There was a lot of skepticism when it was first announced that self-proclaimed Franchise Viagra Dwayne Johnson was set to headline a new Jumanji movie. The 1995 hit isn’t an all-time classic by any stretch of the imagination, but it does hold a special place in the hearts of a certain generation, and saw Robin Williams give one of his most memorable performances in a career that was full of them.
It was a more than pleasant surprise, then, when Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle turned out to be a massively entertaining and crowd-pleasing blockbuster that showed incredible legs at the box office, eventually topping out at an impressive $962 million. Sequel The Next Level wasn’t quite as fresh, but still provided plenty of enjoyment, although earnings dropped to a still not unsubstantial $800 million.
Now, a third entry in the series is in active development, with insider Daniel Richtman reporting that the leading man is reportedly asking Sony for more money to return as Dr. Smolder Bravestone than Robert Downey Jr. was paid for Avengers: Endgame, which is certainly an interesting claim.
After all, Downey Jr.’s $75 million payday was based on performance-related bonuses and back-end profit participation deals that saw his earnings increase the more money Endgame made at the box office. And as the conclusion to the Infinity Saga made over a billion dollars more than Welcome to the Jungle and The Next Level combined, that means that unless Sony are going to pay The Rock $75 million upfront for Jumanji 3, which they’re not, his share of the profits would have to be at least doubled if not tripled.
The 48 year-old already pocketed a salary of $23.5 million for the last movie before his bonuses were factored in, so Richtman’s claim should certainly be taken with a grain of salt. But even if his intel is a little off, it seems that Johnson is seeking some sort of raise in salary for the next outing in the franchise. How much he’ll get, though, remains to be seen.