It’s almost Christmas and there’s no better time than now to snuggle up on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate in your hands and Home Alone on the television screen. Macaulay Culkin’s hit film became a staple in every household with its heartwarming mix of humor, holiday spirit, and clever mischief. If there’s a film that gives meaning to the word nostalgia, it’s Home Alone. Since it turned Macaulay Culkin into a household name, you might wonder just how much the young actor made for his portrayal of Kevin McCallister.
It is no surprise that Home Alone was an overnight success for all the right reasons and the lead actor pocketed $110,000 for his work. However, when he later returned for a sequel, his bank account significantly expanded thanks to a genius clause in his contract. Thus, the then-young boy even left Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson behind in the paycheck race.
Macaulay Culkin’s contract helped him pick up a hefty check for Home Alone 2
Home Alone: Lost in New York came in 1992, 2 years after the successful release of the predecessor. The OG film made $476.6 million at the box office (via Box Office Mojo) and while the sequel fell short by a few tens of millions of dollars bringing in $358.9 million (via Box Office Mojo), the actors were paid significantly more than the last time.
Of course, reeling from the success of Home Alone, the actors knew that their worth had only increased with time, and asking for more money was only reasonable.
As per Lad Bible, Macaulay Culkin made $110,000 for the first film but in the sequel, his upfront payment skyrocketed to 5 million dollars. If you think that’s a lot, wait till you hear the rest of the story.
Culkin had a special clause in his contract which made him the rightful owner of 5% of the sequel’s box office earnings. As the film made $359 million, it allowed Culkin to receive $17.95 million for his work, apart from the initial $5 million. Now that’s what we call an upgrade!
How much did Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson make for Harry Potter?
Given the fact that Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson were part of one of the biggest franchises to exist in the world, we can only assume just what their paychecks would have looked like.
And while they did make an impressive living playing Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, it took them a while to climb up to Culkin’s rank.
For starters, Radcliffe made a whopping million dollars for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone but his salary only jumped to $3 million in the sequel, Chamber of Secrets. To get close to Culkin’s earnings in the sequel, it took Radcliffe a total of 5 movies. He made $24 million for The Half Blood Prince. (via Cosmopolitan).
Coming to the brainiac witch of the trio, Watson’s salary per film is not known for sure but as per Cosmopolitan, she made $4 million for the Order of Phoenix, whereas Radcliffe made $14 million for the same. Her salary reached $30 million for the 2 parts of Deathly Hallows, while her co-actor made $50 million for both.
Home Alone: Lost in New York is available to watch on Disney+.
