Ben Affleck and Matt Damon brokered a deal with Netflix to adopt their Artists Equity performance-based bonus structure for the 1,200 crew members working on their film “The Rip,” breaking precedent from the streamer’s standard compensation model.
The deal, made via the duo’s production banner Artists Equity, will provide eligible bonuses to everyone involved in the production if the film meets performance expectations. The streamer typically tends to pay cast and crew upfront.
“We wanted to institute fairness and address some of the real issues that are present and urgent for our business,” Affleck told The New York Times in an interview published Friday. “This deal is fundamental, philosophically, to the ideas we had in starting this company.”
“The Rip” will be evaluated over its first 90 days on the streamer and measured against other titles on the platform. “Everybody who’s in this movie, from top to bottom, or worked on the crew, will be bonused according to metrics which we’ve already defined and they’ve shared with us,” Affleck added.
The official synopsis for “The Rip” is as follows: “Upon discovering millions in cash in a derelict stash house, trust among a team of Miami cops begins to fray. As outside forces learn about the size of the seizure, everything is called into question — including who they can rely on.” Affleck and Damon play two of the cops.
“The Rip” was written and directed by Joe Carnahan, whose previous credits include “Narc,” “The Grey,” “Boss Level” and “Shadow Force.”
Launched by Affleck and Damon in 2022, Artists Equity is an artist-led studio that hopes to empower filmmakers’ creative visions through entrepreneurial partnerships.
“The Rip” hits Netflix on Jan. 16.
