The film adaptation of E.L. James' erotic trilogy "Fifty Shades of Grey" was massively successful and has catapulted the career so its lead actors, Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson.
With the series set to be a trilogy, new reports indicate that both stars are negotiating a larger deal for the upcoming sequels, "Fifty Shades Darker" and "Fifty Shades Freed."
According to a new report by The Hollywood Reporter, Trigger Street Productions president and CEO Dana Brunetti spoke about the rumored salary raises for Dornan and Johnson.
The producer was very candid about the role the media has maid regarding the issue and that low salaries, especially for up-and-coming actor, are normal.
Addressing the issue of the "Darker" budget, the Brunetti revealed he hoped the salary would stay as it is and will not increase.
"I hope not. As a producer, I love the fact that we made it for as little as we did and it's grossed as much as it has. I've been proud of that on all my films. Will the budget go up? Maybe if there's re-negotiations on deals and fees. But as far as the actual production is concerned, I don't think so. We run pretty lean and mean."
When asked about his opinion regarding the lead actors clamor for larger paychecks, he recalled the importance of paying one's dues.
"Look, when I was starting out and had to cut my teeth and build my résumé to get in, I had to basically work for free on a lot of things. I still take reductions in my fees for the opportunities to do certain things. We got slack on Captain Phillips about how much Barkhad [Abdi] and those guys got paid. Look at Jonah Hill in Wolf of Wall Street. It was great for his career. So I'm not going to cry for anybody who wants to be in this business just because a thing they were involved in did very well and they didn't get paid [a lot]. That's not the deal that you made. If it was, I'd have more than a couple Ferraris because all the money my films have made is f-ing insane. You've got to start somewhere."
Brunetti also admitted that a number of the details for the sequel have yet to be ironed out. He added that with regards to the rumored clashes between James and director Sam Taylor-Johnson, "People are always going to disagree," he disclosed but added that it isn't as bad as the media had everyone believe. "This got blown out of proportion because anything with Fifty Shades in the headline got attention. Big whoop."
Lastly, he also added that there has been no verdict regarding the return of Taylor-Johnson as there has been no meeting regarding the sequel.
CinemaBlend recalls how "Fifty Shades Darker" is said to be at a standstill with date for release or start of production.
The full interview is available here. See "Fifty Shades of Grey" trailer below and the film's original soundtrack here.
