Unsurprisingly, the 50-year-old actor used his social influence to strike an advertising deal with Universal for his 2021 Netflix film, Red Notice. What’s surprising, however, is the amount he got the studio to pay him for each promotional post he shared on his Instagram and Twitter accounts. Variety reported that on top of the $22 million Johnson received for being in the movie, he was also paid $1 million for every promotional post on his social media accounts. Although the film was poorly received by critics, it became the most-watched film in its debut weekend, as well as the most-watched film within 28 days of release on Netflix. With a production budget of $200 million, Red Notice is the most expensive Netflix film to date, and according to The New York Observer, the action comedy film would need to surpass 200 million viewing hours within its first few months of release for it to be considered a success. Fortunately for Netflix, the movie racked up over 364 million viewing hours in its first 28 days, cementing its position as the most-watched English-language movie on the platform — a position it still retains today. In the end, Universal can claim that the cost they incurred for The Rock’s promotional posts was worthwhile. However, with rumors swirling that The Rock’s relationship with DC Studios had soured, his unreasonable demands could come back to haunt him. High expectations for Black Adam at Warner Bros. Discovery were dashed by the movie’s dismal box office performance, which led to James Gunn scrapping all near-term plans for Black Adam.
