Skip to main content

Cameron ($257m) and Depp ($100m) top list of Hollywood earners in 2010

james-cameron-king-of-the-worldVanity Fair has released its Hollywood Top 40 Earners List. Leading the charge for 2010 was James Cameron made $157 million more than anyone in Hollywood due to the immense success of Avatar, which he wrote, directed, and produced. The film took in $2.8 billion at the box office alone, making it the most successful movie of all time in terms of sheer dollars. Johnny Depp was the highest paid actor, netting $40 million for Alice in Wonderland, $35 million in upfront cash for the next Pirates of the Caribbean, and $20 million for The Tourist. Leo DiCaprio ($62 million) and Christopher Nolan ($71.5 million) can thank each other as Inception helped them both have a stellar year, though DiCaprio also starred in the Scorsese thriller Shutter Island.

The Twilight Saga Eclipse love trio all made the list as well, with Taylor Lautner leading the pack at $33.5 million. His earnings include $12.5 million for each half of the upcoming two-part Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn film. Robert Pattinson raked in $27.5 million, but was bested by Kristen Stewart who earned $28.5 million. The rest of the list is below.

Recommended Videos

Hollywood Top 40 Earners for 2010

  1. James Cameron – $257 million
  2. Johnny Depp – $100 million
  3. Steven Spielberg – $80 million
  4. Christopher Nolan- $71.5 million
  5. Leonardo DiCaprio – $62 million
  6. Tim Burton – $53 million
  7. Adam Sandler – $50 million
  8. Todd Phillips – $34 million
  9. Taylor Lautner – $33.5 million
  10. Robert Downey Jr – $31.5 million
  11. Will Smith – $29 million
  12. Joe Roth – $28.5 million
  13. Kristen Stewart – $28.5 million
  14. Jerry Bruckheimer – $27.5 million
  15. Robert Pattinson – $27.5 million
  16. Jason Blum and Oren Peli – $26.5 million
  17. Tyler Perry – $25 million
  18. Jennifer Aniston – $24.5 million
  19. Jon Favreau – $24 million
  20. Nicolas Cage – $23.5 million
  21. Angelina Jolie – $23.5 million
  22. Sandra Bullock – $22 million
  23. Brian Grazer and Ron Howard – $21 million
  24. Christopher Meledandri – $21 million
  25. Joel Silver – $21 million
  26. Owen Wilson – $19.5 million
  27. Vince Vaughn – $18.5 million
  28. Daniel Craig – $18 million
  29. Vin Diesel – $18 million (for Fast Furious 5)
  30. Ben Stiller – $18 million
  31. Steve Carell – $17.5 million
  32. Martin Scorsese – $17 million
  33. Katherine Heigl – $16 million
  34. Shia LaBeouf – $16 million
  35. Tom Cruise – $14.5 million
  36. Reese Witherspoon – $14.5 million
  37. Hugh Jackman $14 million
  38. Shawn Levy – $14 million
  39. Guy Ritchie – $13.5 million
  40. Eddie Murphy – $13 million

Somehow Eddie Murphy keeps pulling in the cash. For a detailed breakdown for this list, including dollar amounts for every movie each person was paid for, head over to Vanity Fair.

Are you puzzled by anyone on this list? Does it make you mad that Katherine Heigl keeps making money despite so many terrible movies?

Jeffrey Van Camp
As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…
3 underrated Netflix shows you should watch this weekend (July 11-13)
A man sits on a throne and stares in "The Sandman."

I don't know how long it would take to watch every show on Netflix, but I know it's way more time than most people have. The streaming service has made a business out of serving up a deluge of content, understanding that most users will find something to enjoy.

If you're one of those people who never know exactly what show to watch, we've got you covered. We've pulled together three underrated shows that are all available on the streaming service, each of which has a pretty different vibe.

Read more
An airport like you’ve never heard it before
Jordan Rakei recording the sound of an aircraft flying overhead.

Europe’s busiest airport has teamed up with a Grammy-nominated artist on a music project like no other.

Jordan Rakei was given access to all areas ... well, maybe not the runway when a plane was coming in ... at the U.K.’s Heathrow Airport to record numerous audio clips and soundscapes that he then incorporated into an ambient music track for travelers -- and anyone for that matter -- to enjoy.

Read more
3 action movies on Netflix you need to watch in July 2025
Tom Cruise drives a motorcycle in Rogue Nation.

Action remains one of the more popular genres on Netflix. One of our picks for July, The Old Guard 2, is currently one of the 10 most popular movies on the service. Fans of Gerard Butler will be happy to see that Plane, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, and London Has Fallen are all available to stream.

It's hard to go wrong with action on Netflix. At worst, you'll find a mediocre 100-minute thriller with some good action that passes the time. Thankfully, the three movies below all have redeeming qualities to make them worthy of a stream. 

Read more