Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have engineered a first-of-its-kind pact with Netflix that will pay every crew member on their new thriller The Rip a performance bonus if the film draws strong viewership.
At a Glance
- All 1,200 cast and crew on The Rip qualify for a one-time bonus if the film hits Netflix performance targets
- The deal was brokered by Affleck and Damon’s production company, Artists Equity
- Film premieres globally on Netflix January 16
- Why it matters: Streaming crews rarely share in a title’s success; this sets a new profit-sharing precedent
The Oscar-winning duo revealed the arrangement at the movie’s New York City premiere on January 13, telling News Of Losangeles the goal is to restore middle-class wages and reward collaboration.
How the Bonus Plan Works
Netflix traditionally pays talent an upfront fee only. Under the new model:
- Every worker on The Rip-from drivers to department heads-receives a lump-sum bonus if Netflix internal metrics are met
- The exact performance threshold was not disclosed
- No future projects are obligated to repeat the structure
Affleck, 53, said Artists Equity pushed for the clause because “every single person that works on this movie…is vital to it.” Damon, 55, echoed the sentiment: “Every single person who worked on it should benefit from it.”
Why They Did It
Speaking to Variety on the red carpet, Affleck framed the move as corrective to decades of eroded entertainment-industry wages.
“We wanted to provide the decent middle-class wage that was provided for decades in this country,” he said. “If you work on a project and you are successful, you ought to benefit.”
He added that Netflix-though “very big” compared with the “very small” Artists Equity-backed the concept. “They’ve been extremely supportive,” he noted, laughing that “in order for any bonus to hit, the movie actually has to be successful.”
In a separate interview with The New York Times, Affleck called the agreement “fundamental, philosophically, to the ideas we had in starting” the production banner.
About The Rip
- Action-thriller written and directed by Joe Carnahan, 56
- Stars Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, Sasha Calle, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Scott Adkins, and Kyle Chandler
- Produced by Artists Equity and distributed by Netflix
- Runtime and rating were not released
Carnahan told News Of Losangeles the film leans on the real-life 40-year friendship between Affleck and Damon. “You’re trading on them both being movie stars-which almost never happens,” he said. “These two best friends become movie stars, so the movie traffics in both those worlds.”
Industry Ripple Effects
The bonus structure arrives as Hollywood unions continue to negotiate residuals and profit participation in the streaming era. Amanda S. Bennett reported the plan on January 9, noting it is the first time Netflix has agreed to a blanket performance payout covering below-the-line workers.
Key details still private:
- Dollar amount of the bonus
- Viewership metric required to trigger payment
- Whether Netflix will offer similar deals to other producers
Artists Equity launched in 2022 with a stated mission to reimagine profit sharing across film crews. The Rip is the company’s second Netflix release following last year’s Air.
What’s Next
Affleck and Damon will monitor The Rip‘s performance after its January 16 debut. If numbers hit the undisclosed benchmark, checks will be mailed to the full 1,200-person payroll.
Carnahan predicts strong audience turnout, citing the star power and chemistry of the leads. “Think about that-these two best friends become movie stars,” he reiterated on the carpet.
For now, crew members finishing post-production tasks are awaiting the streamer’s internal metrics-an unusual position for hourly workers accustomed to one-time flat fees.
Key Takeaways
- Netflix green-lit a performance-based bonus for every worker on The Rip
- The deal, brokered by Artists Equity, could signal a shift in how streaming services compensate crews
- Bonuses hinge on viewership results after the film drops January 16
