Good Morning Mail!
- Share via
It’s common knowledge that the Disney studio strikes the toughest deals.
With Disney riding high with “Good Morning, Vietnam” ($51 million box-office to date) and “Three Men and a Baby” (edging past $125 million), who gets all the money? Michael Eisner? Does Mickey have a secret numbered bank account in Switzerland?
(For example, Aljean Harmetz of the New York Times quoted co-director Jerry Zucker as saying that “we’ll get no net profits” on his “Ruthless People,” a major hit starring Bette Midler and Danny DeVito.)
But the studio may be starting to soften up, based on a story that “Good Morning” producer Larry Brezner told Outtakes.
When the picture opened in wide release, Brezner got a call from star Robin Williams asking about opening weekend ticket grosses. When Williams, who got “less than $2 million” as front-end pay, was told the good figures, he responded: “So, we could make money on the back end?” (Meaning, sharing in final profits.)
Brezner remained cautious . . . and Williams went on to do a “Good Morning, America” guest shot, where he joked about never seeing his cut.
Jeff Katzenberg, Disney’s production chief, happened to be watching the show.
The next day Williams received a letter from Katzenberg: “Here’s the beginning of the back end.”
Enclosed was a check for $1 million.
Is Disney the studio with a heart?
More to Read
The biggest entertainment stories
Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.