Last year, the trade papers estimated that Margot Robbie likely made about $50 million on her backend deal for Barbie. Barbie grossed $1.446 billion at the box office, and Margot was not only the lead, she executive produced the film and put the whole thing together. Margot was the one who pitched Mattel, and she was the one who hired Greta Gerwig. I would not be surprised if Margot’s backend was a lot more than $50 million. But… I would also not be surprised if Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer backend was even bigger. Variety says that is so, especially now that Oppy won Best Director and Best Picture at the Oscars.
Christopher Nolan took home two Oscars on Sunday night for director and producer of “Oppenheimer.” But his ultimate haul for the period drama was so much bigger. Nolan’s final payday for the film, which traces the life of titular scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in creating the atomic bomb, is just south of $100 million, according to knowledgeable sources.
That figure represents a combination of salary, backend compensation, box-office escalators and a bonus for his twin Academy Awards. A representative for the filmmaker didn’t respond to a request for comment.
The Universal film — which nabbed seven Oscars total, including trophies for actor Cillian Murphy and supporting actor Robert Downey Jr. — was made on a budget of $100 million. After its release on July 19, becoming half of the one-two “Barbenheimer” punch, the film earned $958 million worldwide, a mammoth sum considering “Oppenheimer’s” R rating and three-hour running time. (Both are typically considered barriers in luring a so-called four-quadrant audience.) It also marks the highest-grossing best picture winner since 2004’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”
“Oppenheimer” is being rereleased in 1,000 theaters this weekend with its newly minted best picture status. That should run up the film’s final box-office tally and eclipse the $1 billion threshold, thus triggering an additional bonus for the director.
Now all eyes are on what Nolan — who wrote, directed and produced “Oppenheimer” — will do next. Some say it will be a remake of the mystery-thriller “The Prisoner,” based on the 1960s TV series created by and starring Patrick McGoohan, which Nolan was attached to in 2009. But the sci-fi project vanished from Nolan’s dance card that same year, when AMC released its own “The Prisoners,” a six-part miniseries led by Jim Caviezel as the ill-fated agent Number Six alongside Ian McKellen and Ruth Wilson. Others say he will begin writing a new screenplay now that the awards season is behind him.
It actually sounds crazy to me that his ultimate payday is just below $100 million? Like, one tenth of the film’s gross goes to the director, not taking into account the cost of the production & promotion? While Nolan’s achievement with Oppenheimer was noteworthy and award-worthy, it feels like Margot Robbie should take this article to Warner Bros and tell them to cut her another check. If Nolan’s getting $95 million or so, why can’t Margot? As for Nolan’s next projects… I hope he gets a female cowriter who helps him figure out how to write female characters. All that money in the world and he cannot write women at all.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Christopher Nolan accepts the Oscar® for Directing during the live ABC telecast of the 96th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 10, 2024.,Image: 855740562, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- Christopher Nolan poses backstage with the Oscar® for Directing and Best Picture during the live ABC telecast of the 96th Oscars® at Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 10, 2024.,Image: 855771625, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- Oscar® winner Christopher Nolan attends the Governors Ball following the live ABC telecast of the 96th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 10, 2024.,Image: 855883908, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: David Nguyen / Avalon
Can someone breakdown if a movie makes a billion,where does most of that money go to? The studio? And how sure do studios know they are getting their true slice from movie theaters?
There have been literal books written about it, it is tough to break down. It also varies from country to country! On average whatever a movie makes, cut it in half. So if Oppenheimer makes a billion at the box office, the studio gets about $500 million. (How do they know they are getting a fair slice…ehhhh, depends on how well the industry is regulated in the country. So they don’t always know!).
But these articles are tricky because it is not correct to say Nolan just gets a $100 million check tomorrow. The movie will also make money from being sold to streamers, networks, blurays, etc. So they are “estimating” at the end of the day he will make $100 million. Same deal with Margot’s pay, no one really knows. And given that it is Hollywood accounting don’t be a bit surprised to see lawsuits over profits in a few years. (See the Lord of the Rings trilogy for a famous case).
So Oppenheimer earned $500 milion less at the box office, but Nolan made twice as much off the back end? Hopefully, this is a name/reputation thing, rather than a male thing.
I mean in this case of course it’s a name/reputation thing. Nolan has a string of massive successes and Margot was coming off some massive critical and box office bombs (I know she was not a producer on those, but the general public does not know that). The actual fair comparison is her deal on her next projects post-Barbie. That’s where she should (should!) be able to cash in.
Exactly as you said it. It is about leverage and Christopher Nolan had more than Margot or Greta Gerwig. But both Margot and Greta are smart and you can bet they will be getting a much bigger cut of the back end on their next projects.
I have to point out, because this is the second or third time I’m seeing this since the Oscars, that Margot was a PRODUCER on Barbie, not an Executive Producer. In film a producer is the hands on one, the most involved in the day to day both during development, during production and in post production. She and her husband have a very good production company and they got the movie made after years in development hell with multiple writers/directors/stars attached. In TV Executive Producer is the top person but in film it is the producer who really runs it, so it is minimizing her role when she is being referred to as Executive Producer. If she was an Executive Producer she wouldn’t have been nominated for Best Picture because only credited Producers get that nomination.
All your other points are right on, I just don’t like this weird thing happening in the media with her credit right now.
So what is the role of an Executive Producer?
In film it could be several things. They often give writers that credit, just as an added bonus (like they did with Noah and Greta on this, although I think Greta was very involved in the development once they came on board), it could be someone who kicks in money, it could be a vanity credit to an actor and often it’s given to a person who had worked on the development but then stopped working on it once it went into production. Associate Producer is usually a lower ranking person in one of the production companies who may do a lot of work but isn’t as powerful and doesn’t get the full producer credit. Technically a producer is supposed to be heavily involved in the development of the script and project, then on set a majority of the time running it along with the production coordinator, and also involved in the post production (editing, marketing, etc). They have to prove they were involved in a very significant way to get the nomination from the P.G.A. and the Academy. That’s why someone who might have the credit on a film doesn’t always get listed as a recipient of the “Best Picture” nomination for the Oscars or from the P.G.A.
There is something about him that really creeps me out – he’s talented but his b!tchyness about Barbie’s success really put me off him. It reeked of misogyny.
When did he talk poorly about Barbie? I only ever read him saying that he was looking forward to seeing it and that he was really happy about the way both films were getting people into theatres.
He didn’t. Some industry papers leaked that he wasn’t thrilled about having to share the opening weekend, but who would be against a big blockbuster? Tom Cruise was reportedly angry at having to lose IMAX screen space to Oppenheimer, but that is just how this industry is. And Nolan did say some pleasant things about the Barbenheimer and its impact on theatres.
DigitalUnicorn, his films have always been sausagefests and he cannot write a female character to save his life.
However, as his wife is often co-producer and co-writer, he’s not the only one who’s a misogynist, it’s a couple of them.
I haven’t heard him criticise Barbie but the tantrum he threw about that Peloton female trainer who dared to criticise Tenet highlighted the gender he has issues with…
Pity because I like many of his past movies.
I watched the clip and he clearly was trying to a tell funny anecdote with vague details, not throw a tantrum. I get people don’t like his work but the interpretation of that story is overblown.
Lots of times, directors and actors work out a deal that they get a payday as well as a portion of the box office. That has worked extremely well for people such as Tom Cruise (MI: Ghost Protocol, $12 mil up front, $70 mil overall total, Maverick, over $100 mil), Will Smith (Men in Black 2, rumored to be over $6 mil), Keanu Reeves (Matrix 1&2, over $200 mil), Margot Robbie (Barbie, $12 mil, over $50 mil total), Sandra Bullock (Gravity, $20 mil up front, 15% of every box office dollar as well, approx. $70 mil). What Nolan’s contract worked out to be, who knows, but it would be a smart way to do it. It’s a gamble sure, but worth it.
Honestly, him having tantrums would be no different than some exec’s or politicians having them. I have dealt with a lot of people in high pressure jobs and have seen it several times. Not everyone handles it well. That doesn’t excuse it, but it’s not just a Hollywood thing, that’s for sure.
I have never seen Nolan give Barbie any credit for the increased interest in his film. Maybe I missed it. But Barbie DEFINITELY boosted his pay day.
And agree that Margot Robbie does not get NEARLY enough credit for PRODUCING Barbie. I can’t wait to see what else she does.
The opinions of Nolan on this site are wacky as hell, lol. Why does he need to thank Margot Robbie when he sells tickets on his own merit. While Oppenheimer got some boost from Barbie, it performed well because of his name and the great box office legs the film it sustained for months — the type of things Barbie had no hand in. Besides directing, Nolan also wrote the screenplay and co-produced, which all factor into his pay here. And he has a box office track record that neither Margot nor Greta have, which explains his upfront salary. You don’t have to like him, but your logic for him owing the Barbie peeps anything is ridiculous.