Tim Miller, the director of the 2016 box-office smash ‘Deadpool‘, has disclosed the paycheck he received for helming the box office blockbuster starring Ryan Reynolds in the lead.
Despite its $782 million global earnings, Miller, a first-time feature film director at the time, was paid just $225,000 for his 2-year work on the superhero movie.
Speaking to Collider in a recent interview, Miller explained the financial realities of being a debut director in Hollywood. “I got $225,000 to direct Deadpool. I know it sounds like a lot of money, but for two years of work, that’s not a ton.”Miller expressed gratitude for the opportunity, noting, “Not that I’m not grateful, I’m f***ing grateful, that’s the way it is because you’re supposed to [earn less] when you’re a first-time director.” However, he humorously added that his agent had pointed out, “Dude, you make more on an episode of The Walking Dead!”
While Miller acknowledges feeling “uniquely fortunate” to have been part of a project that became a massive franchise, he admitted to some regret about his initial deal. “I wish my director deals had a piece of the merchandising so that I could get some money from all of that,” he remarked.
Following the success of Miller’s ‘Deadpool’, a sequel was released in 2018, directed by David Leitch. After Disney’s acquisition of Fox in 2017, the Deadpool character was integrated into Marvel Studios’ MCU, culminating in the release of the third instalment, ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’, in 2024 under director Shawn Levy which clocked over $1 Billion at the global box office.
