Vanity Fair have released their annual compilation listing of the top 40 earners in Hollywood breaking every total down into upfront fees, back-end, and ancilliary revenue. It seems the top earner is estimated to have grossed more than the second, third and fourth earners combined. The list features both actors and producer/directors and only calculates the money made from film/Television-related projects, created between January 1 to December 31, 2010.

Here is the top ten.

  1. James Cameron – $257 million
    $248 million: Avatar (back-end for writing, producing, and directing, based on 2010 worldwide box-office gross of $1.95 billion, and share of DVD and pay-television revenue; excludes $50 million earned in 2009)
    $5 million: Avatar (share of toy licensing, other revenue)
    $4 million: Older film revenue (e.g., back-end and royalties from earlier projects, other payments)
  1. Johnny Depp – $100 million
    $40 million: Alice in Wonderland (back-end for starring in Tim Burton film, based on worldwide gross of $1.02 billion)
    $35 million: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (up-front money for starring in next installment of Jerry Bruckheimer’s waterlogged but ludicrously profitable franchise)
    $20 million: The Tourist (fee for co-starring in one of the year’s bigger flops alongside Angelina Jolie)
    $5 million: Older film revenue
  1. Steven Spielberg – $80 million
    $50 million: Universal-theme-park royalties and consulting fees
    $20 million: War Horse (fee for directing and producing upcoming World War I drama)
    $10 million: Older film revenue
  1. Christopher Nolan – $71.5 million
    $69 million: Inception (back-end for writing, producing, and directing, based on worldwide gross of $823 million, and share of DVD and pay-TV revenue)
    $2.5 million: Older film revenue
  1. Leonardo DiCaprio – $62 million
    $59 million: Inception (back-end for starring in somewhat convoluted Christopher Nolan film)
    $3 million: Back-end for starring in somewhat convoluted Martin Scorsese film Shutter Island, older film revenue
  1. Tim Burton – $53 million
    $50 million: Alice in Wonderland (back-end for directing, based on worldwide gross of $1.02 billion, and share of DVD and pay-TV revenue)
    $3 million: Older film revenue
  1. Adam Sandler – $50 million
    $25 million: Just Go with It (fee for producing and starring in upcoming comedy opposite Jennifer Aniston)
    $20 million: Jack and Jill (fee for producing and starring in upcoming comedy with Katie Holmes and Al Pacino)
    $3 million: Grown Ups (back-end for starring and writing, based on worldwide gross of $271 million, plus share of DVD and pay-TV revenue)
    $2 million: Older film revenue
  1. Todd Phillips – $34 million
    $15 million: The Hangover Part II (fee for writing, producing, and directing)
    $13 million: The Hangover (back-end for producing and directing; excludes $39 million earned in 2009)
    $3 million: Due Date (back-end for producing and directing, based on worldwide gross of $200 million, as of December 31, 2010)
    $2 million: Older film revenue
    $1 million: Project X (fee for producing upcoming low-budget comedy)
  1. Taylor Lautner – $33.5 million
    $12.5 million: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 1 (fee for co-starring in upcoming penultimate Twilight film)
    $12.5 million: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 2 (fee for co-starring in upcoming final Twilight film)
    $7.5 million: Abduction (fee for starring in upcoming John Singleton thriller)
    $1 million: Older film revenue, mostly from Twilight franchise
  1. Robert Downey Jr. – $31.5 million
    $15 million: Fee for starring in upcoming untitled Sherlock Holmes sequel
    $12 million: Iron Man 2 (back-end, based on worldwide gross of $627 million, and share of DVD and pay-TV revenue)
    $3.5 million: Sherlock Holmes (back-end, based on worldwide gross of $523 million, and share of DVD and pay-TV revenue)
    $1 million: Older film revenue

Head over to Vanity Fair to read the full listing of the top 40 Hollywood earners.

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