Dakota Johnson Was Grossly Underpaid for Her Fifty Shades of Grey Gig

Summary:

• Fifty Shades of Grey became a commercially successful franchise, earning $1.3 billion worldwide, with the first film grossing the most – $570 million.
• Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan received only $250,000 for the first film and demanded a raise for subsequent installments, increasing their salaries to at least $1 million by the third movie.
• Both Johnson and Dornan moved on to more serious roles after Fifty Shades of Grey, starring in projects such as A Private War, Suspiria, and A Bigger Splash.

What began as fan fiction for the Twilight vampire saga has grown into its own book series and box office success. Fifty Shades of Grey is definitely not at the top of Dakota Johnson's filmography, nor is it a testament to her acting skills.

But it was the trilogy about a modest girl and a billionaire with (very) dark secrets that helped the rising star make her big break in Hollywood. After all, many actors have to go through a series of weak but high-profile projects in order to realize their potential in other films.

And the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy was high-profile – all three films grossed $1.3 billion worldwide, and don't forget the films' R-rating, which makes the franchise's box office even more impressive.

Dakota Johnson Made $250,000 for the First Movie

The first movie grossed the most – $570 million, but its stars, Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan, received the least of all installments – $250,000 each, which is more than modest by Hollywood standards, and even more so by the standards of a franchise as successful as Fifty Shades of Grey.

Despite the fact that Johnson and Dornan signed a contract for three films at once, after the success of the first movie, they demanded an increase in salary, arguing among other things that they were (too) often naked on camera.

Although it is unknown how much the actors were paid for the next two films, it is known that both stars received no less than $1 million for the last film, Fifty Shades Freed.

Who Else Could Play Anastasia and Christian?

Initially, almost all the young Hollywood stars were considered for the role of Christian Grey: from Ryan Gosling ( he wisely turned down the offer right away) and Charlie Hunnam (he first refused, then agreed and started filming, but then changed his mind again) to Robert Pattinson ( he had not yet come to his senses after filming the Twilight movies).

But all the candidates were beaten by the not so famous Jamie Dornan. And the film's producers immediately settled on a candidate for the role of Anastasia, luring Johnson to the project without considering other candidates.

Main Stars' Post-Fifty Shades of Grey Careers

The leads became instant stars. At the same time, Dornan and Johnson were in no hurry to recklessly monetize the fame that had come their way. Dornan, who already had the TV series The Fall under his belt, focused on serious cinema that rejected his new screen image as a sex symbol.

While the franchise lasted, he managed to star in the dramas Anthropoid and The 9th Life of Louis Drax, as well as the film A Private War, based on true events about war correspondents for the Sunday Times.

Dakota Johnson also decided to ditch the modest girl image in favor of more serious independent film projects, starring opposite Johnny Depp in Black Mass, in Luca Guadagnino's thriller A Bigger Splash, in the intense drama Bad Times at the El Royale, and in the reimagining of the cult horror Suspiria (and Madame Web, but let's not mention that one here).