Summary
- Dwayne Johnson topped Forbes’ highest-paid actors list for 2024, earning $88 million from Red One, Moana 2, and residuals.
- Johnson’s success was driven by his strategic promotion for Red One, leading to strong viewership numbers on Amazon Prime Video.
- Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Hart followed behind Johnson as the second and third highest-paid actors, earning $85 million and $81 million respectively.
Forbes has unveiled its annual list of the highest-paid actors, with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson claiming the top spot for 2024. The Red One star raked in a staggering $88 million in earnings, largely thanks to a $50 million paycheck for Red One, as well as his fee for Moana 2 and residuals from his extensive back catalog of films.
Johnson’s impressive payday is the result of strategic promotion and savvy deals. He first announced his involvement in Red One on Instagram back in June 2021, sharing dozens of posts to his 394 million followers leading up to the movie’s release last November. Despite a lukewarm critical reception and a modest box office showing of $186 million globally against a reported $250 million budget, Johnson’s relentless online promotion helped the film draw a reported 50 million viewers on Amazon Prime Video during its opening weekend. Combined with his lucrative Moana 2 deal and residuals, Johnson solidified his status as Hollywood’s top earner for 2024, but fans aren’t thrilled to see this.
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Dwayne Johnson’s reign as the highest-paid actor of 2024 has sparked a heated debate among fans and critics alike, with some taking to social media to express their disbelief. “It’s crazy how one of the worst actors gets paid the most,” someone claimed. “And then people ask what happened to Cinema,” another movie fan said. Johnson’s financial triumph was matched by strong performances from his former co-stars. According to Forbes, Ryan Reynolds, who starred alongside Johnson in Red Notice, secured the second position with $85 million. Meanwhile, Kevin Hart, his Central Intelligence co-star, landed at number three with $81 million. Together, the trio earned more than the rest of the Top 10 combined.
The Highest Paid Actors of 2024 Revealed
Rounding out the top five were Jerry Seinfeld and Hugh Jackman with $60 million a piece. Brad Pitt followed with $32 million, and George Clooney earned $31 million. Nicole Kidman stood out as the highest-earning woman on the list, securing the eighth spot with $31 million. Her success stemmed from a busy year that included two movies and three television series. The top ten was completed by Adam Sandler and Will Smith each with $25 million.
Notable names within the top twenty included Channing Tatum, Jason Statham, Mark Wahlberg, Matt Damon, John Cena, Denzel Washington, Jake Gyllenhaal, Scarlett Johansson, and Joaquin Phoenix. A noteworthy trend on this year’s list was age. The average age of the top 20 earners came in at 54, with Scarlett Johansson, 40, as the youngest on the list. Many of the top earners benefit not only from new projects but also from profit participation in their expansive film catalogs. As for what’s next, Dwayne Johnson has already been tapped to star in a new movie directed by Martin Scorsese alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Emily Blunt. He also has an upcoming role as Maui in the live-action Moana remake.
Source: Forbes