First-dollar gross

Last updated

First-dollar gross is a practice in filmmaking in which a participant receives a percentage of the gross box-office revenue, starting from a film's first day of release. [1] [2] The participant begins sharing in the revenue from the first ticket sale, not waiting until the film studio turns a profit. [3] It is a film finance and distribution term used primarily in the United States film industry. [4] In France, as of September 2003, one condition for filmmakers to get government support is that money must be reimbursed on the first-dollar gross basis. [5] First-dollar gross has become a rare arrangement, [6] [7] and compensation has increasingly shifted away from first-dollar gross to back-end compensation. [8] Some contracts define "first dollar" as a net figure after certain expense deductions rather than a true distributor's gross. [9]

Contents

Examples

For Inception, DiCaprio chose to forgo his normal rate in favor of first-dollar gross. Inception Leonardo.jpg
For Inception , DiCaprio chose to forgo his normal rate in favor of first-dollar gross.

If a film does well, a first-dollar gross arrangement can be very lucrative for the participant. [11] Natalie Wood took 10 percent of the first-dollar gross on Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice , which according to Freddie Fields earned her more money than she did on any other movie. [12] Cameron Diaz negotiated first-dollar gross on Bad Teacher , and netted $42 million. [13] Sandra Bullock made more from her 15 percent first-dollar gross deal on Gravity than from her upfront pay of $20 million. [14] In his heyday, Arnold Schwarzenegger received 25 percent first-dollar gross. [15]

When Warner Bros. thought Inception was a risky investment, Leonardo DiCaprio agreed to cut his then-normal $20 million salary to a minimal salary with a first-dollar gross to make the film, which eventually paid him $50 million. [10] Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg shared a 40 percent first-dollar gross on Saving Private Ryan . [16] Some other filmmakers known to have made first-dollar gross deals are Tyler Perry, [17] Eli Roth, [18] Clint Eastwood, [8] Quentin Tarantino, [19] Christopher Nolan, [20] actor Tom Cruise, [21] and film producer Jason Blum. [22] Many actors had earned $100 million later, after an initial payment. [23] For example, Tom Cruise was paid between $12–14 million for his performance in Top Gun: Maverick , which was revised to over $100 million after his share of the film's box office gross. [24]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Cruise</span> American actor (born 1962)

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV is an American actor and producer. Regarded as a Hollywood icon, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for four Academy Awards. His films have grossed over $4 billion in North America and over $11.5 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-grossing box-office stars of all time. He is consistently one of the world's highest-paid actors.

This is a list of films released in 1995. The highly anticipated sequel Die Hard with a Vengeance was the year's biggest box-office hit, and Braveheart won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

<i>Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines</i> 2003 film directed by Jonathan Mostow

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is a 2003 science fiction action film that is the third installment in the Terminator franchise and a sequel to Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). It is directed by Jonathan Mostow and stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes, and Kristanna Loken. In its plot, the malevolent artificial intelligence Skynet sends a T-X (Loken)—a highly advanced Terminator—back in time to ensure the rise of machines by killing top members of the future human resistance as John Connor's (Stahl) location is unknown. The resistance sends back a reprogrammed T-850 (Schwarzenegger) to protect John and Kate (Danes).

<i>Last Action Hero</i> 1993 film directed by John McTiernan

Last Action Hero is a 1993 American fantasy action comedy film directed and produced by John McTiernan and co-written by Shane Black and David Arnott. It is a satire of the action genre and associated clichés, containing several parodies of action films in the form of films within the film. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Jack Slater, a Los Angeles police detective within the Jack Slater action film franchise, while Austin O'Brien co-stars as Danny Madigan, a boy magically transported into the Slater universe, and Charles Dance as Mr. Benedict, a ruthless assassin from the Slater universe who escapes to the real world. Schwarzenegger also served as the film's executive producer and plays himself as the actor portraying Jack Slater. The film also marked Art Carney and Tina Turner's last feature film before their deaths in 2003 and 2023 respectively.

<i>Twins</i> (1988 film) 1988 American buddy film directed by Ivan Reitman

Twins is a 1988 American buddy comedy film produced and directed by Ivan Reitman. The film is about unlikely fraternal twin brothers who were separated at birth. The core of the film is the contrast between the streetwise Vincent (DeVito) and the intelligent but naive Julius (Schwarzenegger).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Participant (company)</span> American film production company

Participant Media, LLC is an American independent film production company founded in 2004 by Jeffrey Skoll, dedicated to entertainment intended to spur social change. The company finances and co-produces film and television content, as well as digital entertainment through its subsidiary SoulPancake, which the company acquired in 2016.

Film budgeting refers to the process by which a line producer, unit production manager, or production accountant prepares a budget for a film production. This document, which could be over 130 pages long, is used to secure financing for and lead to pre-production and production of the film. Multiple drafts of the budget may be required to whittle down costs. A budget is typically divided into four sections: above the line, below the line, post-production, and other. The budget excludes film promotion and marketing, which is the responsibility of the film distributor. Film financing can be acquired from a private investor, sponsor, product placement, film studio, entertainment company, and/or out-of-pocket funds.

<i>Knight and Day</i> 2010 film by James Mangold

Knight and Day is a 2010 American satirical action comedy film directed by James Mangold and starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. The film was the second on-screen collaboration of Cruise and Diaz after Vanilla Sky. The film follows June Havens (Diaz), a classic car restorer, who unwittingly gets caught up with Roy Miller (Cruise), an eccentric secret agent, as Roy is on the run from the CIA.

<i>Terminator 2: Judgment Day</i> 1991 film by James Cameron

Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 American science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, who co-wrote the script with William Wisher. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong, it is the sequel to The Terminator (1984) and is the second installment in the Terminator franchise. In the film, the malevolent artificial intelligence Skynet sends a Terminator—a highly advanced killing machine—back in time to 1995 to kill the future leader of the human resistance John Connor, when he is a child. The resistance sends back a less advanced, reprogrammed Terminator to protect Connor and ensure the future of humanity.

<i>Edge of Tomorrow</i> 2014 film by Doug Liman

Edge of Tomorrow is a 2014 American science fiction action film directed by Doug Liman and written by Christopher McQuarrie and the writing team of Jez and John-Henry Butterworth, loosely based on the Japanese novel All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. Starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, the film takes place in a future where most of Europe is occupied by an alien race. Major William Cage (Cruise), a public relations officer with limited combat experience, is forced by his superiors to join a landing operation against the aliens, only to find himself experiencing a time loop as he tries to find a way to defeat the invaders. Bill Paxton and Brendan Gleeson also cast as supporting roles.

<i>Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation</i> 2015 American action spy film directed by Christopher McQuarrie

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation is a 2015 American action spy film written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie from a story by McQuarrie and Drew Pearce. It is the sequel to Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) and the fifth installment in the Mission: Impossible film series. It stars Tom Cruise in the main role, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris and Alec Baldwin. It follows Impossible Missions Force agent Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team, who, subsequent to their disbandment and Hunt's pursuit by the Central Intelligence Agency, must surreptitiously fight The Syndicate, an international black ops terrorist group of rogue government agents from around the world.

2019 in film is an overview of events, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies, critics' lists of the best films of 2019, festivals, a list of country-specific lists of films released, and movie programming. Avengers Endgame was the year's highest grossing film and the highest-grossing of all-time until Avatar regained the top spot in 2021.

<i>The Mummy</i> (2017 film) Film by Alex Kurtzman

The Mummy is a 2017 American fantasy action-adventure film directed by Alex Kurtzman and written by David Koepp, Christopher McQuarrie, and Dylan Kussman, with a story by Kurtzman, Jon Spaihts, and Jenny Lumet. A reboot of the Mummy franchise as part of Universal's scrapped Dark Universe, it stars Tom Cruise as U.S. Army Sergeant Nick Morton, a soldier of fortune who accidentally unearths the ancient tomb of entrapped Egyptian princess Ahmanet. Annabelle Wallis, Jake Johnson, Courtney B. Vance, and Russell Crowe also star.

<i>Terminator Genisys</i> 2015 science-fiction film directed by Alan Taylor

Terminator Genisys is a 2015 American science fiction action film that is the fifth installment in the Terminator franchise. It is a reboot of the franchise, taking the premise of the original film in another direction and ignoring the events depicted in sequels and the TV series. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, who reprises his role as the Terminator. It is directed by Alan Taylor and written by Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier. Along with Schwarzenegger, the film's cast features Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, J. K. Simmons, Dayo Okeniyi, Matt Smith, Courtney B. Vance, Michael Gladis, Sandrine Holt, and Lee Byung-hun. The story follows Kyle Reese, a soldier in a post-apocalyptic war against Skynet, who is sent from 2029 to 1984 to prevent Sarah Connor's death. When Kyle arrives in the past, he discovers that the timeline has been altered by Skynet and that Sarah has been raised by a reprogrammed Terminator sent to protect her.

The term Khans of Bollywood refers to several actors of Bollywood, the Mumbai-based Hindi language Indian film industry, whose surnames are Khan. Most commonly, this involves the Three Khans: Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan. The three are unrelated, but happen to share the same surname, and were all born in 1965. Due to their longevity and high popularity, they are considered among the most successful movie stars in the history of Indian cinema.

<i>Top Gun: Maverick</i> 2022 film directed by Joseph Kosinski

Top Gun: Maverick is a 2022 American action drama film directed by Joseph Kosinski and written by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie from stories by Peter Craig and Justin Marks. The film is a sequel to the 1986 film Top Gun. Tom Cruise reprises his starring role as the naval aviator Maverick. It is based on the characters of the original film created by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr. It also stars Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Monica Barbaro, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris and Val Kilmer, who reprises his role as Iceman. The story involves Maverick confronting his past while training a group of younger Top Gun graduates, including the son of his deceased best friend, for a dangerous mission.

<i>Once Upon a Time in Hollywood</i> 2019 film by Quentin Tarantino

Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood is a 2019 comedy-drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by Columbia Pictures, Bona Film Group, Heyday Films, and Visiona Romantica and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, it is a co-production between the United States, United Kingdom, and China. It features a large ensemble cast led by Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie. Set in 1969 Los Angeles, the film follows a fading actor and his stunt double as they navigate the rapidly changing film industry, with the looming threat of the Tate murders hanging overhead. It features "multiple storylines in a modern fairy tale tribute to the final moments of Hollywood's golden age."

Star Trek 4 is the working title of an American science fiction film in development at Paramount Pictures based on the television series Star Trek by Gene Roddenberry. It is intended to be the 14th feature film in the Star Trek film franchise and the 4th of the franchise's reboot films. There have been several different iterations of the film in development since 2015.

References

  1. ↑ Kelly, Kate; Marr, Merissa (13 January 2006). "Sweetheart Star Deals Go Sour" . The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  2. ↑ Weinstein, Mark I. (13 August 1998). "Guide to Deal Structures" (PDF). University of Southern California . p. 4. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  3. ↑ Cieply, Michael (3 March 2010). "For Movie Stars, the Big Money Is Now Deferred". The New York Times . Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  4. ↑ "first dollar / first dollar gross - Lexikon der Filmbegriffe". University of Kiel (in German). 2 August 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  5. ↑ "House of Commons - Culture, Media and Sport - Sixth Report". Parliament of the United Kingdom . 18 September 2003. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  6. ↑ Cones, John W. (1997). The Feature Film Distribution Deal: A Critical Analysis of the Single Most Important Film Industry Agreement. Southern Illinois University Press. p. 31. ISBN   978-0-8093-2081-3.
  7. ↑ Goldstein, Patrick; Rainey, James (3 August 2009). "Hollywood gets tough on talent: $20-million movie salaries go down the tubes". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  8. 1 2 Vogel, Harold L. (2011). Entertainment Industry Economics: A Guide for Financial Analysis. Cambridge University Press. p. 228. ISBN   978-1-107-00309-5.
  9. ↑ Kroon, Richard W. (2010). A/V A to Z: An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Media, Entertainment and Other Audiovisual Terms. McFarland & Company. p. 280. ISBN   978-0-7864-4405-2.
  10. 1 2 Bacardi, Francesca (22 January 2014). "Jonah Hill Was Paid $60,000 for 'Wolf of Wall Street'". Variety . Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  11. ↑ Cieply, Michael (11 November 2007). "Hollywood strike underlines bleak outlook for movie business". The New York Times . Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  12. ↑ Welkos, Robert W. (15 December 2007). "Freddie Fields, 84, talent agent to stars". The Boston Globe . Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  13. ↑ Fisher, Luchina (18 October 2013). "Role Reversal: Actresses Over 40 Top Hollywood". ABC News . Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  14. ↑ "Hollywood's biggest paydays". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  15. ↑ Finke, Nikki (29 April 2011). "Arnold's Payday: $10 Million Plus 25% First Dollar Gross For Schwarzenegger's Next Film". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  16. ↑ Bart, Peter (17 January 1999). "Movie Math: A Study in Profit and Gloss". The Washington Post . Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  17. ↑ Fernandez, Jay A. (11 September 2008). "Film mogul Tyler Perry takes his biggest risk". Philadelphia Media Network . Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  18. ↑ Ago, Alessandro (2009). "SCA Alumni Screening Series: INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS". USC School of Cinematic Arts . Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  19. ↑ Kit, Borys (18 November 2017). "How Sony Nabbed Quentin Tarantino's Manson Movie". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  20. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (16 May 2020). "Is 'Tenet' Still Sticking On Its July 17 Release Date?". Deadline . Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  21. ↑ Fleming, Michael (13 June 2008). "Hollywood all grossed out". Variety . Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  22. ↑ Masters, Kim (27 February 2014). "Jason Blum's Crowded Movie Morgue: Downside of a Microbudget Empire". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  23. ↑ "Actors Who Made over $100 Million from One Movie". 7 May 2023.
  24. ↑ "Tom Cruise will reportedly get at least $100 million for 'Top Gun: Maverick' — one of the biggest paydays for an actor ever".
Video-x-generic.svg

This article related to film or motion picture terminology is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.