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But after the third installment of the Paramount/DreamWorks
Animation franchise earned more than $320 million domestically,
Diaz saw her paycheck balloon to more than $30 million, thanks
to her generous share of the film's profits. But even though actress salaries seem to be bigger than
ever, the news this year is not how large the paychecks of
Hollywood's hottest female stars have become, it is how low
they are prepared to go to fill in their schedules. While Angelina Jolie and Reese Witherspoon are now asking
for $15 million-$20 million per movie, they frequently agree to
"no-quote deals" -- deals in which the studios actually pay
them far less than their usual fee. Jolie, who is believed to have made more than $20 million
(including profits) for pictures like 2005's "Mr. & Mrs.
Smith," earned around $8 million for her latest release,
"Beowulf" -- the reason being that she played a supporting role
in Paramount's picture, involving only a few weeks of work.
Similarly, Witherspoon took a major pay cut to star in New
Line's "Rendition," but asks for -- and gets -- more than $15
million per picture when she headlines a comedy. (Sources
strenuously denied reports that Witherspoon is being paid as
much as $29 million for her next movie, Universal's "Our Family
Trouble.") While Hollywood's list of the 10 highest-earning actresses
includes only names that have dominated the screen for several
years, a few promising stars are climbing up the pay scale,
including Katherine Heigl, Rachel McAdams and Jennifer Garner. What follows is our annual breakdown of the 10 highest-paid
actresses in Hollywood. 1. REESE WITHERSPOON -- $15 MILLION-$20 MILLION America's sweetheart is returning to her romantic comedy --
and box office green -- roots with the slated Christmas 2008
release of New Line's "Four Christmases," which Witherspoon is
also producing. Her upcoming schedule remains active with the
horror flick "Our Family Trouble," produced by her own Type A
Films, but the hardworking actress and producer recently took a
hit with the flop of New Line's "Rendition," which received
more action from its behind-the-scenes romance rumors than at
the box office. 2. ANGELINA JOLIE -- $15 MILLION-$20 MILLION While 2005's "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" was a smash for Jolie, her
reunion with partner Brad Pitt proved not so prosperous this
year with the Pitt-produced "A Mighty Heart," from Paramount
Vantage. But she went on to lend her voice to Paramount's 3-D
take on the epic poem "Beowulf," which netted Jolie around $8
million for five weeks of work and opened at No. 1. On deck,
Jolie will return to animation with DreamWorks' "Kung Fu
Panda," which pairs her with an all-star cast on her first
family-oriented film since 2004's "Shark Tale." Jolie will also
appear in Universal's upcoming "Wanted," based on Mark Miller's
graphic novel with Morgan Freeman and James McAvoy, and
Universal's mystery "The Changeling," with John Malkovich. 3. CAMERON DIAZ -- $15+ MILLION Diaz might have cashed in on her biggest payday to date
this year courtesy of franchise cash cow "Shrek the Third,"
which brought her more than $30 million. And while a paycheck
like that could weigh down any girl's handbag, it probably
didn't break the bank for the studio, which has grossed almost
$800 million worldwide from the third "Shrek" installment. Diaz
will join the franchise for a fourth outing in 2010. In the
near future, she will continue to tickle audiences' funny bones
with Fox's "What Happens in Vegas ... ," co-starring Ashton
Kutcher, and she will take a stab at the horror genre in the
Weinstein Co.'s "The Box." 4. NICOLE KIDMAN -- $10 MILLION-$15 MILLION Oscar's golden girl hit another rough patch this year with
Warner Bros.' "Invasion" -- Kidman's largest check ever,
cashing in at $15 million-$16 million -- underperforming at the
boxoffice, while Noah Baumbach's "Margot at the Wedding," from
Paramount Vantage, failed to awe audiences. Kidman will look to
put an end to the downward spiral with the December 7 release
of New Line's "The Golden Compass," which reteams her with
Daniel Craig. Looking ahead, Kidman could return to Oscar's
podium sooner than she thought when she joins director Baz
Luhrmann again for the pre-World War II drama "Australia" and
later stars opposite Ralph Fiennes in MGM's postwar romantic
drama "The Reader." 5. RENEE ZELLWEGER -- $10 MILLION-$15 MILLION With paydays of $15 million apiece for 2004's "Bridget
Jones: The Edge of Reason" and 2005's "Cinderella Man," the
buzz surrounding Zellweger was helped this year with the
success of Paramount/DreamWorks Animation's "Bee Movie." Next,
she will appear alongside George Clooney in Universal's
football-centric romantic comedy "Leatherheads" (the sports
movie thing worked before for Zellweger), followed by
Paramount's thriller "Case 39." 6. SANDRA BULLOCK -- $10 MILLION-$15 MILLION
Bullock proved her boxoffice pull with the first
installments of the "Speed" and "Miss Congeniality" franchises,
allowing her to tackle juicier roles like the reclusive Harper
Lee in last year's "Infamous." While she carried this year's
moderately well-received thriller "Premonition," from MGM, she
hasn't forgotten why audiences love her: She's taking her humor
and fun-loving snort back to the big screen in Fox's "All About
Steve," pairing her with Thomas Haden Church.
7. JULIA ROBERTS -- $10 MILLION-$15 MILLION
A couple of years back, Roberts' bankability was
unarguable, but then she took some time away from the spotlight
to be a mom. This Christmas she's back to reclaim her throne as
one of Hollywood's highest-paid actresses with Universal's
"Charlie Wilson's War," reuniting Roberts with director Mike
Nichols. Later, Roberts hooks back up with Clive Owen in Tony
Gilroy's provocative thriller "Duplicity," from Universal, and
tackles the family drama "Fireflies in the Garden."
8. DREW BARRYMORE -- $10 MILLION-$12 MILLION
Barrymore returned to the romantic-comedy genre this year
with two Warner Bros. outings after audiences failed to catch
"Fever Pitch" in 2005: She flexed her vocal cords alongside
Hugh Grant in Warner Bros.' "Music and Lyrics," but failed to
get lucky with audiences in Warners' "Lucky You." Dynasties
will collide when the Barrymore progeny takes on the Kennedy's
Camelot in HBO Films' "Grey Gardens," following the lives of
Jackie O.'s aunt and cousin. Later, Barrymore will return to
comedy in Disney's animated "South of the Border." But don't
let that giggle fool you, the girl also commands the big bucks
with her smart producing choices, including New Line's upcoming
"He's Just Not That Into You," based on the best-selling book.
9. JODIE FOSTER -- $10 MILLION-$12 MILLION
Foster is swinging back into the top moneymakers category
with Warner Bros.' surprise hit "The Brave One," which
performed better than expected at the box office and brought
the actress home around $10 million-$12 million for both her
acting and executive producing duties. A look at Foster's call
sheet reveals she's been taking on projects at a rate of just
one per year, though that's not a reflection of her fans being
silenced -- they've packed the theaters for recent hits like
2006's "Inside Man" and 2005's "Flightplan."
10. HALLE BERRY -- $10 MILLION
While many didn't turn out to see it, Berry reminded a
small audience why she has an Oscar on her mantel with her
performance in Paramount's "Things We Lost in the Fire." She's
set to reteam with "Monster's Ball" co-star Billy Bob Thorton
for Lionsgate's crime drama "Tulia."
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter |
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