Why Daniel Craig Was Paid So Much For Knives Out Sequels

Daniel Craig is officially the highest-paid actor of 2021 due to his record-breaking deal with Netflix to star in two sequels to the comedic mystery hit Knives Out. The actor’s salary represents a new era of streaming entertainment, which can now directly compete with theatrical releases using franchise recognition and star power. In a new era of film that is seeing big-name properties go directly to streaming, actors like Craig are bound to construct contracts differently for higher upfront payments.

Streaming may seem like a less lucrative endeavor for actors starring in direct-to-digital-platform releases due to a lack of back-end profits made from box office earnings; however, Netflix’s recent contract negotiations have proven that the streamer is willing to shell out huge sums of money to broker production funds that include impressively high salaries. Ryan Gosling is reported to make $20 million to star in the upcoming thriller The Gray Man, directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, and Dwayne Johnson received $50 million for his roles as both actor and producer of Red Notice.

Daniel Craig, however, tops all of these prices, as the James Bond star has reportedly made a sum of $100 million to reprise his role as Detective Benoit Blanc in the two planned Knives Out sequels. The first of these entries is set to present a brand new mystery with an entirely new cast that includes Dave Bautista, Edward Norton, Janelle Monae, and Kathryn Hahn. Blanc is the only returning character from the initial story, marking Craig’s importance to the franchise as the central piece that bridges the films together. Almost nothing is known about the third film other than that Craig is cast in that one, too, but it looks as if the series will be a mystery anthology connected by Detective Blanc.

The growing dominance of streaming means that actors like Craig can negotiate higher upfront payments due to a lack of box office profits that they would normally rake in a percentage of. On one hand, that might mean fewer overall returns, which is why Scarlett Johansson pushed back against Black Widow‘s PVOD release on Disney+. On the other hand, the new state of affairs means that actors can demand money that they would otherwise be making from theater ticket sales. The original Knives Out grossed $311 million globally, so a $100 million salary for two movies is still a hefty percentage of the hypothetical box office gross.

Craig’s salary is just one part of Netflix’s massive deal that cemented the streamer’s exclusive rights to the sought-after content. At first, it seemed as if the Knives Out sequel would have a theatrical release when Lionsgate announced a sequel in February 2020 with writer and director Rian Johnson returning. However, in a heated bidding war that included Lionsgate, Apple, and Amazon, Netflix scooped up the property for a staggering $469 million, blowing its competition out of the water. It’s difficult to even think of how Netflix, which doesn’t even have a chance to collect theatrical revenue, could justify such spending. Yet, in the current rapidly evolving world of film distribution, unprecedented financial moves like these are bound to happen.

There’s a strong argument to be made that Netflix ultimately benefits from Craig’s price tag, too. As the streaming wars rage on, Netflix is looking to establish its own movie franchises to compete with the IP over at Disney+, Warner Bros.’ HBO Max, and NBCUniversal’s Peacock. Audiences have more of a reason to sign on to Netflix instead of traveling to their local theater if there’s new content connected to a critically and financially successful movie they initially saw on the big screen. The presence of Daniel Craig just solidifies audience’s expectations that Netflix can provide another chapter of the solidly popular cinematic story that is Knives Out.

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