He’s been at the top of the Hollywood movie industry for more than four decades.
And thanks to his latest blockbuster release Top Gun: Maverick, Tom Cruise is officially the highest earning film star, Variety reported on Wednesday.
Cruise, 60, who is not only the star of the sequel but also its producer, is expected to make more than $100 million from movie ticket sales, his salary and his cut of home entertainment rentals and streaming revenue.
Top Gun: Maverick is now Paramount’s highest grossing movie ever worldwide taking in $1.2 billion globally and the first of Cruise’s movie to pass the billion dollar mark.
It is also only the 12th film in history to cross the $600 million mark at the domestic box office.
Top of his game: Tom Cruise is Hollywood’s highest earning actor making more than $100 million for his blockbuster movie Top Gun: Maverick, according to Variety on Wednesday
Though Cruise is set to take a lower fee upfront for starring in the next two Mission: Impossible films – with sources estimating his paycheck to be between $12M to $14M – he earns a sizable percentage of the moviesโ first-dollar gross.
That means he ‘gets box office bonuses before the studio even breaks even’ ensuring he always get a good pay day.
One movie executive noted that Cruise and Dwayne Johnson (who made $22.5M for Black Adam) are two stars whose high salaries are certainly justified.
‘I would never bet against Tom Cruise. Most actors arenโt worth what you pay them, but Cruise and maybe Dwayne Johnson justify their salaries,’ he told Variety, making note of Tom’s excellent ability to promote his films all over the globe.
Billion dollar movie: Cruise, 60, who is not only the star of the sequel but also its producer, gets a cut of ticket sales and streaming revenue in addition to his upfront salary
Tom Cruise soars in the trailer for ‘Top Gun: Maverick’
Big payday: The second biggest earner, according to Variety, is Will Smith. He signed on to star in Antoine Fuqua’s action thriller Emancipation for $35 million in June 2020
The second biggest earner, according to Variety, is Will Smith.
He signed on to star in the action thriller Emancipation for $35 million in June 2020.
Apple won a bidding war for the distribution rights to the film which is being directed by Antoine Fuqua and principal photography began in New Orleans in the summer of 2021.
However, this past May it was announced that the film’s release would be pushed back to 2023 citing production delays.
However, the news followed shortly after Smith’s ‘slap heard around the world’ when he struck Oscar host Chris Rock live on stage during the Academy Awards telecast on March 27.
The incident prompted outrage worldwide and a very public backlash.
He resigned his Academy membership on April 1, and was banned from attending Academy events for a 10-year period, effective April 8.
Since then Smith, who won the best actor Oscar for King Richard, has been laying low and staying out of the spotlight.
Smith’s biggest pay day to date was for 2012’s Men In Black 3 for which he took home a rumored $100 million.
In limbo: However, in May it was announced that Emancipation’s release is pushed back to 2023 after Smith slapped Oscar host Chris Rock live in TV during the Academy Awards
Will Smith holds Oscar at Vanity Fair party after slapping Chris Rock
Other high earners in the film category include Leonardo DiCaprio who earned $30 million for Martin Scorsese’s upcoming Killers of The Flower Moon and Brad Pitt who is getting $30million for an as-yet untitled Formula 1 drama.
Meanwhile, Chris Hemsworth (Extraction 2), Denzel Washington (Equalizer 3), Vin Diesel (Fast X), Joaquin Phoenix (Joker 2), Tom Hardy (Venom 3), Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds (Spirited) all earned $20 million for their respective films.
Lower on the list were stars of the highly-anticipated upcoming Barbie film, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, each making $12.5 million.
Coming soon: Leonardo DiCaprio earned $30 million for Martin Scorsese’s upcoming Killers of The Flower Moon which is set for release this November
Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling roller-skate on ‘Barbie’ set
In the money: Lower on the list are stars of the highly-anticipated upcoming Barbie film, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling who are each making $12.5 million
Tom Cruise – $100M + (Top Gun: Maverick)
Will Smith – $35M (Emancipation)
Leonardo DiCaprio – $30M (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Brad Pitt – $30M (Formula 1 Drama)
Dwayne Johnson – $22.5M (Black Adam)
Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds – $20M (Spirited)
Chris Hemsworth – $20M (Extraction 2)
Vin Diesel – $20M (Fast X)
Tom Hardy – $20M (Venom 3)
Joaquin Phoenix – $20M (Joker 2)
Denzel Washington – $20M (The Equalizer 3)
Jason Momoa – $15M (Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom)
Eddie Murphy – $15M (Beverly Hills Cop 4)
Chris Pine – $13M (Star Trek)
Steve Carell – $12.5 (Minions: The Rise of Gru)
Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie – $12.5 (Barbie)
Millie Bobby Brown – $10M (Enola Holmes 2)
Timothรฉe Chalamet – $9M (Wonka)
Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr, and Emily Blunt – $4M (Oppenheimer)
Daniel Kaluuya – $4M (Nope)
Jamie Lee Curtis – $3.5M (Halloween Ends)
Anya-Taylor Joy – 1.8M (Furiosa)
