Fifty Shades of Grey has made half a billion dollars worldwide since its release seven weeks ago, and that means a sequel is a no-brainer. Breathing life into the book trilogy and making it into a successful film franchise was a risky move, but it is one that has defied the odds and actually worked. You better believe that everyone involved with the first film's success will be looking for a raise and that begins with Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson. It is unlikely they will receive major raises for the two sequels.
According to a report by The Hollywood Reporter, "Sources say the pair received $250,000 each -- plus tiered box-office bonuses -- to star in Universal's erotic hit based on the first of EL James's trilogy of novels, and both signed three-picture deals. But like most stars of franchise films, they will try to renegotiate for seven-figure raises for Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed. Neither Johnson, 25, nor Dornan, 32, received any back-end compensation on the first film, according to sources."
When a film is as financially successful as Fifty Shades has been, the returning cast easily can expect some sort of raise for a sequel, but do you think the success of this is really because of Dornan and Johnson? Obviously they held their own when it came to making Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele believable, but are they the sole reason this film has made so much money? Isn't it more likely because of the success of the book series that James had worked her magic on?
Fans of the trilogy were simply dying to see whether or not Christian Grey onscreen would resemble the guy in their fantasies that the book helped to create. Certainly the actors managed to hold their own, otherwise ticket sales would have completely died after a day or two once negative word of mouth said to skip this film.
How much of a raise do Dornan and Johnson deserve? Should it rival what other stars in a successful franchise would receive? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.
