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Actor Shia LaBeouf is now known for his dramatic performances in acclaimed films such asFury, The Peanut Butter Falcon,andLawless.These films have been a departure from the actor’s initial stages of his career which were filled with mainstream and blockbuster films.
While LaBeouf had an appearance in the extremely divisiveIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, he is best known for starring as Sam Witwicky in Michael Bay’sTransformersfilms. However, despite the fame, LaBeouf barely earned a million for the firstTransformersfilm, which earned almost a thousand times his salary in box office and home video sales.
Also read:“Which was just f**king nonsense”: Shia LaBeouf’s Greatest Regret isn’t Transformers 3, It’s a $3.4M Critical Gem He Wrote Himself That Destroyed His Dad’s Reputation
How Much DidTransformersEarn?
Based on the toy line created by Hasbro, theTransformersfranchise has had only one iteration in live-action. The creative direction of the live-action films was chiefly handled by Michael Bay, who directed five of the sevenTransformersfilms.
The franchise was first brought to ace director Steven Spielberg who then hired Bay to helm the film, while Spielberg himself served as the executive producer. Bay had initially rejected the project as he felt that it was a ridiculous toy film, but he reportedly changed his mind due to Spielberg’s insistence, and after visiting the Hasbro office.
Michael Bay apparently revised the script to make it edgier and increased the role of the American military in the film (a trademark of Michael Bay). The film was made at a budget of $150 to $200 million.Transformerswas the first live-action adaptation of the IP, which had only seen toys and an animated adaptation of the fight between the Autobots and the Decepticons. The film starredShia LeBeouf, and Megan Fox, and the voices of actors Hugo Weaving and Peter Cullen.
Also read:From $750,000 Payday to $15 Million Salary- Shia LaBeouf’s ‘Transformers’ Journey Is No Less Than a Dream
How Much Did Shia LaBeouf Earn ForTransformers?
Actor Shia LaBeouf had his Hollywood breakthrough with theTransformersfilms. He appeared in three out of the seven films that were produced, his last one beingTransformers: Dark of the Moon. The films in which he starred are still considered to be the best of the franchise, as from the fourth part, the story shifted to Mark Wahlberg’s Cade Yeager, which was heavily criticized.
TheTransformersfilm franchise is the thirteenth highest-grossing film franchise of all time, earning over $5.2 billion at the box office alone. The first three films of the franchise had an exponential increase in their earnings, with the third film earning over $1.12 billion at the global box office.
Also read:“It’s like having five dudes on a date with one girl”: Shia LaBeouf Claimed Brad Pitt’s Presence Had a Strange Effect on the Cast of David Ayer’s $212M Film ‘Fury’
While the first film of the franchise is widely considered to be the best of the lot, lead actor Shia LaBeouf’s salary for the 2007 film seems to be pretty low compared to what the film ended up making.Transformerswas a huge success upon release earning over $709 million at the global box office and according toThe Numbers, it earned over $303 million in home video sales.
But according toMarcamagazine, Shia LaBeouf only made $750,000 on the firstTransformersfilm. Taking the collective earnings of the film into account, which amounts to almost $1.12 billion, the film earned a thousand times more than LaBeouf’s salary. The low paycheck could be due to his resume before the films being a kids’ TV show on the Disney Channel and the thrillerDisturbia. The actor redeemed himself in subsequent films when he reportedly earned $5 million for the second film, and a generous $15 million forTransformers: Dark of the Moon. He even reportedly demanded a salary of $18 million for the fourth film, which was refused by the studio.
Also read:“Shia drove everyone mad”: Shia LaBeouf’s Self-Mutilation and Bad Hygiene on $212M Movie Set Pushed Brad Pitt and David Ayer Over the Edge
Source:Marca,The Numbers
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2415
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
