04.07.09 LUCASFILM STILL NOT PAYING VADER ACTOR
Says Prowse of his 35-year marriage, “We f*ck with the helmet on.”
David Prowse, the English actor who played (but didn’t voice) Darth Vader in the first three Star Wars, recently told Equity Magazine that he has yet to receive any of the residuals he’s owed for Return of the Jedi… because LucasFilm claims the film hasn’t made a profit.
“I get these occasional letters from Lucasfilm saying that we regret to inform you that as Return of the Jedi has never gone into profit, we’ve got nothing to send you.” [TimesOnline]
Meanwhile, Box Office Mojo puts the lifetime take at $475 million, not including the $88 million it made upon re-release in 1997. With a production budget of $32.5 million. LucasFilm is able to get away with it because Prowse’s deal, like most actors, was for net profit, rather than gross. As a /Film commenter points out…
“Unfortunately, Mr. Prowse relates what is almost universally the case with a net profit clause. Studios almost never pay on this clause, as they claim nearly any and every expense possible to keep the film from showing any actual profit. Very few films have ever shown a net profit on the books.”
So, as you might expect. Though claiming you have expenses that account for $539.5 million (not including merchandising) is still pretty ballsy. George Lucas could buy a petting zoo for his “friends” every day of the week and still have plenty left over for racecar beds and rare breeds of cats to eat, not to mention the vat of singles to get greased up and roll around in for the kids to peel off when they need candy money. Don’t tell me I don’t know how this Hollywood stuff works.
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There are 17 comments about:
LUCASFILM STILL NOT PAYING VADER ACTOR
I find your lack of pay disturbing.
I have altered the deal; pray I do not alter it further.
The accounting firm of Obi, Wan and Goldstein has taught you well.
Prowse and Lucas show up to the negotiating table. They glare at each other for a moment, both hold up their hands in an attempt to ‘force choke’ the other. Both their lawyers quit. Then, they fuck.
The End
At least he’s not Warwick Davis. Now that guy got the short end of the deal.
Lucasfilm’s attorneys – Skywalker, Skywalker, and Chewbaccawitz – have refused to acknowledge the existence of a “David Prowse”.
If he realizes that Rick Moranis made more playing dark helmet in space balls he’ll off himself
problem solved.
Meh. David Prowse has a reputation for being a whiny jerkface. The whole lot are a bunch of douchechills.
He should take some comfort in the fact that he has a bigger penis than George Lucas and isn’t known as an Alf-looking rapist around the world.
Banner Pic:
Holy Shit! Maybe Prowse hasn’t got paid cuz they accidentally sent his money to his unintentional twin bother Ian McKellan.
Where is that shuttle with all my money going?
Profit margins do not concern me Admiral. I want my shit.
He hasn’t got paid cause he just stodd and pointed, it wasn’t even his face when they pulled the mask off. Surely he makes enough for booze and drugs on the convention circuit, and appearing in fan movies made in peoples moms basments.
…and yet Ahmad Best gets paid like clockwork. I’d like to pay his satchmo sounding ass in bullets.
Lucas wears a gold pendant with the inscription “Make Money Now, Pay Vader Later” etched onto it.
Prowse thinks he has it bad. Lucas holds Kenny Baker’s money over his head and tells him he can have it if he can reach up and get it.
DeNiro and Lucas said “You can either have the money or the hammer, you can’t have both.” And from that picture, he’s obviously hammered.
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