance darlings.
Peter Jackson set the modern benchmark back in 2005 with “King Kong” — $20M upfront plus a staggering 20% of the gross. Christopher Nolan (“Oppenheimer”) and Ridley Scott (“Napoleon”) have kept the tradition alive in recent years. Martin Scorsese walked away with $20M from Netflix for “The Irishman.” Rian Johnson shattered the ceiling with a reported $100M for his two “Knives Out” sequels. James Cameron? $30M upfront for “Avatar: The Way of Water.” Tarantino banked $20M from Sony for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”
The rest of the “Cliff Booth” cast includes Carla Gugino, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Elizabeth Debicki, Scott Caan, Corey Fogelmanis, and Karren Karagulian. This is a big movie, and it would be a real shame if it doesn’t receive a proper theatrical rollout from Netflix.
There’s no release date just yet, but Deadline recently hinted at an August rollout.
If you've read this column for a while, you know the drill: I spitball Cannes every month from now until April, updating the latest intel and trying to figure out what will be in competition, vying for the Palme d'Or.