9 Times Actors Actually Lost Money Filming Movies (5 of 5)

8. Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt has had plenty of big paychecks in his Hollywood career, but The Assassination of Jesse James was more of an artsy project. Of course, this also meant that there were some risks involved. Pitt helped get the film made with his own money, but people did not exactly rush to theaters to see it. The movie cost around $30 mil and only recouped half of that. Even though he swallowed that bitter pill, he called it one of the most rewarding films of his career.

9. Dwayne Johnson

DC’s Black Adam movie was something special and not in a good way. Dwayne Johnson went all in on it, believing it was going to be a game-changer for the DCEU. He starred in it and helped produce it, treating it like his own baby. Confidence can get you far, but unfortunately, not all the way. The pandemic screwed up production, pushing the release date back multiple times and slowly eroding fans’ interest. When the movie came out, barely anyone was excited to see it. According to some reports, the movie lost around $100 mil, which made it one of the most painful examples of star power not being enough.