How Dwayne Johnson turned 'Red One' failure into success; reclaimed ‘highest paid’ title

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson was the highest-paid actor in Hollywood several years in a row. This year, not only did he announce his return to WWE, he also bagged a film with Martin Scorsese! It was reported that the actor made approximately $65 million from The Fast and the Furious franchise alone and his net worth is reportedly $800 million.

At the end of last month, a popular business platform unveiled its annual ranking of the world's highest-paid actors for 2024, and once again, Dwayne Johnson, the wrestler-turned-global movie star, claimed the top spot. Despite having only one notable box office success this year, Johnson's earnings outpaced all other actors. The Rock reportedly made an impressive $103 million in gross earnings ($88 million net) over the past year. However, his last film The Red One flopped. So, how did Johnson manage to turn it around?

How did Dwayne Johnson become one of the richest actors despite a flop last year?

The Rock has reclaimed the title of highest-paid actor after previously holding it twice in the past, but he had fallen from the top position in 2022. His remarkable resurgence in earnings was attributed partially to his substantial fees for the anticipated film Red One, along with a strategic pivot from Disney regarding Moana 2, transitioning the project from a streaming release to a theatrical one.

This decision proved to be a lucrative one, significantly boosting Johnson's earnings. The overall figures are striking. Johnson's earnings surpassed those of other well-known stars, including Ryan Reynolds at $85 million, Kevin Hart at $81 million, Jerry Seinfeld at $60 million, and Hugh Jackman at $50 million.

The ranking highlighted that Johnson's return to the pinnacle of the highest-paid actors' list followed what is considered the largest fee-plus-buyout deal in streaming movie history. For Red One, Johnson reportedly received an estimated $50 million for his role, despite the film itself being labeled a commercial disappointment. Although Red One grossed only $186 million against a substantial budget of $250 million, Johnson’s high upfront fees and potential backend earnings from streaming allowed him to achieve significant financial success.