Following a two-year period that’s seen her star in projects such as Reality, Anyone But You, Madame Web, and Immaculate, 27-year-old actress Sydney Sweeney has become one of the most in-demand actresses in Hollywood, at least as far as her paycheck is concerned.
According to reports, Syndey Sweeney — who will next star in Ron Howard’s upcoming film Eden alongside Ana de Armas and Vanessa Kirby — will be paid a $7.5 million salary to star in the upcoming Paul Feig-directed thrilled The Housemaid, based on the best-selling novel of the same name.
Comparatively, Sweeney was paid $2 million for Anyone But You, which grossed over $220 million and is the biggest box office hit of her career.
“In October, Sweeney nabbed a $7.5 million payday to star in The Housemaid, a Lionsgate thriller that will also star Amanda Seyfried and be directed by Paul Feig, multiple sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.”
“The benchmark appears to be her Euphoria co-star Zendaya, who reportedly earned $10 million for starring and producing the tennis drama Challengers.”
Sweeney has also proven herself to be a shrewd operator, as THR reports that she essentially agreed to star in Madame Web in order to get Anyone But You made. Madame Web wound up being a notorious bomb while Anyone But You was one of the surprise box office hits of 2023.
“The actress was also key in getting Anyone But You made. One source says Sweeney agreed to first shoot a supporting role in Madame Web, part of Sony’s Spider-Man-centric universe of films, as way to help Anyone But You get the greenlight. ‘She wanted them to know she was a team player,’ says a source, of Sony Pictures.”
It’s important to remember that, in the era of mass-scale franchise filmmaking, the days of the $20 million Julia Roberts payday are long gone, as is the general bankability of “movie stars,” in general. Just look at what’s happened to Chris Evans since Avengers: Endgame. I bet you’re *really* excited for Red One…
While Sweeney’s next film Eden premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, it does not have a release date. Sweeney is also currently in production on a biopic about boxer Christy Martin, a drama about the affair between Kim Novak and Sammy Davis Jr., and a remake of the 1960s cult classic sci-fi film Barbarella.