Mabuse

We all know the late period Brando who owned an island and was really fat and barely ever worked and gave interviews even less. What movie made him so rich? I don't think it was the Godfather.

Crocker Jarmen

rocket1312

Brando became hugely sought after in the wake of The Godfather and was one of the highest paid actor of the 70's, with Superman notoriously being the biggest payday.

He actually bought the island well before his 70's comeback. Mutiny on the Bounty was filmed near the island and he decided to buy it after falling in love with the area.

edit: I'll also add that the island was turned into a resort, so he made money off of it.

inri222

Millions for Marlon Brando

A guide to what the actor made on films like ''The Godfather,'' ''Superman,'' and others

http://www.ew.com/article/2004/07/02...-marlon-brando

watson503

$3.7 million for those few minutes in Superman in 70's $'s was huge at the time.

Crocker Jarmen

Thing I can't figure out, is why the filmmakers thought it was so important to have Marlon Brando in Superman they'd pay him all that money. Isn't the audience for Superman: The Movie going to be people interested in Superman, not some old fart mumbling during the first ten minutes? I've read some old movie reviews from '79, and I assure you, they don't spend much time talking about Brando.

Solid Snake

Cuz he's super as fuck popular? That's why he was in Superman?

Even better question: At what point did he become very lazy in his method of work? I'm not saying the guy didn't act great. He did. But... some of the stories I've heard of him suggesting lazier approaches to the work he'd be doing are crazy.

<iframe width="520" height="415" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BvELw4_pdXQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

inri222

Last great role where he still cared : Last Tango in Paris (1972)

First role where he stopped caring : The Missouri Breaks (1976)

There were some good ones in his "I don't give a rat's ass phase" such as A Dry White Season.

Double_Oh_7

Superhero films didn't have much of a track record back then. They needed a big star attached.

Crocker Jarmen

Now that I think about , I had forgotten about the cheesy Superman 1950s TV. I suppose it does make sense to get an actor known for more mature work to head up the Superman movie as a way of announcing, "This is going to be more sophisticated."

Solid Snake

Which Batman Begins did. It adds more value to an audience seeing someone like that in a film of this kind.

Ash Ketchum

Yeah, the Salkinds felt the movie would be taken more seriously if it had a substantial supporting cast. And hiring Brando for that kind of money got an awful lot of publicity at the time. It was a big story. And let's not forget that another big star from the 1950s is in the film, Brando's co-star from TEAHOUSE OF THE AUGUST MOON, Glenn Ford! And the two both play Superman's father. And Gene Hackman, already a highly regarded actor at the time, played the villain.

Shannon Nutt

Plus it was just a week's worth of filming, if memory serves. People forget Chris Reeve got THIRD billing in that movie.

OldBoy

how much did he make for The Score?

Hazel Motes

Brando eventually back out of the James Woods priest role in Scary Movie. A million dollars for a couple days work. I remember Woods having a go at Brando for this on the Tonight Show when he was promoting the film. I'm kind of glad he backed out as that would have been a worse film to retire on than Welcome To Mooseport.

Groucho

The equivalent today would be shoehorning Ben Affleck and Jessie Eisenberg into a Superman movie.

johnnysd

Seems hard to imagine now, but in 1979 comic books were literally for children and the concept of a big budget Superman film was a huge risk. Getting Brando in the movie gave it legitimacy

jdslater1

That amount is big at anytime for little work.
Didn't Bruce Willis want $7 million or something for 5 days work on Expendables 3?
Hence him not being in it or "out of the picture" to quote Ford.