Apple TV+, other streaming services fork out big bucks for big names to appear in big films

A new feature in Variety has gone into the salaries some of the world’s biggest movie stars are earning for their most recent projects — and Apple is shelling out some serious bucks for big names to appear in its films. 

The article says Will Smith will earn $35 million for “Emancipation,” while Leonardo DiCaprio will get $30 million for Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Also at Apple, Brad Pitt gets $30 million for a currently untitled Joseph Kosinski-directed Formula One drama while both Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell will land $20 million each for the holiday comedy “Spirited”.

Apple isn’t alone in shelling out large sums of cash to big names. Netflix is also a big payer, paying $20 million to Chris Hemsworth for the “Extraction” sequel and $10 million to Millie Bobby Brown for the “Enola Holmes” sequel. The same goes for Sony with Tom Hardy and Denzel Washington poised to earn $20 million each for their participation in third entries in the “Venom” and “The Equalizer” franchises, respectively.