The Rock charged studio $1 million per post to promote Red Notice

The Rock's films have grossed over $12.5 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-grossing box-office stars of all time.


Hollywood actors often have huge social media followings, but few have been as good at making money from them as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The former pro wrestler has 358 million Instagram followers and over 17 million Twitter followers, so he is well aware of the social capital he commands among his fan base.

the rock red notice

Unsurprisingly, the 50-year-old actor used his social influence to strike an advertising deal with Universal for his 2021 Netflix film, Red Notice. What's surprising, however, is the amount he got the studio to pay him for each promotional post he shared on his Instagram and Twitter accounts. Variety reported that on top of the $22 million Johnson received for being in the movie, he was also paid $1 million for every promotional post on his social media accounts.

Although the film was poorly received by critics, it became the most-watched film in its debut weekend, as well as the most-watched film within 28 days of release on Netflix. With a production budget of $200 million, Red Notice is the most expensive Netflix film to date, and according to The New York Observer, the action comedy film would need to surpass 200 million viewing hours within its first few months of release for it to be considered a success.

Fortunately for Netflix, the movie racked up over 364 million viewing hours in its first 28 days, cementing its position as the most-watched English-language movie on the platform — a position it still retains today.

the rock million posts
Two sequels of Red Notice are officially in development and will be filmed back-to-back.

In the end, Universal can claim that the cost they incurred for The Rock's promotional posts was worthwhile. However, with rumors swirling that The Rock's relationship with DC Studios had soured, his unreasonable demands could come back to haunt him.

High expectations for Black Adam at Warner Bros. Discovery were dashed by the movie's dismal box office performance, which led to James Gunn scrapping all near-term plans for Black Adam.


Caleb Sama

I'm just your average Joe Schmo with a love for films and a knack for writing. I can tell you all about the latest blockbusters and indie flicks, but I'll also sneak in some obscure references and dad jokes that will make you groan and roll your eyes. My reviews are like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're gonna get, but you'll probably want more. Link up with Caleb on Steam.
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