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Daniel Craig retired from his role as James Bond after starring in five films over the course of 15 years. However, it may surprise fans to learn that theJames Bondfranchise was not theLara Croftactor’s biggest payday. Craig made more money from a $100 million deal with Netflix for theKnives Outsequel movies. The deal also reportedly made him the highest-paid actor of 2021.
Interestingly, Netflix signed a record deal of $469 for theKnives Outsequels with Rian Johnson and Ram Bergman, with the only condition being Daniel Craig’s return as Benoit Blanc. Johnson, Bergman, and Craig reportedly took home $100 million each from the deal.
Also Read:“It was a fulfilled dream”: Daniel Craig’s Iconic Spectre Intro Hailed By Fans After Film Transformed a Holiday Into Global Sensation
Daniel Craig Made More Money FromKnives OutThanJames Bond
Knives Outbecame a sensation upon its release, reviving the audience’s interest in the whodunnit genre. The film grossed $311.9 million at the box office, prompting Lionsgate to consider a sequel. However, directorRian Johnsonopted for a more lucrative deal with Netflix. The streaming giant’s only condition was to bring backDaniel Craig, and consequently, they paid him $50 million each for twoKnives Outsequel movies. (via The Hollywood Reporter).
While the exact salary Craig received for the firstKnives Outmovie remains undisclosed, the Netflix deal alone made the franchise his highest-paying gig. Despite being widely recognized for his role as James Bond, theLogan Luckyactor earned only $82.4 million from five films in the Bond franchise. While James Bond is not his highest-paid role, Daniel Craig is the highest-paidJames Bondactor, according to theGuinness World Records.
Interestingly,Knives Outalso surpassedJames Bondin terms of critical acclaim on Rotten Tomatoes.Knives Out2019 has a 97% Fresh rating while the first Bond film,Casino Royalehas a 94% rating. As speculation swirls about the next actor to assume the Bond role, it remains to be seen whether they can secure a more lucrative deal for the franchise than theFatelessactor.
Also Read:Daniel Craig’s James Bond Film Forever Changed a National Holiday Into a Global Phenomenon With Just One Scene in the Backdrop of 2015’s Spectre
Daniel Craig’s Net Worth — How Much Did He Get Paid For TheJames BondFilms?
Celebrity Net Worthreports Daniel Craig’s net worth as $160 million, although it’s important to note that the Netflix deal’s value likely wasn’t factored into this figure. BeforeKnives Out, theLayer Cakeactor accumulated most of his wealth from his involvement in theJames Bondmovies. His base salary for these movies went from a modest $3.2 million to a substantial $25 million.
For his debut Bond filmCasino Royale, Craig received a $3.2 million salary. The movie went on to amass $616.5 million at the box office. This also raised his salary for the second movie,Quantum of Solace,which paid him $7.2 million. However, the second movie fell short of the box office performance of the first, grossing only $589.6 million.
Skyfall, the highest-grossing film in theJames Bondfranchise, collected $1.1 billion at the global box office. For this film, Craig’s base salary was $17 million, and he also earned an additional $3 million in bonuses, bringing his total earnings to $20 million. Craig’s base salary for bothSpectreandNo Time to Dieremained at $25 million, but he also garnered bonuses in the range of $2 million forSpectre’s box office gross of $880 million.
Also Read:“Slightly crazy… incredibly brave”: James Bond Screenwriter Had Parkour Pioneer Introduce Daniel Craig’s 007 By Breaking a Record
Daniel Craig’sKnives Outsequel,Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, made its debut on Netflix in 2022. All hisJames Bondfilms are now available for streaming on MGM+.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3019
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
