Emma Watson might need to open up another vault at Gringotts because her bank account is getting some love after a big âBeauty and the Beastâ payday.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, sources reveal Watson is expected to pull in a cool $15 million for the live-action remake of the Disney classic if the film performs as well as expected at the box office. She was reportedly offered $3 million upfront, but her profits will likely end up being considerably larger upon the filmâs total gross.
And yet, Watsonâs salary for âBeauty and the Beastâ canât hold a candle â LumiĂšre or otherwise â to the $60 million she reportedly earned over eight âHarry Potterâ films.
Given the recent string of live-action Disney remakes fronted by female stars, insiders are projecting Watsonâs profits in relation to Angelina Jolieâs earnings in 2014âs âMaleficent, which drew an impressive $759 million at the global box office. Jolie reportedly walked away with $20 million for the project, not including profit participation.
Considering âBeauty and the Beast,â which hit theaters nationwide on Friday, is set to land one of the top 10 openings of all time, itâs safe to say Watson will not be going hungry anytime soon. The film already pulled in a record $63.8 million on Friday and is projected to make up to $170 million over the weekend.
Itâs also expected to break the record for the highest-grossing PG-rated film, likely unseating âFinding Dory,â as well as the biggest March opening of all time.
We donât know how much Watsonâs male âBeauty and the Beastâ co-stars like Dan Stevens, Luke Evans and Josh Gad raked in, but her salary is an undeniable win for an actress whoâs spoken out about Hollywoodâs gender wage gap in the past.
âWe are not supposed to talk about money because people will think youâre âdifficultâ or a âdiva,ââ she told Esquire U.K. in 2016. âBut thereâs a willingness now to be like, âFine, call me a diva, call me a feminazi, call me difficult, call me a First World Feminist, call me whatever you want.â Itâs not going to stop me from trying to do the right thing.â