Dune: Part Two has been gaining massive fan approval as of late, and the film’s sparkling reviews and star-studded grossing within such little time of release speak volumes about this claim. Yet, as much as this film is garnering attention for the exceptional way in which it has been curated, there is something else that is catching fans’ attention as well: The respective salaries of the cast.
Since there is perhaps no movie or series project where all the actors are paid equally for their hard work, Dune: Part Two was no exception either, and had its own respective actors who had the highest and lowest salaries. But what struck fans the most was the massive salary difference reported between Austin Butler and Florence Pugh by Showbizgalore – in a good way!
Austin Butler and Florence Pugh Reportedly had Highly Contrasted Salaries for Dune 2!
Dune: Part Two brought about a lot of new actors and characters, both in heroic in villainous roles. One of them was Austin Butler, who debuted in the titular franchise as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, aka the treacherous and cunning heir and the younger nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen.
Another character who was given exposure in Part Two was Princess Irulan, aka the eldest daughter of the 81st Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV. She was portrayed by Florence Pugh in the film.
However, what turned out to be more shocking and amusing to fans than either of these characters were the reported salaries that Butler and Pugh went home with. Or, to be more precise, the massive difference in their salaries despite being major characters, as reported by Showbizgalore.
According to the statistics listed by Showbizgalore, for his beyond-spectacular performance as the cruel Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in the second installment of the Dune saga, Austin Butler was reportedly paid a total sum of $250,000.
While this sum is considerably less as compared to the actor’s fame which is currently riding high with some inevitably successful projects, what caught fans more by surprise was the contrasting salary Butler’s co-star Pugh was paid for an equally important role.
Per the reports by Showbizgalore, Florence Pugh apparently took home a whopping sum of $300,000 for her outstanding embodiment of Princess Irulan in the Dune franchise. Needless to mention, her reported paycheck was notably $50,000 more than that of her co-star Butler.
Because of the constantly raging gender inequality, especially while distributing paychecks is something yet to be completely uprooted from the entertainment industry, everyone was stunned by this difference in paychecks between Florence Pugh and Austin Butler.
However, at the same time, this act where the actress’s paycheck is more between a male and female co-star sounds like a promising start to bring about this very change and uproot gender inequality and gender pay gap in Hollywood.
Other Cast’s Salary for Dune: Part Two, as per Showbizgalore
While Austin Butler and Florence Pugh’s salary is something, the other cast members’ salaries for Dune: Part Two are much more massive – especially of those in the lead, i.e., the fan favorites, Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya.
Showbizgalore cites Chalamet’s salary for portraying Paul Atreides in Part Two as a whopping $3 million. In the meanwhile, Atreides’ love interest Chani’s portrayer Zendaya took home a stunning $2 million for her performance.
Then there are other star-studded actors like Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, and Dave Bautista, who embodied the respective characters of Lady Jessica, Gurney Halleck, and Glossu Rabban, and were reportedly paid $600,000, $500,000, and $1 million respectively.
Lastly, Christopher Walken, Fences star Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Spectre actress Léa Seydoux apparently earned paychecks of $200,000, $150,000, and $150,000 respectively for each of their respective performances as Shaddam IV, Thufir Hawat, and Lady Margot.
Dune: Part Two is out in theatres now.
