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Acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorcese was said to have struggled mightily in finding a home for his period-piece mob dramaThe Irishmanuntil it eventually landed at Netflix. Well, one of the many reasons it struggled to find a studio was because of its astronomical budget. And, why won’t the budget exceed expectations, take a look at the hefty amount that went to Al Pacino alone.
Before release, it was widely reported thatThe Irishmanhad a $160M budget, butTHRset the record straight by revealing that the movie cost upwards of $225M. Are you already blown to bits by the cost of production for Scorsese’s drama? If so, then buckle up to know about the amount that Al Pacino bagged alone, for the film.
Al Pacino’s eye-watering salary forThe Irishman
Considering Al Pacino’s reputation in the industry and the years of service he has provided, it is expected of him to seek a lump sum amount for his appearance in films. And that’s exactly what happened when he appeared in Martin Scorsese’sThe Irishmanin 2019.
According toMarca,it was revealed that while most actors demanded a lump sum amount for their roles, it was Pacino’s appearance as Jimmy Hoffa, a powerful Teamster tied to organized crime, that led him to seek an eye-watering sum. As perTHRreports, while Scorsese took home around $20M for his directorial role, even Pacino demanded the same amount.
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Realizing Al Pacino’s demand, even the actor’s co-stars, Robert DeNiro andJoe Pescisought the same amount for their appearance in the 2019 crime drama. Eventually, Scorsese agreed to a reported $20M paycheck for each actor. This massive salary demand from each actor ended up making a total sum of $60M, which thus took up a little under half of the film’s total budget.
But while Pacino’s salary alongside the other two stars’ paychecks seemed like a career-high demand, there were also backend royalties that earned them millions, given the massive success of the film on Netflix. Soon, asThe Irishmanearned 10 Oscar nods, it increased the popularity of the 2019 film, among audiences, further increasing its demand on the streamer (viaBusiness Insider).
Martin Scorcese’sThe Irishmanhad a colossal budget
Well, considering how Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, and Joe Pesci, alongsideMartin Scorseseall took home $20M each, it quite naturally contributed to raisingThe Irishman’s production budget. And overall, Scorsese was often known for exceeding the production cost of his film. Take for example his high-priced period thrillerKillers of the Flower Moon. While the movie was expected to be made with a $150M budget, it ballooned up to $200M (viaTHR).
Mad Max Director George Miller Hated Martin Scorsese’s De-aging CGI in The Irishman So Much He Opted To Not Bring Back Charlize Theron in Furiosa Prequel Using Same Tech
Similarly, even while shooting his 2019 drama, Scorsese once again stunned people with his film’s production cost. Only this timeThe Irishman’s price tag was way higher than his 2023 film. Therefore, recalling his history of going over budget, the outlet noted how the Oscar-nominated crime drama, starringRobert DeNiro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci went up to $225M, despite initially beginning with a $160M budget.
According toForbes, as the budget forThe Irishmanskyrocketed, it became difficult for Scorsese to find a production company for his film. Despite initially being picked up by Paramount Picture, the studio had to make an abrupt change, otherwise, it would have been insane for them to produce such a high-budgeted period-piece mob drama.
Thankfully, the movie was eventually picked up by Netflix, which later became a “costly experiment” for the streamer, as perInc. But despite putting so much money intoThe Irishman, it was revealed that Netflix had given Scorsese full creative control, with “no interference of any kind”.
Meanwhile, this massive rise in production cost forThe Irishmanmight have happened due to the use of high-tech CGI and visual effects. Considering how the film had to use digital de-aging technology on the main cast, including DeNiro and Pesci, the 2019 movie witnessed a massive surge in production cost. And not to forget Scorsese’s deal of paying the legendary veteran stars around $20M each, for showcasing their impeccable skills on screen.
Al Pacino’s salary highlights throughout his career
Meanwhile, althoughAl Pacino‘sThe Irishmanfailed to earn at the box office, it eventually became a major success on Netflix, as well as gained popularity among audiences, due to its Oscar nominations. Perhaps, that’s why the actor managed to bag an estimated $20M paycheck for his role as Jimmy Hoffa, considering how it was the most he had ever earned throughout his decorated career.
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Taking a look at his previous salary estimates and paychecks viaParade, Pacino appeared to haveearned $35,000 for his roleinGodfatherin 1972, followed by $500,000 forGodfather Part II,and eventually settling for a massive $5M paycheck forGodfather Part III.
Meanwhile, apart from his earnings from theGodfatherinstallments, the actor was known to have earned $1.5M forGlengarry Glen Rossin 1992 and $6M forCarlito’s Wayin 1993. Further, in the mid-1990s, Pacino was reportedly earning a consistent $10+ million per movie appearance, irrespective of screen time.
Later he earned $11M for 2002’sS1m0neand went on to sign a multi-year ongoing deal with HBO that guaranteed him a flat payday of $10M for films he did under the network, which included—You Don’t Know Jack, Paterno, andPhil Spector. So it seems that Pacino approximately earned the most out of his role in Martin Scorsese’sThe Irishman.
Al Pacino’s net worth, after his 2011 financial downfall
Now, after devoting his life and time to Hollywood for over five decades,Paraderevealed that Al Pacino reportedly stands at a decent $120M net worth as of 2024. Although the actor was expected to have more in store than a modest amount, it was apparently his luxurious lifestyle and 2011 financial downfall that turned him notoriously famous for being horrible with money.
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According to his memoirSonny Boy(viaNews Break) while Pacino was known for spending as much as $400,000 per month on his lifestyle and paying his landscaper $400,000 per year, the actor went completely broke in 2011, after he failed to see the red flags in his accountant. While he entrusted his finances entirely to his accountant, he was later shocked to see the financial mismanagement, upon returning from an Europe trip.
I was broke. I had $50 million, and then I had nothing. I had property, but I didn’t have any money.
After facing financial ruin, Pacino scrambled to regain stability. And while he sold one of his properties, accepted commercial work he had once shunned, and went to any extent to cover his monthly expenses, it was perhaps the $20M fromThe Irishmanthat eventually saved him from crashing. Later on, Pacino’s accountant turned out to be involved in a Ponzi scheme, eventually landing a 7.6-year prison sentence.
The Irishmanis currently available to watch on Netflix.
Krittika Mukherjee
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3218
Krittika Mukherjee is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on films, TV shows, and celebrity news with over 3,000 articles published. With an educational background in Journalism, and a keen interest in filmmaking, Krittika blends factual precision with creative flair, when crafting her editorials, or dissecting fan theories.Her coverage often includes news and analyses of critically acclaimed films, celebrity news, and franchises like the Wizarding World, LOTR, DC, and MCU—particularly Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Superheroes, and fan theories. As a Wizarding World aficionado, Krittika has spent countless hours exploring hidden backstories, unadapted book moments, spells, and trivias surrounding J.K. Rowling’s lore.An imaginative writer with a way with words, Krittika has worked as an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a web content writer for a year. She brought her experience and expertise to FandomWire to pursue her desire for sipping coffee while dissecting films and tracking celebrity drama.
