The film Titanic is now 27 years old and still generates good money for its cast and crew. A child actor published how much money he still earns for just one line.
Which actor is it about? The actor who spoke about his earnings from Titanic is Reece Thompson. The Vancouver-based actor, born in 1988, was 9 years old in the film, which was released in 1997.
Thompson speaks in exactly one scene: As the ship is already sinking, he asks his mother, “What are we going to do, Mommy?” She then explains to him that the first class passengers are getting into the lifeboats and they want to be ready when it’s their turn from third class.
Unfortunately, the little family does not survive the accident.
The film is now over 27 years old. This trailer was released for the 25th anniversary:
English trailer for the 25th anniversary of Titanic
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How much did the film bring him? During production, no one could have guessed what a box office hit the film would become. According to Statista.com, the film’s revenues are now over 2.2 million US dollars. For Reece Thompson, that meant a big salary at the time:
In addition to being paid for his hours on set, he received an additional $30,000 because the film grossed so highly at the box office. Over the next few years, he continued to receive four-figure checks time and time again.
The checks have now reached hundreds. He says: It’s strange because I don’t even think about it anymore. I don’t ask myself, ‘Oh, when am I going to get the next Titanic check?’ It’s more like, ‘Oh, cool, another $100.’
Specifically, he now receives between 100 and 250 dollars per year.
How does the film still generate money? Films generate income from various sources through their release. In the past, this often started with the cinema release, followed by the release on VHS cassette, DVD and later Blu-ray. Sometimes there are also cinema re-releases.
Depending on the contract, people involved in the film receive a bonus based on the revenue. If a film like Titanic ends up on various playback media over the years and eventually on streaming, it continually generates revenue that is eligible for a bonus.
Even years later, actors in supporting roles like Thompson still receive small amounts of money for their performance in the film.