Adam Sandler appeared and produced three films for Netflix in 2023. According to Forbes, it earned him $73 million and the title of the highest-paid Hollywood actor.
The star overtook Margot Robbie ($59 million), who at the age of 33 became the youngest person in history to enter the top ten on the list. The Australian owes this success to “Barbie”. Not only did she play the title role in Greta Gerwig’s production, the biggest box office hit of last year, but she was also its producer. She was also behind the success of the famous thriller “Saltburn”.
Third place on the list was taken by the star of the “Mission: Impossible” series, Tom Cruise ($45 million). Behind him were ex-aequo: Robbie’s colleague from the set of “Barbie”, Ryan Gosling, and Matt Damon, whom we watched last year in “Oppenheimer” and “Air”. They both earned $43 million.
Sixth place was taken by the second woman on the list, Sandler’s partner in “Deadly Wedding,” Jennifer Aniston ($42 million).
Let us recall that in the sequel to “Killer Voyage” from four years ago, the couple again played the roles of Nick and Audrey Spitz. This time, the heroes return as full-time detectives, trying to start their own agency. Just then, they receive an invitation to the wedding of their friend, the Maharaja, which will take place on his island. When the groom is kidnapped for ransom shortly after the ceremony begins, it is once again confirmed that trouble is their specialty. Each of the special guests is suspect – both family members and the bride. Nick and Audrey finally get what they dreamed of: a top-ranking case and a chance for success that will make their agency famous.
“Killer Wedding” was the fifth most watched Netflix film in 2023, clocking in at 173 million hours. Even the terrible reviews didn’t stop it. The Observer called it a “cheesy comedy” and CNN said its only positive was “thankfully it’s short.”
Sandler’s lucrative contract with Netflix also resulted in the comedy “You’re Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah” (he produced it and starred in one of the roles with his daughters) and the animation “Leo” (he produced it and also lent his voice to the title character).
This year, he has already starred in another film from the streaming giant – the science fiction drama “The Astronaut”. “There is no such thing as too much Sandler,” Netflix assured when it extended the actor’s contract.
According to Forbes, 44 stand-up performances also contributed to the artist’s earnings. Sandler topped the magazine’s list for the first time, dating back to 2002.
The highest-paid actor of 2022 was Tyler Perry. Previously, Dwayne Johnson was at the top of the list for three years in a row. None of them made it to the top ten this time.
It was supplemented by: Leonardo DiCaprio and Jason Statham (both earning $41 million), as well as Ben Affleck ($38 million) and Denzel Washington ($24 million).