The salaries of “The Interview” co-stars Seth Rogen and James Franco were revealed in the latest leak from the hacking attack that has crippled Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Figures from the film’s $44 million budget, including $8.4 million plus compensation for Rogen and $6.5 million for Franco, were posted in a leak, according to a new report from Bloomberg that did not reveal the source of the posting.
The new report also reveals the $5,000 fee for a cameo by Britney Spears’ ex-husband Kevin Federline. Other idiosyncratic items in the film’s budget include $250 for “a table of weed, coke, pills and panties,” though the production ended up only spending $241.
“The Interview” itself is at the center of some speculation directly relating to the hack. Some media outlets have suspected North Korea of being behind the attack, since the country is lampooned in the film, but there’s no evidence to suggest that country is responsible. The studio denied a report by Recode that it was poised to name North Korea as the culprit.
Never shy about courting controversy, North Korean officials have neither confirmed nor denied their involvement, saying “wait and see.”
As part of the ongoing leaks, top Sony executives such as Michael Lynton, Amy Pascal, Doug Belgrad, Michael De Luca and Dwight Caines had their salaries revealed on Monday, and over 3,000 employees’ names, birthdates and social security numbers were leaked to members of the media.
Sony has also seen five of its films including musical “Annie” and Oscar contender “Still Alice” leaked online prior to their theatrical release, which will surely cut into the company’s profits, though studies have shown that awareness levels for those films has risen dramatically.
“The Interview,” which is still on track to open on Dec 25, was not among the films leaked online.
“This theft of Sony materials and the release of employee and other information are malicious criminal acts, and we are working closely with law enforcement,” Sony chiefs Michael Lynton and Amy Pascal said this week in a company-wide memo to staff. “The privacy and security of our employees are of real concern to us, and we are deeply saddened at this concerted effort to do damage to our company, undermine our morale, and discourage us.”
Sony has hired the security research firm Mandiant to help investigate the hack.
10 Actors Who Famously Parodied Themselves Before 'This Is the End'
James Franco, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel and Danny McBride all try to survive the apocalypse together in this week's "This Is the End".
Jean Claude Van Damme in "JCVD". Jean Claude Van Damme's career had fallen practically to obscurity by 2008. But the '90s action star took advantage of his C-list status, starring as a forgotten action star struggling with his taxes and a custody battle with his ex-wife in "JCVD." Poor guy even loses roles to Steven Seagal.
Steve Carell in "Knocked Up": The Hollywood nice guy is berated by pregnant and moody E! producer Allison Scott (Katherine Heigl) in "Knocked Up." He tries to gracefully exit the hostile interview, but has a hard time escaping the wrath of Heigl's character.
Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon in "The Trip": Coogan and Brydon have played themselves in a number of films, most memorably in their 2010 comedy "The Trip." They travel around Northern England tasting food, wine and working on their impressions of Michael Caine and Al Pacino. The duo will be making their way to Italy in the upcoming sequel.
Bob Barker in "Happy Gilmore": "The Price is Right" former host Bob Barker seems like everyone's favorite grandfather, until you get him on a golf course, as "Happy Gilmore" proved. Barker and Adam Sandler's character threw down and the octogenarian proved surprisingly spry as he knocked Sandler out.
Bill Murrary in "Zombieland": Bill Murray's time in "Zombieland" is tragically brief, but he provides possibly the funniest scenes in the film. His zombie makeup saves his life until a prank gone wrong gets him shot by Jesse Eisenberg's character.
Neil Patrick Harris in "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle": Three-time Tony host Neil Patrick Harris is a charming star of both stage and screen. His polar opposite role in the "Harold and Kumar" series brilliantly depicts him as a bad boy addicted to sex and drugs who causes trouble for the main characters.
Billy Zane in "Zoolander": Like Owen Wilson's character Hansel says, "Billy Zane is a cool guy." Zane appears in a pivotal scene of Ben Stiller's "Zoolander" as Stiller and Wilson do battle in a walk-off to prove which model is fiercer. Zane serves as Stiller's corner man/coach in the scene.
Joaquin Phoenix in "I'm Still Here": Joaquin Phoenix and Casey Affleck punked everyone with mockumentary "I'm Still Here." Many thought Phoenix was the latest case of a celebrity-gone-mental from his appearances on David Letterman and the Oscars. But the actor pulled a fast one and proved why he may be one of the best actors working today.
Chuck Norris in "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story": In typical Chuck Norris fashion, the legendary action star rushes to the rescue in "Dodgeball" as a judge in the climactic match between Vince Vaughn's Average Joes and Ben Stiller's Globo Gym.
John Malkovich in "Being John Malkovich": "Being John Malkovich" introduced the film world to the strange stylings of Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze. But it was Malkovich himself who really sold the film, playing a number of different incarnations of himself.
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Take a look at actors who've played themselves way before Seth Rogen, James Franco and crew hit the big screen.
James Franco, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel and Danny McBride all try to survive the apocalypse together in this week's "This Is the End".
