The streaming wars are only getting started, and while every subscription service continues to do its best to offer the most appealing content, others are benefiting from this battle – like Ryan Reynolds, who is making a lot of money from streaming movies. Netflix is no longer the only option when it comes to streaming movies and TV shows – many networks and companies now have their own platforms, all with different content.
Netflix isn’t the only one offering original content either; services like Hulu and Amazon Prime have exclusive movies and TV shows as well, and upcoming platforms like Disney+ and Apple TV+ also have fresh content lined up and ready to be released as soon as they launch. These services also have some big names attached to their projects, and with competition between streaming platforms heating up more and more, acquiring new movies and TV shows is also becoming a battle. But amidst the fight, the real winners are the creators behind the content, such as Ryan Reynolds, who is making a lot (an awful lot) of money from both Netflix and Apple.
Apple is getting ready for the launch of its own streaming service, Apple TV+. The company is aiming towards original content and already has big names attached to some of its upcoming projects, such as Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey. Now, according to Variety, Apple acquired the live-action musical A Christmas Carol, with Sean Anders and John Morris attached as writers and directors, and Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell as producers and stars. Reynolds was initially asking for $27 million for acting and producing services, but when Netflix joined the bidding, his team raised the bar and asked for $35 million. In the end, Apple won and A Christmas Carol will now be part of its future catalogue – and Reynolds is getting a big paycheck.
Reynolds is not only making money at Apple, but also at Netflix. He reportedly got $27 million for 6 Underground, an action thriller (directed by Michael Bay) about a group of billionaires that form a vigilante squad after faking their deaths, set to be released in December 2019. In addition to that, Reynolds is getting around $20 million (plus backend compensation) for Red Notice, an action movie that follows an Interpol agent looking to capture the most-wanted art thief in the world.
As Apple is not adding licensed content to its catalogue, it’s investing a lot of money on original content, and it surely doesn’t mind spending so much on a holiday musical if it has Ryan Reynolds in it. On the other hand, and even though Netflix still has a lot of subscribers, it needs to step up if it doesn't want to be overshadowed by other services. Reynolds is one of the most popular and beloved actors in the industry, and any project he’s in surely attracts a lot of viewers. It’s going to be interesting to see if the content from Apple TV+ will be worth all the money the company has been spending.