Super Interesting Read on Marvel's Film Tactics

Capitalism ruins everything.

Charlie Don't Surf said:

Capitalism ruins everything.

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Makes a lot of things possible too.

Reverent-one said:

Makes a lot of things possible too.

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like slavery

Charlie Don't Surf said:

like slavery

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Charlie Don't Surf said:

like slavery

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Really? Capitalism is what makes slavery possible? That's what you're going with?

But seriously, Marvel needs to pull its head out its ass. They're making an insane amount of money, there's no need to be stingy. This is exactly the sort of thing that will kill their momentum and bring this all to a grinding halt. Recasting everyone because they dared to ask for money will ruin audience enthusiasm.

I apologize for my own contributions to that tangent.

On topic, this isn't terribly surprising, as I heard a while back that RDJ negotiated for a percentage of the box office take, and that obviously paid out big time. I doubt Marvel's was or will be willing to make such a deal again. Which should make the contract negotiations RDJ has coming up interesting. I want to agree with Tress about the dangers Marvel faces by recasting, but let's be honest, they've done it with Terrence Howard and Ed Norton already, and no one really cared. Even a more large scale recasting might not hurt the money coming in for it to not be worth paying new actors less.

Heh, though I didn't get to it in my post, those are the two that I would put the most irreplaceable side of the spectrum. There's a lot of other characters in riskier positions though.

I think a large amount of changes all at once would hurt them pretty badly.

Eventually the actors will get too old and/or the audience will get burnt out. Perhaps they should "retire" the characters after Avengers 2 and start with a new group of characters. By that time, Disney will also be releasing Star Wars films and we'll see another stab at reintroducing a familiar universe with new characters.

The nice thing is, they could easily do that. The Avengers (and Justice League...and most superhero teams) have had a rotating cast and it hasn't always had the big guns of Cap, Thor, and Iron Man. Sometimes one or two of them, but sometimes none of them.

They could do a team of Ant Man, Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver, Hercules (to fill in for Thor), Black Panther, and Vision.

Actually. I'd watch that.

Um I think RDJ is being a complete douche to be honest. He had fallen way off the celebrity radar until IM -made him- again.

I didn't mis read:

He should exceed his biggest payday to date — that $50M from The Avengers which I’ve learned was more like $70M-$80M now that the film is all in. But it’s really Avengers 2 where he’ll clean up big-time

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And saying to other outlets that Marvel better show him more money for Avengers 2. ”I don’t know,” he said on The Daily Show. ”I had a long contract with them and now we’re gonna renegotiate.”

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“Some received only $200,000 for Avengers and Downey got paid $50M. On what planet is that OK?”

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Sure he's fighting for them NOW, but he didn't mind taking the pay he did.

Whedon has his head in the sand and Marvel's sounding like the real badguy here. They're going to make shitloads of cash over the next 2-3 years with sequels and Avengers 2. Open up that wallet.

Frank - He might be campaigning for his castmates but he's also campaigning for even bigger paychecks. Don't give me that contracts during IM1 nonsense, he's looking for $70+ mil when whatever he's fighting for his castmates won't even come close. So yeah, he's doing a good thing for his castmates but he's not helping them in the end by upping his own paycheck even more. If they didn't have to pay him so much, they'd maybe be open to paying the cast more. Look at Conan O Brian, he took a settlement of milliions and gave most of it to his cast/crew that were getting fucked over. That's how you help those who help you, not ask for more for yourself then say, -Oh and could you toss the little ones a bit more bone?-

Should Marvel pay the cast more? Absolutely.
Should Whedon fight harder for his actors? Absolutely.
Is RDJ fighting for his castmates? Absolutely.
Is he being a douche by upping his already beyond high salary requirements? Absolutely.

What the hell does anyone need with $50 million dollars or more for one movie? Some actors are ridiculously overpaid.

If RDJ wanted his co-workers to get more money, he should be willing to take a pay cut and let them have some of his own damn profits. Even it out a little.

ThatNickGuy said:

What the hell does anyone need with $50 million dollars or more for one movie? Some actors are ridiculously overpaid.

If RDJ wanted his co-workers to get more money, he should be willing to take a pay cut and let them have some of his own damn profits. Even it out a little.

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Disney has made a couple Billion off RDJ. I guess he has value.

I guess. If he wants his fellow actors to have a similar cut of the pie, that's fine. But to ask for more when he's already making $50 million? That's ridiculous.

I read it like his contract was something along the lines of "20 million plus a share of the profits." He isn't demanding $70 million, he's just hoping it will be a big success again.

I didn't intend to derail the thread and wasn't trolling earlier. I meant what I said.

These movies are about the stars in a way unlike Avatar (previous box office king). When they make more money than any movie before, the star (s), in this case RDJ, is gonna make more money than any movie star before.

ThatNickGuy said:

I guess. If he wants his fellow actors to have a similar cut of the pie, that's fine. But to ask for more when he's already making $50 million? That's ridiculous.

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Coke and high class hookers are not cheap Nick.

also lol at the idea that he'd give up tens of millions to split with his costars. That's beyond naive. Why don't the CEOs take half their $50M salary and spread it around in a raise to all their employees?

"Sure we make a lot of money, but we spend a lot, too." - Patrick Ewing

And we know where he spent it.

I read it like his contract was something along the lines of "20 million plus a share of the profits." He isn't demanding $70 million, he's just hoping it will be a big success again.

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Exactly, which is why I am kind of scratching my head at this whole argument.

RDJ, when he set up his contract, put in a clause where he gets part of the profits of the movie. Many actors do this. He is not asking for them to shell out 70 million whether the movie is a hit or a flop. This is why, in hindsight, Marvel is rather peeved with him. He took away 50 million from Avengers and so far has gotten 35 million from IM3 due to this clause. He is "expecting" that when the dust clears on the Avengers sequel he will likely walk away with 70 million, but it's only an estimate.

So let me ask you, what do you expect RDJ to do? Tell Disney/Marvel he is fine removing his profit clause from the contract if the money goes to his cast mates? Yes, because Disney is so well known for honoring everyone that works for them. Maybe have him just make nothing but profits and give up the millions he signed up for as a base salary? Okay then, what do you expect RDJ to do if out of nowhere the next Avengers turns into a commercial failure? He just gave up a very high paycheck for something that turned into a gamble. Will he still make a lot? Yes, but why should he give up his own money because the company paying him wants to be cheap with the others?

All he can do is use his "star power" to fight for the other actors to make more money. He never had to do this. He could have sat in his trailer, sipping million dollar frosty frappachinos, and not gotten on the bad side of Disney/Marvel for a bunch of other actors. Yet, he did, and possibly hurt his own chances for continuing his million dollar goose egg now that his contract is up. I don't consider that douchy at all.