Current records

$4 million:

• The Long Kiss Goodnight by Shane Black

$3 million:

• Basic Instinct by Joe Eszterhas
• Medicine Man by Tom Schulman
• The Ugly Americans (Eurotrip) by Alec Berg, David Mandel and Jeff Schaffer
• Bad Dog (unproduced) by Dale Launer
• Married in the Morning (unproduced) by Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan
• Panic Room by David Koepp. $2 million against $3 million.

$2.75 million:

• Mozart and the Whale (The Newports) by Ronald Bass. $2 million against $2,750,000.

$2.5 million:

• The Sixth Sense by M. Night Shyamalan
• Twister by Michael Crichton and Anne-Marie Crichton
• Jade by Joe Eszterhas
• A Knight's Tale by Brian Helgeland
• Untitled Will Davies Romantic Comedy (unproduced) by Will Davies
• Jackson (unproduced) by Brandon Camp and Mike Thompson
• The Superconducting Supercollider of Sparkle Creek, Wisconsin (unproduced) by David Koepp and John Kamps. '$2.5 million against $3.25 million with an additional deferred bonus of $1.5 million for Koepp.
• Deja Vu by Terry Rossio and Bill Marsilii. $2 million against $5 million.

$2.25 million:

• Untitled Disney Family Comedy (unproduced) by Kevin Bisch
• They Came From Upstairs (unproduced) by Mark Burton
• You, Me and Dupree by Mike LeSieur
• The Break-Up by Vince Vaughn, Jeremy Garelick and Jay Lavender

$2 million:

• The Arrangement (unproduced) by Kevin Bisch
• Stalker: A Love Story (unproduced) by Michael Carnes and Josh Gilbert
• The Worst Man (unproduced) by Michael Carnes and Josh Gilbert
• Manhattan Ghost Story (unproduced) by Ronald Bass, based on the novel by T.M. Wright.
• Radio Flyer by David M. Evans
• Forever Young by Jeffrey Abrams
• Showgirls by Joe Eszterhas
• Sacred Cows (unproduced) by Joe Eszterhas
• Reliable Sources (unproduced) by Joe Eszterhas
• Courage Under Fire by Patrick Sheane Duncan
• Tennessee (Pearl Harbor) by Randall Wallace
• River Road (unproduced) by Andrew Niccol
• The Mark (unproduced) by Rob Liefield
• Untitled Tim Herlihy Comedy (unproduced) by Tim Herlihy
• The Game by John D. Brancato and Michael Ferris
• Untitled Firestein-Pesce Action Project (unproduced) by Les Firestein and PJ Pesce
• Executive Search (unproduced) by Gerald Di Pego
• Going West (Switchback) by Jeb Stuart
• Untitled Michael McCullers Buddy Comedy (unproduced) by Michael McCullers
• Alpha (unproduced) by David Benioff
• Ghost Town by David Koepp and John Kamps
• Male Pattern Baldness (unproduced) by Joe Eszterhas. $2 million against 4.5 million.

$1.8 million:

• RPM (unproduced) by J.H. Wyman
• Stay by David Benioff

$1.5 million:

• The Passion of the Ark by Bobby Florsheim and Josh Stolberg. $1.5 million against 2.5 million.

$1.25 million:

• 99 Problems (unproduced) by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont. $1.25 against $2 million.

$1.1 million:

• Milk Money by John Mattson, bought outright by Paramount in 1992.

$1 million:

• Foreplay (unproduced) by Joe Eszterhas. $1 million against $3.5 million.
• The Cheese Stands Alone (unproduced) by Kathy McWorter.

$750,000:

• Steinbeck's Point of View (unproduced) by Brandon Camp and Mike Thompson. $750,000 against $3,750,000 with an additional potential $2 million bonus cast contingent.
• Man-Witch by Bobby Florsheim and Josh Stolberg. $750,000 against $1.5 million.

Source: Wikipedia and hollywoodlitsales.com

Edited October 4, 200718 yr by Sylph

Its repulsive to think that such crappy movies got so much money for the script. Standards must have been low.

You're right, OverItAll. Still, the fact that James E. Reilly receives $2m a year is also repulsive... And what is amazing that daytime writing is actually the most lucrative of writing niche.

You're right, OverItAll. Still, the fact that James E. Reilly receives $2m a year is also repulsive... And what is amazing that daytime writing is actually the most lucrative of writing niche.

I'm surprised they don't pay JERk in Krispy Kreme currency.

I'm surprised they don't pay JERk in Krispy Kreme currency.

It's in his contract as so-called writer's bonus.

It's in his contract as so-called writer's bonus.

I can imagine how hungry destroying daytime can make someone.

JERk: Me write about devil. Me write about zombies. NOW ME HUNGRY!

Turns out - Koepp might have been paid $4m for Panic Room.

Turns out - Koepp might have been paid $4m for Panic Room.

Its fitting that you share this tidbit around Halloween, cuz its just plain scary.

I know how to pick my moments...

Showgirls deserved every penny! It should have won a damn Oscar!

Showgirls deserved every penny! It should have won a damn Oscar!

Did you know that screenplay won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay?

Edited October 25, 200718 yr by Sylph

They paid $2-3 million for The Panic Room! That crapfest didn't even deserve the $8 that it ripped out of my pocket when I saw it in the theater!

Did you know that screenplay won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay?

Hollywood doesn't respect GREAT films!

[LOL...I hope Sylph knows I'm just kidding]

Edited October 27, 200718 yr by bellcurve

Hollywood doesn't respect GREAT films!

[LOL...I hope Sylph knows I'm just kidding]

Showgirls is classic. Especially during the "emoting" scene where Elizabeth Berkeley literally stops dead in her tracks, faces the car, and throws herself down on it sobbing.

[LOL...I hope Sylph knows I'm just kidding]