Akiva gets crazy $$$

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by: Jonathan Frey Nov. 23, 2006

According to Nikki Finke of Deadline Hollywood Daily, Akiva Goldsman (A BEAUTIFUL MIND, BATMAN & ROBIN) is about to become what might be the highest paid screenwriter in Hollywood; one screenplay is going to get him $4 million*. For what movie will Goldsman receive his hefty paycheck? ANGELS & DEMONS. Why? Because the work he did on THE DA VINCI CODE was so overwhelmingly well received? Truth be told, this isn't exactly surprising news since I consider Goldsman to be one of those writers-for-hire that can go through the motions of making a Hollywood movie with their hands tied behind their back and do just that, rather mechanically and soullessly (for a lot of money). "You want me to write what? Sure, I can do that. Just dab a little bit of stock pathos here and here and it's a creation, baby!" At the very least, though, this could be a step toward raising the comparitively paltry salaries of screenwriters to something resembling what many other similarly important filmmaking positions (i.e. directors) make. What do you guys think? Is Goldsman worth it? Or should somebody like, say, Charlie Kaufman be the top earning screenwriter?

* Goldsman will not have a producing credit on ANGELS so his salary is in fact purely for screenwriting.

Source: Hollywood Deadline Daily

Extra Tidbit: For the sake of comparison, besides Goldsman's ANGELS & DEMONS paycheck, the most in-demand Hollywood writers usually get between $2 and $2.5 million. I'd imagine the vast majority get paid considerably lower than that.

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simplicaba
8:16AM on 12/08/2006 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Big Money Alone...Peanut Wrapper Comparatively
$4 million is a huge pay check as even the most in-demand writer are getting 2-3...so akiva really struck it !

But if u compare that check with wot A-list celebs earn in hollywood...its nothing...it doest even qualify as a peanut wrapper...let alone peanuts

As a comparison...cruise earned $100 million from war of the worlds...spielberg earned 250 million dollars ba...
$4 million is a huge pay check as even the most in-demand writer are getting 2-3...so akiva really struck it !

But if u compare that check with wot A-list celebs earn in hollywood...its nothing...it doest even qualify as a peanut wrapper...let alone peanuts

As a comparison...cruise earned $100 million from war of the worlds...spielberg earned 250 million dollars back in 1993 from jurassic park...wots 4 million!...back-end tax? hehe
 
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Crimson_Kahuna
4:22PM on 11/26/2006 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Great...
Let's just go ahead and tack on another few dollars to my theater movie-going experience right now and get it out of the way. Has anyone ever heard of points on net profit? That way it's on the back end and doesn't screw with the already outrageous budgets getting tossed around. In some cases killing projects altogether. The more the movie makes at the box office above and beyond the cost o...
Let's just go ahead and tack on another few dollars to my theater movie-going experience right now and get it out of the way. Has anyone ever heard of points on net profit? That way it's on the back end and doesn't screw with the already outrageous budgets getting tossed around. In some cases killing projects altogether. The more the movie makes at the box office above and beyond the cost of the movie, the more the writer gets paid. If it flops, he doesn't get s**t.
 
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star_tak2000
12:48PM on 11/26/2006 Add as a friend | MFC profile
I'm Happy with the fact that people are actually paying more attention to the screenwriter nowaday which they highly deserve. But as much money as director i don't think so. I think afer this the value of the screenplay will raise drastically
I'm Happy with the fact that people are actually paying more attention to the screenwriter nowaday which they highly deserve. But as much money as director i don't think so. I think afer this the value of the screenplay will raise drastically
 
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Edward Brock
9:51AM on 11/24/2006 Add as a friend | MFC profile
The fact that this guy hasn't written an original script in his 12 year career tells you about his "talent". He's the prototype of a studio wh*re.
The fact that this guy hasn't written an original script in his 12 year career tells you about his "talent". He's the prototype of a studio wh*re.
 
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NCarter
6:26PM on 11/23/2006 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Hm
Did anybody in Hollywood see Batman and Robin?
I'm surprised he gets work at all.
Did anybody in Hollywood see Batman and Robin?
I'm surprised he gets work at all.
 
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AceD
2:53PM on 11/23/2006 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Well, Akiva didn't control the fact that Hanks and Tautou had zero chemistry. The script itself was fine, and as good as one could do with the story.

"Zach Helm is my favorite writer in the whole world, and if we're talking about talent he's got more in his pinky that AG"

Based on ONE script!?!?!? You don't think it takes talent to do what Akiva does? He adapts st...
Well, Akiva didn't control the fact that Hanks and Tautou had zero chemistry. The script itself was fine, and as good as one could do with the story.

"Zach Helm is my favorite writer in the whole world, and if we're talking about talent he's got more in his pinky that AG"

Based on ONE script!?!?!? You don't think it takes talent to do what Akiva does? He adapts stuff. It's his forte, and he often does it very well.

I don't get all the hate for the man doing his job and doing it well. Since when in Hollywood has talent been the determining factor in how much someone gets paid? Akiva is talented, but he's not the BEST screenwriter ever. Does anyone really think the best actor in the world is making the most money? It's a business. Sorry to sound angry, but I wish people wouldn't bash everything that's mainstream and pull one bad egg out of a bunch of good ones and call the guy a hack.
 
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Doctor_Jones
2:45PM on 11/23/2006 Add as a friend | MFC profile
The Game They Play
Here's the thing. This is a business and it's about making money for a lot of people. Did the Da Vinci Code suck? Yes, but it was also the most fiscally sucessful movie of the year last time I checked. Therefore, how can you expect or get upset that Akiva Goldsman is getting four million dollars in a stake that will without a shadow of a doubt return 100 million in domestive box office alone. ...
Here's the thing. This is a business and it's about making money for a lot of people. Did the Da Vinci Code suck? Yes, but it was also the most fiscally sucessful movie of the year last time I checked. Therefore, how can you expect or get upset that Akiva Goldsman is getting four million dollars in a stake that will without a shadow of a doubt return 100 million in domestive box office alone. Furthermore, why would you give someone like Kaufman or Helm 4 million, when that will be roughly equal to probably a quarter of the gross. Whoever said we should just be happy that thier films are getting made was right. 2 million dollars is a ridiculous amount of money to pay anyone to do anything short of curing cancer, but it is part of this game. And all the players in Hollywood know the game, and they play it anyway. As far as actor's having no ideas or vision, thats way off base. Do you think the writers and directors program there actors to create the most memorable characters of cinema the life force of our cinematic memories. Actors are what sells your movie, and I'll be damned if half as many people would have seen Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind or Stranger Than Fiction, if it wasn't for Jim Carrey and Will Ferrell.

 
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Mr. Gray
1:57PM on 11/23/2006 Add as a friend | MFC profile
I Understand He Did Da Vinci Code...
...which i haven't seen, and A Beautiful Mind, which was great. But for fucks sake, HE WROTE BATMAN & FUCKING ROBIN!!!! Only a clueless fucking hack could come up with that bullshit.
...which i haven't seen, and A Beautiful Mind, which was great. But for fucks sake, HE WROTE BATMAN & FUCKING ROBIN!!!! Only a clueless fucking hack could come up with that bullshit.
 
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skywriter1
1:56PM on 11/23/2006 Add as a friend | MFC profile
though i hate it, it makes perfect sense
The complaints raised are valid in a fair world. This Hollywood. Where the name of the game is playing it safe for the corporate parent, and making money. An exe can easier keep his job if a movie tanks if he hired a writer and director who make money, than if he "took any chances". It's that simple. Zach Helm is my favorite writer in the whole world, and if we're talking about talent he's got ...
The complaints raised are valid in a fair world. This Hollywood. Where the name of the game is playing it safe for the corporate parent, and making money. An exe can easier keep his job if a movie tanks if he hired a writer and director who make money, than if he "took any chances". It's that simple. Zach Helm is my favorite writer in the whole world, and if we're talking about talent he's got more in his pinky that AG, but he's not a money maker. And certainly neither is Charlie Kaufman. We should just be happy their movies get made at all, and do a better job supporting them. Only then would they get their due. The only good news out of this is that it might raise the bar on writer's salaries, much like the first 20 million dollar actor raised the bars for them. Also, actors get paid the big bucks because they are the lowest common demoninator decision maker for John Q. Public to choose to go see a flick.
 
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littlebigpete
12:35PM on 11/23/2006 Add as a friend | MFC profile
I definetly believe screenwriters should be paid at an equal rate with other jobs such as director. But for a non-original piece of work for what will probably be another boring ass movie is bullshit. Why dont we pay guys like Zach Helm and others this money for a strange concept of an "ORIGINAL SCRIPT".
I definetly believe screenwriters should be paid at an equal rate with other jobs such as director. But for a non-original piece of work for what will probably be another boring ass movie is bullshit. Why dont we pay guys like Zach Helm and others this money for a strange concept of an "ORIGINAL SCRIPT".
 
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M. F. Star
10:56AM on 11/23/2006 Add as a friend | MFC profile
That's B.S.
One I don't really care about that guy getting paid but seems like DaVinci Code wasn't so hot and he is adapting a book not comming up with an original idea. Then two it's ridiculous how writers get screwed. Why do actors get paid so much for acting out other people's ideas and visions? Without a good script and a good direction they would be nowhere.
One I don't really care about that guy getting paid but seems like DaVinci Code wasn't so hot and he is adapting a book not comming up with an original idea. Then two it's ridiculous how writers get screwed. Why do actors get paid so much for acting out other people's ideas and visions? Without a good script and a good direction they would be nowhere.
 
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Wickedbug
10:07AM on 11/23/2006 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Crazy
Considering how The Da Vinci Code sucked (both as a movie and as a comparison to the book), i'm surprised they're throwing this much cash to Akiva.

But I do think screenwriters should be well compensated since a good script can most a of the time compensate for a mediocre director
Considering how The Da Vinci Code sucked (both as a movie and as a comparison to the book), i'm surprised they're throwing this much cash to Akiva.

But I do think screenwriters should be well compensated since a good script can most a of the time compensate for a mediocre director