"People in this business are always looking at other people and comparing," says a top Hollywood attorney. "I always have clients calling me and saying, 'Am I being paid enough? Should I be paid more?' "
Luckily for all, there's lots of comparing to do in THR's second annual What Hollywood Earns report. To research the salaries of everyone from key grips to movie stars, the magazine consulted with executives, producers, payroll service companies, the industry guilds and others who have inside information about how and where the money is flowing in 2015 (including a horse farm in upstate New York that "FedExes" its animal actors to Hollywood shooting locations). This year, thanks to North Korean cybercriminals, there were other sources as well — the thousands of emails and employment contracts that spilled Hollywood salary secrets all over the Internet during last November's Sony hack.
The takeaway? TV producing fees are up (to as much as $75,000 an episode), Meryl Streep gets rich even from flops ($5 million for Ricki and the Flash?), and extras love it when it rains.
This story first appeared in the Oct. 9 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
