Netflix, other streamers shake up the Forbes highest paid actors list in 2020
Contracts with streamers made up a lot of the revenue that Hollywood's top earners got in 2020
BMO Capital Markets chief strategist Brian Belski discusses biotech stocks, investing in coronavirus markets and says he is expecting good earnings from Netflix amid the streaming wars and lockdown.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson topped the list of the highest-paid actors for the second year in a row thanks in large part to revenue from Netflix.
The celebrity, whose recent blockbuster hits include “Jumanji” and “Hobbs & Shaw,” topped Forbes’ list of the top Hollywood earners with a reported $87.5 million in profits for 2020. However, it’s worth noting that the star doesn’t just rake in the estimated total from acting. His popular Under Armour line, Project Rock, was factored in as well.
In addition, the actor, like many on the top 10 list, got a major boost due to revenue from Netflix. The streaming giant reportedly made up $23.5 million of the bodybuilding star’s revenue for his role as an art-thief-chasing Interpol agent in the upcoming Netflix film “Red Notice.”
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Netlfix and other streamers are having an impact on how Hollywood stars make their money. (Netflix)
Netflix’s presence is all over the list, offering a slew of money to stars like Adam Sandler and Ryan Reynolds, the latter of which reportedly earned $20 million apiece for appearing in movies for the company such as “Red Notice” and “Six Underground,” earning him the second place spot right below Johnson.
Sandler, meanwhile, hasn't exactly been a box office darling since the late 90s, but managed to secure the ninth spot on the list thanks to his $240 million deal with Netflix that he signed in 2014. The company’s revenue accounted for $31 million of his earnings, 75% of his total for 2020.
Unfortunately for people trying to figure out how to get the same star treatment from Netflix, it tends to keep its metrics for determining what brings in new subscribers and retains old ones a closely kept secret.
Dwayne Johnson topped Forbes list of the highest-paid actors in 2020. (Steve Dietl/NBC)
A new addition to the list in 2020 is “Hamilton” creator Lin Manuel-Miranda, who took the No. 7 spot on the list with an estimated $45.5 million thanks in large part to Disney acquiring the rights to the smash-hit musical for $75 million earlier this year. The show dropped on Disney+, further showcasing how streamers are affecting Hollywood at a time when the coronavirus has thrown the regular business model of theatrical releases into question. His next musical venture will be the film adaptation of his previous theater endeavor, “In the Heights.”
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Other stars on the list include Mark Wahlberg, Ben Affleck and Vin Diesel, which fill at the third, fourth and fifth. Deadline notes that Akshay Kumar dropped two spots while Will Smith and Jackie Chan returned to the list as well.