In general, a studio pays for a movie and gives a major star 25 percent of the film’s ticket sales. The studio keeps the rest, including all DVD revenue. Gibson flipped that model on its head, paying for (and therefore owning) his movie himself and giving Newmarket Film Group 10 percent of the gross. That decision could ultimately put as much as $300 million in his pocket. “It’s a huge risk,” says one agent. “If a star puts up $30 million of his own money, the movie’s got to make $50 million or $60 million before he makes his money back, and most actors aren’t going to put that percentage of their net worth at risk. Mel did, clearly, but I think he had a whole other set of motives.”
Still, Ken Kamins, talent manager for “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson and an expert in film finance, thinks other stars could follow suit. “If ‘Passion’ inspires discussion within the industry, it’s going to be about how films are marketed and distributed, and the extent to which artists of stature take more of an economic risk in an effort to own and control more of the upside,” he says. In other words, says an industry source, “if Tom Hanks had paid $5 million for ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ himself, how much more money would he have made? Look at George Lucas. He’s been self-financing for years.” Pixar is looking to do the same. Why not Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts? Like Gibson, they’ve just got to find something to believe in.
