How Big Is ‘Red Notice’? A Look At Netflix’s Most Expensive Film Yet

Despite recent reports that they would be reining in spending, Deadline reports that Netflix recently made the move to acquire “Red Notice,” their most expensive blockbuster to date.

Initially set for a theatrical release by Universal on Nov. 13, 2020, “Red Notice” stars Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, and Ryan Reynolds, and will follow a team of Interpol agents tracking down a notorious worldwide art thief. As reported by Variety, the film is estimated to cost a whopping $160-200 million, including hefty paydays for its big stars.

Rawson Marshall Thurber, who helmed Johnson’s “Central Intelligence” and “Skyscraper,” is set to write and direct the project. Thurber initially sold his pitch to Universal in a fierce bidding war, set ablaze by the roaring success of Johnson's “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.” Netflix came in second in that initial round of bidding but has now taken the project after Universal began to hesitate over the original film’s budget in recent months.

Variety also reports that Johnson, Gadot, and Thurber are expected to take huge salaries for the project. Johnson’s base pay for the film is $20 million, and as a producer for the project, he is expected to receive extra millions on top of that for completing and delivering the film on schedule. Gadot and Reynolds are also expected to make close to $20 million when accounting for both base pay and the amount Netflix will pay out to make up for promised back-end profits that are no longer relevant for a streaming release. Meanwhile, Thurber will reportedly take in $10 million for his work on the film.

The film will join other massive-budgeted Netflix originals like Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” and Michael Bay’s “6 Underground,” the latter of which also stars Reynolds.