MOVIE NEWS – Disney paid Johnny Depp $68 million for just seven minutes of screen time, and in the end, it turned out to be a bargain as Alice in Wonderland grossed over $1 billion. Now, the question remains: how much would it take to convince him to return for Pirates of the Caribbean 6?

For months, rumors have been swirling about Johnny Depp’s potential return to one of Hollywood’s biggest franchises. Fans are eager to see him once again take the helm of The Black Pearl in Pirates of the Caribbean. However, nothing has been confirmed yet. What is certain, though, is that Disney will have to make a substantial financial offer if they want to bring Depp back—especially after cutting ties with him years ago. Still, history has shown that bringing Depp on board can be a highly profitable move for the studio.

According to reports from the time, Depp was paid a staggering $68 million for his mere seven-minute appearance as The Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland. That breaks down to an astonishing $9.7 million per minute. Whether this sum included box office bonuses is unclear, but even so, it was an enormous paycheck. Yet, when considering the film’s total earnings of over $1.025 billion, Depp’s salary seems like a drop in the ocean. It also solidified his position as one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors.

Alice in Wonderland didn’t just bring in massive box office numbers—it also made Depp one of the few actors to star in multiple billion-dollar films, long before Marvel Studios began dominating ticket sales. Additionally, his longstanding collaboration with Tim Burton, who directed the film, undoubtedly played a role in its audience appeal.

Despite its financial success, the film received mixed reviews from critics. According to Rotten Tomatoes, it barely surpasses a 50% approval rating. Still, this didn’t stop Disney from using it as the launchpad for a new era of live-action adaptations.

Disney’s Live-Action Remake Trend Started with Alice in Wonderland

The cast included Mia Wasikowska, Helena Bonham Carter, and Anne Hathaway, and the film remains available for streaming on Disney+. More importantly, it proved to the studio just how lucrative live-action remakes of animated classics could be. Just four years later, Maleficent followed, then Cinderella, then The Jungle Book, leading up to The Little Mermaid in 2023.

Alice in Wonderland did receive a sequel, but it turned out to be a major box office flop. Alice Through the Looking Glass earned just $300 million, falling well short of expectations. But that’s a story for another time.

Source: 3djuegos