Before ‘Titanic’ became one of the most famous films in history and an important part of global pop culture, there were initial doubts about what exactly James Cameron was doing. Although he had already had great success with “Aliens” and the first two “Terminator” movies, but the budget, which had grown to a then-outrageous $200 million, fueled expectations that “Titanic” could be a mega-flop.
But puff: instead of a flop, the romantic disaster drama moved forward the highest-grossing film of all time to that point, which surpassed all previous records at the worldwide box office. In the end, more than two billion dollars were raised – that was double (!) what the most successful movie “Jurassic Park” had made to date!
While the film’s undeniable stars are of course Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in the unforgettable roles of Jack and Rose, Titanic had a huge cast of actors and thousands of extras. Some of them, including Billy Zane, Bill Paxton and Kathy Bates, are of course still well known. But there are also some supporting characters that have stayed with us, such as Cora, the cute girl who danced with Leonardo DiCaprio at the third grade party and who has a tragic end.
Another character who is hardly relevant to the plot, but still left a lasting impression, was made by the actor Reece Thompson embodied, who was then only five years old. He appears in “Titanic” in a total of three scenes and even says a line. In the end, the child and his family, who traveled with him in third grade, die when the Titanic sinks after hitting an iceberg. But the actor, who went down in minor roles afterward but remained connected to the industry, continues to make money off that one line of dialogue.
A little movie star
By the time of Titanic, Thompson could have potentially made a lot more money for less work in a commercial. But both he and his mother opted for his small role in the big movie. Not only was this decision worth it, because of course it’s great to have worked in what has been the most successful movie in history for years – in hindsight it definitely paid off economically as well.
Than even 26 years later, “Titanic” Thompson is still making money every year. After being paid for his hours on the film, the actor received an additional payment of approximately $30,000 due to the huge success of the film. A considerable amount, which, according to him, his family is against invested mainly in its training in 2018.
All that money for a single set
However, in subsequent years there were even more annual residual payments, worth a few thousand dollars each, peaking in the years when there were new developments in the home theater market, such as the first release on DVD or Blu-ray. The events surrounding the 20th anniversary also generated additional income.
In the long run, however, the controls got smaller and smaller, and apart from recent 25th anniversary events, the annual amounts have ranged from $100 to $250. An amount that Thompson is not eagerly awaiting, according to statements in the interview, but it’s always good news for him when he gets the check received.
By the way, he owes all this money only to his single dialogue line – because pure background characters who do not utter a sentence do not receive such payments for their participation in films …
Author: Christopher Petersen
Source : Film Starts
I am Dawid Malan, a news reporter for 24 Instant News. I specialize in celebrity and entertainment news, writing stories that capture the attention of readers from all walks of life. My work has been featured in some of the world’s leading publications and I am passionate about delivering quality content to my readers.
