When Johnny Depp signed on to play the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s 2010 film Alice in Wonderland, it was a highly anticipated casting that excited fans.
Depp and Burton had collaborated on several films previously, most notably Edward Scissorhands and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, creating unique and memorable characters.
Audiences were eager to see what strange creation Depp and Burton would conjure up for the Mad Hatter.
However, what may have excited Hollywood executives even more was the massive paycheck Depp received for the role.
By all accounts, it was one of the biggest single paydays for an actor at that time. But just how much did Johnny Depp make for Alice in Wonderland?
The Reports
There are two main figures that are commonly reported regarding Johnny Depp’s salary for Alice in Wonderland:
$44 million – This amount is one of the most widely cited figures in articles and reports about Depp’s pay. According to The Telegraph, this figure translates to roughly $66,000 per word in Depp’s script [1]. While the Mad Hatter doesn’t have an enormous amount of dialogue or screen time in the film, $44 million was an astronomical salary at the time, even for a major star like Depp.
$68 million – A higher figure of $68 million also surfaces in some reports. This number comes from converting the figure of 50 million British pounds that was reported by The Telegraph. With currency exchange rates fluctuating, the $68 million figure would be the result of converting the salary amount from pounds to US dollars at the time.
So in summary – $44 million according to the most common reports, or $68 million if converting from the 50 million pound figure. Both amounts would have made Johnny Depp one of, if not the highest paid actor for a single role up to that point. But how did he negotiate such a massive payday?
Depp’s Box Office Power
To understand how Johnny Depp landed such a lucrative deal, it’s important to look at his track record leading up to 2010. Throughout the 2000s, Depp had starred in a string of huge box office hits that cemented his status as one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood.
In 2003, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was a surprise blockbuster, grossing over $654 million worldwide. Depp’s quirky, scene-stealing performance as Captain Jack Sparrow became iconic and helped turn the film into a massive franchise. Two Pirates sequels followed in 2006 and 2007, with both films making over $1 billion each.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), reuniting Depp with director Tim Burton, earned $475 million globally. Other hits included Finding Neverland (2004), Corpse Bride (2005), and Sweeney Todd (2007). All of these films showcased Depp’s remarkable ability to disappear into unique, memorable characters – a big draw for audiences.
By 2010, Depp had proven he could open films globally and take box office totals to the next level with his star power alone. Studios knew any film with Johnny Depp’s name above the title was virtually guaranteed to be a success. And Depp had leverage to negotiate compensation that matched his value at the box office.
Leveraging His Success
When negotiations began for Alice in Wonderland, Depp and his team were in a strong position. Disney was eager to have Depp’s star power attached to their tentpole release, expected to be one of the highest grossing films of the year. Depp’s most recent Pirates sequel had made over $960 million worldwide in 2007.
Reports indicate Disney offered Depp $25 million up front for the role. But Depp, represented by powerful Hollywood lawyer Skip Brittenham, countered that his track record deserved more. They leveraged Depp’s box office history and asked for an unprecedented 15% of the film’s total gross profits .
This percentage deal structure was highly unusual for an actor’s salary at the time. Most stars received an upfront sum, with no stake in the financial upside. But Depp believed in Alice in Wonderland’s potential to be a massive blockbuster. Disney must have as well, as they agreed to the terms.
If the film performed, Depp stood to make far more than any upfront salary could offer. If it underperformed, he shared in the risk. Either way, it was a landmark deal that set a new standard in actor compensation. Depp had successfully negotiated the biggest single payday of his career thanks to his immense box office power.
A Massive Box Office Smash
As it turned out, Depp’s gamble paid off tremendously. Alice in Wonderland was released in March 2010 and became an instant blockbuster.
It grossed an incredible $334 million in North America and $1 billion internationally, for a worldwide total of $1.025 billion.
Accounting for production and marketing costs, Alice in Wonderland ended up with over $700 million in profits. Depp’s 15% stake of those profits was worth approximately $105 million, far eclipsing any upfront salary.
With his percentage of home video and merchandising revenues added in, most reports put his final compensation at the higher end of $68 million.
Johnny Depp had negotiated one of the most lucrative deals in Hollywood history and set a new pay scale for top actors. His massive success with Alice in Wonderland proved that his star power could open any film to huge box office returns.
It was one of the first examples of an actor truly sharing in financial participation like a producer. From that point on, other A-list stars began demanding similar percentage deals to reflect their true value at the box office.
Depp’s Legacy and Later Career
To this day, Johnny Depp’s payday for Alice in Wonderland remains one of the single highest amounts ever earned by an actor for a single role. It cemented his status as the premier box office draw of his generation.
While his star has faded somewhat in recent years, the financial terms he negotiated set the model that top stars still aim to achieve.
Actors like Dwayne Johnson regularly earn $20 million or more upfront now, a figure that was unthinkable before Depp’s landmark deal.
In the years since Alice, Depp continued starring in blockbuster franchises like Pirates of the Caribbean:
On Stranger Tides and transcendent biopics like Black Mass. But more recently, personal issues and unprofitable films have cooled his box office power somewhat.
Still, his performance as the Mad Hatter remains one of the most memorable and inspired of his career.
And it was the role that proved Johnny Depp’s immense value at the box office, resulting in the single biggest payday of his illustrious career.
In conclusion, whether the final tally was $44 million or $68 million, Johnny Depp absolutely struck gold with his compensation for Alice in Wonderland.
By leveraging his track record of massive hits and negotiating an unprecedented percentage deal, Depp set the new standard that top stars still benefit from today.
His payday for the 2010 blockbuster remains one of the most notable examples of an actor truly being paid their worth thanks to the box office success they can deliver.
It was a landmark career moment for Johnny Depp both professionally and financially.
