Reese Witherspoon Made $15 Million For A Movie That Lost $72 Millions, Here's What Happened

Publish date: 2024-04-21

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Hollywood is a place where famous faces have the chance to build a legacy and make millions while doing so. It's almost impossible to break in, but once you're there, fame and fortune are attainable.

Reese Witherspoon is one of the nicest people in Hollywood, and thanks to breaking out and having box office success, she has stacked up an amazing net worth. The success has been incredible to see, but the actress is not without some misfires.

Years back, Witherspoon made millions for a movie that virtually no one remembers. Let's look at her huge payday for a total dud.

Reese Witherspoon Is A Powerhouse

Reese Witherspoon is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, and it has been this way for nearly 20 years. She steadily chipped away in her younger years, and once she broke out, there was simply no stopping her from dominating at the box office.

During her time in the entertainment industry, the actress has shown an incredible ability to thrive in a variety of projects. Simply put, if Reese Witherspoon is involved in it, then you know she is going to deliver an outstanding performance.

Unlike a number of her peers, she has shown a penchant for thriving on both the big and small screen. Her recent work on The Morning Show with Jennifer Aniston has been superb, and it just goes to show how talented she is.

At this stage in her career, she has nothing left to accomplish, and yet, she continues to produce quality work. All of this is contributing to what will be a lasting legacy.

Witherspoon's sustained success has been amazing to see, and thanks to her tireless work and success, she commands a hefty payday for each project.

Related: Does Reese Witherspoon's New Husband Jim Toth Get Along With Her Kids?

Witherspoon Landed Massive Paydays

Since the 2000s, Reese Witherspoon has been collecting huge paychecks that have separated her from the pack. It wasn't always this way, but once she became a star, she was able to command anything she wanted.

"Her first multi-million paycheck came from 2001's "Legally Blonde." The success of Legally Blonde bumped her paycheck for 2002's Sweet Home Alabama to $12.5 million. In 2003 she earned $15 million for Legally Blonde 2. She also earned her first Executive Producer credit for the sequel. From this point on, Reese earned a standard $15 million minimum base salary per movie. Between 2001 and 2012 alone she earned more than $120 million in base movie salary. To date, her film salary totals top $250 million," writes Celebrity Net Worth.

That impressive salary list is just for her films, and it does not include the staggering amount of money that she is making on TV.

According to Glamour, "Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston are currently starring in Apple TV+'s first marquee program, The Morning Show, for which they are each reportedly making $2 million per episode."

Yeah, Witherspoon knows how to make a fortune, and this is all just for her acting. She has also made a ton of money with producing and from endorsement deals.

Clearly, networks and studios see the value that she can bring to any project, but her name alone is not always able to lead a film to glory.

Related: What Has Reese Witherspoon Said About Her Relationship With Her Daughter?

Reese Made $15 Million For 'How Did You Know'

Never heard of the film How Did You Know? Well, most people haven't, as this star-studded affair was a colossal flop at the theaters.

Keep in mind that this movie starred Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd, Jack Nicholson, and even Kathryn Hahn. In other words, this movie's cast alone should have been more than enough to help it make a fortune at the box office, but instead, this movie flopped and was basically ignored by the vast majority of people.

It's been reported that Witherspoon made $15 million for her role in the movie, which is normal for an actress of her caliber. The problem? This movie was only able to make $48 million globally. To make things worse, it carried a price tag of $120 million, meaning that it lost a ton of money.

None of this is Witherspoon's fault, of course. This movie is just a prime example of a major name making a major salary in a flop. It's happened countless times before, and it will undoubtedly happen again. That's just the way things go in Hollywood sometimes.

Related: The Real Reason Why Reese Witherspoon “Was Too Scared” To Reprise Her Role On ‘Friends’

How Did You Know was a total misfire, but Witherspoon's $15 million salary must have made it an easier pill to swallow.

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