"The DaVinci Code" Stars accept pay cuts in ailing Hollywood.

[buttmunch]

THE Da Vinci Code is one of the most eagerly anticipated films of the year but its significance to Hollywood may go deeper than mere box office success: Tom Hanks has delighted his studio bosses by accepting a pay cut for his role as the book’s art sleuth hero.
Facing declining cinema audiences, Hollywood is trying to persuade its top actors to set an example by cutting back a lucrative arrangement known as “first dollar”, under which the director, producer and stars receive a share of a film’s box office take regardless of whether the studio has covered its filming costs.



Hanks had been expected to share 40% of the takings of The Da Vinci Code — to be released in May — with Ron Howard, the director, and Brian Grazer, the producer, in addition to their own fees. Instead, they will reportedly settle for 25%. Studios hope this will become the industry standard, claiming that this will leave them with more money to spend on the films.

“It all depends on how much the actor wants to make the film,” said one studio source. “Tom knows that Harrison Ford could have played that role wonderfully and maybe even cheaper.”

“First dollar” deals date back to the early 1950s when James Stewart first negotiated a share of the box office receipts for Harvey, a fable about a seemingly delusional man and a giant invisible rabbit. “That rodent will eat Hollywood,” said a Universal studio executive at the time, and he was right: the practice has since been commonplace.

No actors will publicly admit that they have lowered their price but industry reports suggest that Hanks is not alone. Cameron Diaz, who is second only to Julia Roberts in the female stars’ pay scale but still earns on average half a top male star’s salary, is said to have agreed to forgo her “first dollar” deal to star in a romantic comedy called Holiday.

Sony, the studio, said it had no choice after a number of recent box office disappointments and promised to make it up to Diaz in the future. “Let’s not get too weepy here,” said a Sony executive. “Cameron Diaz is thinking of the future and she is still getting north of $10m (£5.7m) for the two months’ work.”

According to industry reports, Disney also cut down on star salaries before filming two sequels to Pirates of the Caribbean. Johnny Depp is believed to have sacrificed his “first dollar” to allow the studio to afford Keith Richards, the Rolling Stones guitarist, upon whom he modelled his piratical performance.

In the end, Richards did not appear in the first sequel, Dead Man’s Chest, because of touring commitments and is unlikely to be in the second — but nobody expects Depp to be given a pay rise.

Sunday Times Online

I'm guessing it won't pinch all that much to make, say, 10 million instead of 15 million. Oh my, to have these worries!

[yoohoo]

the quote about harrison ford playing the prof. in davinci is total bullshit. he is way way too old for that part, tom hanks is slightly to old for the part--let alone grevously miscast.

[britlitgal]

paycuts in hollywood...hahahahahahahahaha!!! yeah...right.

[tofucheesecake]

Really? I envisioned the main guy as being younger than Tom looks. Though Tom's hair certainly goes with the crazed professor idea, he seems a bit old for Audrey.

[allthesun]

I don't see Tom Hanks as being the correct person for the role either.
Cameron Diaz possibly settled for less because she sucks and her last few movies have not been box office hits and you don't get paid a high salary if you don't bring in the money.
There really needs to be new actors brought in, there isn't anything or anyone really interesting or exciting in the near future.

[stardust]

tom hanks is soooo miscast.

I imagined a gerard butler with glasses.

[SVZ]

same, im guessing they wanted to get the star power, and he's the cheapest they could find. that animated santa claus movie he starred in was a flop, so he probably gobbled this up like a jujube.

but his voice just sounds goofy to me...i pictured a suave sexy guy...

[ourmaninBusan]

I'm guessing they gave with the left hand and took with the right.

Perhaps we're going to see Tom getting a percentage of the
video game version of DaVinci. The man who played Forrest Gump
got $70 million for doing so, according to Boxofficemojo.com,
so I can't see him just giving money back to L.A.

"Ailing Hollywood"...f%%k that! Let 'em ail some more!