It may not seem like much when compared with the salaries of certain A-list American stars, but Jet Li‘s next paycheck will set a new record for an actor in a Chinese-language film.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Li will receive 100 million yuan — or $13 million — for his appearance in The Warlords. From the article:
Nearly half of the $40 million budget for “The Warlords” went to the cast, among whom were Hong Kong heartthrob Andy Lau, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Beijing-based actress and director Xu Jinglei, in addition to Li.
“Without Jet Li, we would not dare to invest $40 million in a Chinese-language film,” Xinhua news agency quoted director Peter Chan as saying. Li was a “guarantee” for global sales, Chan said.
With his latest deal, Li breaks the previous salary record of 70 million yuan, which he set for his appearance in Hero. The Warlords, which The Hollywood Reporter describes as “a war epic based on a Qing Dynasty story,” is scheduled to be released in Asia before the end of the year, and will reach American theaters next spring.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
