2018 Best Directors’ Net Worth
The Golden Globes came and went and that means only one thing: the Oscars are approaching us. Hollywood’s most prestigious night of the year is just a month away, and there are several films that are slated to be big winners of the industry’s most coveted awards. For the directors of these films, even if they don’t necessarily go home with “Best Director,” any and all awards attributed to their film reflects favorably upon their direction. Being the movie buffs that we are, we got to wondering how this year’s contenders for best directors stack up in net worth against each other. In other words, who’s got the most to lose? Check it out.
1. Boyhood: Richard Linklater
Boyhood predictably took best picture (drama) at this year’s Golden Globes. It’s slated to be an Academy favorite, and many seasoned critics are calling it this year’s best picture. The film, filmed over 12 years using the same actors, has an incredible 98% on Rotten Tomatoes; in other words, it has been met with essentially unanimous praise. Its director, Richard Linklater, has also been director of other critically acclaimed films like Dazed and Confused, the movie that put superstar Matthew Mcconaughey on the map. We don’t know what he was worth when he started the project over 12 years ago,
but now Linklater is worth an estimated $12,00,000.
2. Birdman: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
The first Mexican director to be nominated for the Academy Awards, Inarritu has been responsible for five feature films including Birdman that have been met with universal acclaim. Birdman is a dark comedy that stars Michael Keaton as a washed-up superhero and the result was already seven golden globes nominations.
Inarritu is worth $10,000,000.
3. Selma: Ava DuVernay
Before the Voting Rights Act of 1965, there was Martin Luther King’s march in Selma, Alabama. This year’s award’s seasons has the pleasure of featuring DuVernay’s take on the historic march that made history in the civil rights movement. Despite under-performing at the box office, Selma is produced by Oprah Winfrey and has been reviewed quite positively, although not without controversy. The film’s portrayal of president at-the-time Lyndon B. Johnson has been said to be purposely unfavorable but not historically accurate. It’s a shame that racial tension is marring what is otherwise an incredible piece of film, backed up by the 99% it has scored on Rotten Tomatoes. DuVernay has been snubbed several times as award season begins, having been completely left out of a nomination by the Director’s Guild. DuVernay’s Selma opened to $11,000,000 its first weekend, and it’s fair to estimate that the relatively new director (though not at all new to the industry in general),
is worth anywhere from $500,000-$2,000,000.
4. Foxcatcher: Bennet Miller
Though the historical accuracies of Bennet Miller’s Foxcatcher have been disputed (as is often the case with movies bold enough to tout the “based on a true story” gimmick), it has been a darling contender all awards season and probably will finish strong with the Academy Awards. It tells the story of wrestling brothers Mark and Dave Schultz who came to wrestle for Team Foxcatcher, thus the name. But not merely a sports film, the movie chronicles the murder of Dave Schultz by mentally unstable but incredibly wealthy heir John E. du Pont, who is played by Steve Carrell in a chillingly serious role. Bennet Miller is not a stranger to being a contender in awards season; he’s the director of fan-favorite movie Moneyball and Oscar-nominated film Capote. Seasoned director Miller is
worth a reported $3,000,000,
which seems a little light considering his successes.
5. Gone Girl: David Fincher
The wildly successful film is based on the equally successful predecessor of the novel with the same title. While the world still isn’t sure of did we or didn’t we see Ben Affleck’s manhood, we’re sure we’re going to see a couple of nominations for it by the Academy. Whether you knew it or not, Fincher is behind other wildly successful films like The Social Network, Fight Club, Seven, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. He also has had success directing music videos. As a result, Fincher is the second highest paid director on our entire list
with an astounding net worth of $65,000,000
6. Whiplash: Damien Chazelle
Chazelle is a mere 29-years-old, meaning we can expect a lot more from him to come after his early success with indie flick and Sundance favorite Whiplash, only the second film he’s directed in his young career. It depicts the tale of a young jazz drummer who begins a career at the best music school in the country; the film gets its name from the song “Whiplash” that Andrew performs from memory and earns him a promotion to main drummer. Though an amazing piece of film, it’s Chazelle’s first effort, and so he’s probably not worth all that much yet. If he keeps it though, he’ll be considered one of the greats with a bank account to back it up in no time. His estimated net worth this early in his career
is probably not much more than $100,000.
7. The Grand Budapest Hotel: Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson is not just a director, he’s a brand. Every single one of his movies is a form of imitation of the others while still being beautifully unique and incredibly entertaining. It’s about time the director of the films The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and The Royal Tenenbaums experience some unprecedented award season success. The Grand Budapest Hotel, a film just as entertaining in content as it is visuals, it beat out Birdman in an upset at the Golden Globes for best picture (comedy). We try not to interject too much opinion, but we’re really glad to see the one-of-a-kind Anderson getting some well-deserved praise.
Anderson has an estimated net worth of $15,000,000.
8. Into the Woods: Rob Marshall
Let’s be honest here, Into the Woods is a long-shot for any major Academy Award wins. The musical fantasy features tried and true Meryl Streep as well as Anna Kendrick, the adorable star of Pitch Perfect and singer of that damn catchy cup song. This is Marshall’s second time adapting a beloved Broadway play to the big screen; the first was done with Academy Award winner and classic Chicago. Marshall will not experience the same success of Chicago with this Disney flick, but it’s okay.
He has $16,000,000 to make him feel better at night.
9. American Sniper: Clint Eastwood
We’re not sure if American Sniper will get any nods from the Academy Awards, but it should. Clint Eastwood has at least been given a nod by the Director’s Guild for best director thus far. In the movie, Bradley Cooper portrays legendary American sniper in the U.S. war against terror in Iraq, Chris Kyle. The film sheds light into what life during his multiple tours in Iraq might be like in addition to adjusting to the normalcy of regular life at home with his family. The result is heart-wrenching, and evokes a certain desire to immediately hug a veteran the second it finishes. This isn’t Eastwood’s first rodeo, and the actor/director is arguably the best in the entire industry. Greatness has its perks;
Eastwood is worth $375,000,000.
