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October 16, 2005
Remember When...
From imdb's notoriously unreliable WENN last week -
Foxx Back On Board for 'Dreamgirls'
Oscar winner Jamie Foxx went back to the bargaining table with producers after hearing his new film was set to feature Beyonce Knowles and Eddie Murphy. Negotiations for upcoming movie Dreamgirls broke down after Ray star Foxx, fresh from his Academy Award win, priced himself out of the market. But when he heard who was in talks to appear in the film, he offered to slash his salary to take part. He explains, "The first time, it was just me in the movie - no Eddie Murphy, no Beyonce. Then I hear Eddie's doing it, and I'm like, 'Hey, pay me a dollar.' I hear Beyonce's doing it, 'Pay me a quarter.' I just wanted to be part of that. At the end of the day, who cares, man? It's Eddie Murphy; he's my hero. If Dreamgirls works out as I think it will, it will be the greatest thing in the world, a real event. Maybe you won't get $15 million, maybe you get $3 million, maybe $2 million... (but) you are getting more than a paycheck."
Of course, this is a nice spin by Mr. Foxx, so let's remember his original demands, aware that he surely knew more than me back then...
* $15 million for the role (1/4 of the budget, even though there is a $20 million-plus actor who is working mostly for backend and no fewer than two major recording stars who are doing the same)
* 15 percent of the gross
And much more on THB - April 12, 2005
And the turnaround, as written about on The Hot Blog- May 12, 2005
As I was in May, I am happy that Mr. Foxx made a wiser decision. Everyone wins. And the film, still without an Effie - though there is a great one on tape somewhere, handicapped by prior career choices - may be a very important film.
We'll let it lie here. And I am sure that DreamWorks will be happy to cash that multi-million dollar refund check from Foxx when they read that his price is now just $2 or $3 million.
Posted by poland at October 16, 2005 11:44 PM
Comments
Why did he come crawling back? Is the role that good?
Posted by: Angelus21 ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.mcnblogs.com/thehotblog/nav-commenters.gif)
at October 17, 2005 12:08 AM
That I can only speculate on...
The role is right for him and he right for the role.
It is a chance for him to sing a strong role without imitating anyone else... and how many musicals with major black roles do you expect to see on screen this decade?
And it is a chance to be part of something that really can be important, surrounded by a really fine case, under a really smart director, with a producer who believes deeply in maintaining the integrity of this material.
It was a rare opportunity. And passing over cash would have been the kind of move that kills a lot of "former Oscar winners."
Posted by: David Poland at October 17, 2005 12:54 AM
Going from 15 to 2mill is a huge jump.
Posted by: Sanchez at October 17, 2005 12:55 AM
Good move going for the work over money. Maybe he realized he didn't want to make movies like Stealth for the next 20 years.
Posted by: BluStealer at October 17, 2005 01:15 AM
Foxx finally had his agents give him some good advice. They earned there percentage.
Posted by: PandaBear at October 17, 2005 01:59 AM
He doesn't want to become another Halle Berry. Oscar winner who suddenly thinks they're really popular with young audiences and proceeds to ask lots of cash for bad movies.
Posted by: KamikazeCamelV2.0 at October 17, 2005 09:49 AM
And Halle is laughing all the way to the bank.
Posted by: Stella's Boy at October 17, 2005 02:12 PM
I'd take both their bank accounts.
Posted by: Terence D at October 17, 2005 10:14 PM
Alwyas figured that Halle's Oscar win was going to end up in the Marisa Tomei/Mira Sorvino category of flukes.
Posted by: Angelus21 at October 17, 2005 10:48 PM
i can't believe no one else has mentioned Stealth. If Rob "Orson Welles" Cohen's film did $100 million you can bet Foxx would have so many offers on the table DG would be rear-view mirror or $$$-time.
Posted by: martin at October 18, 2005 02:37 AM
If Foxx can't pull it in Jarhead, I'm writing him off.
Posted by: THX5334 at October 18, 2005 03:46 AM
Writing him off after two movies after an oscar? Way to give him time Johnny Overreaction.
Posted by: Sanchez at October 18, 2005 04:23 AM
Aww, I like Mira Sorvino.
Posted by: KamikazeCamelV2.0 at October 18, 2005 02:22 PM
1) Tomei and Sorvino were not flukes. They deservedly won awards for great light-comedy supporting performances. The academy loves ingenue roles and has no problem giving awards to young women in comedies.
2) Both Tomei and Sorvino (especially Sorvino) have had fine post-award careers.
Posted by: Wrecktum at October 18, 2005 06:58 PM
Sorvino and Tomei aren't starving to death, but I think if they could see their future filmographies on their respective Oscar nights they'd both be pretty disappointed.
Posted by: jeffmcm at October 18, 2005 10:24 PM
they're not exactly bette davis and kate hepburn either. they have oscars. no kidding they're not starving.
Posted by: bicycle bob at October 18, 2005 10:56 PM
I think Tomei has actually really started to get back to it. She was oscar-nominated for In The Bedroom (wasn't she?) and she's appearing in some high profile pictures.
Tomei won because the four ladies she was against were in more dramatic and heavy fair. Judy Davis shoulda won though.
Posted by: KamikazeCamelV2.0 at October 19, 2005 05:49 AM
Oh, and also, apparently Jamie Foxx (to get back on topic) is campaigning for Fantasia (Burrino) for the role of Frannie.
That's be interesting!
Posted by: KamikazeCamelV2.0 at October 19, 2005 05:50 AM
I love a good beef and bean burrino.
Posted by: jeffmcm at October 19, 2005 09:49 PM
American Idols acting. This is gonna sink.
Posted by: joefitz84 at October 19, 2005 10:17 PM
I suppose that's what you said when Cher started acting? Or Bette Midler?
Posted by: KamikazeCamelV2.0 at October 20, 2005 09:24 AM
There's a difference. Cher and Bette Midler worked their way up through the musical ranks. The American Idol people are basically lottery winners.
Posted by: jeffmcm at October 20, 2005 09:37 AM
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