The first Deadpool movie was a massive success, but apparently, that success did not trickle down to at least one half of the directing team responsible for the film. In an interview with Collider, Miller explained that he wasn’t paid very well for the film, which wound up grossing $782 million worldwide.
“You guys might not know, but it’s not really a profitable thing to be a first-time director in Hollywood, and I’ll tell you exactly,” Miller explained. “I got $225,000 to direct ‘Deadpool.’ I know it sounds like a lot of money, but for two years of work, that’s not a ton of money.”
Miller added that, while the sum was not extraordinary, especially by Hollywood standards, it helped him get the career he has now.
“Not that I’m not grateful,” he said. “I’m f–king grateful, that’s the way it is because you’re supposed to when you’re a first-time director. My agent said: ‘Dude, you make more on an episode of The Walking Dead!‘”
David Leitch directed Deadpool 2, and Shawn Levy took over directing duties for Deadpool & Wolverine. Miller said that he was still proud of the film.
“I feel like every time I walk down the aisles out there on the floor of CCXP and I see all these Deadpool figurines, I think they wouldn’t be here if we hadn’t made that film,” he said. “And I feel uniquely fortunate that I could be part of it. Then, then my second thought is, I wish my director deals had a piece of the merchandising so that I could get some money from all of that.”
