A million dollars per episode for the stars of the new "Sex and the City": in the aftermath of the announcement of the highly anticipated sequel, "Variety" exclusively reveals the fees that Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis will collect for the miniseries entitled "And Just Like That".
Ten million each for as many episodes of one million each.
A lot or a few?
For the 'bible' of entertainment there is little wonder: the compensation of the three women, who together with Michael Patrick King are also executive producers of the series, would be in line with the earnings for their respective roles on streaming platforms such as Netflix and Hulu from A-list stars like Nicole Kidman, Jeff Bridges, Patrick Stewart, Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington.
Pandemic permitting, shooting should begin in the spring in New York.
"And Just Like That", broadcast on Hbo Max, will follow the adventures of Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte, always as fascinating as they were two decades ago, but now over 50.
The series therefore offers an opportunity to the three actresses who are no longer very young in the face of a star system in which, with rare exceptions, mature women struggle to find roles.
The indiscretion on the wages of Parker and her companions (Kim Cattrall, who had played the role of the uninhibited and older Samantha Jones, was not included in the revival) has meanwhile reignited the debate on the remuneration of the stars also in light of the gender gap for years at the center of controversy: this January marks the first anniversary of the Time's Up movement born on the wave of sexual harassment scandals to combat gender-based discrimination inside and outside Hollywood.
Recent studies have shown that for every dollar a man earns in the United States, a woman earns 80 cents.
In the film industry, the gap is more pronounced as highlighted in 2014 by the Sony email scandal.
In 2017, Serie A actresses still took home 38% of their colleagues.
Things are changing, albeit slowly, also thanks to greater individual awareness.
Like when Chadwick Boseman cut his salary to ensure that Sienna Miller, his "21 Bridges" co-star, got the same salary.
Or Benedict Cumberbatch in 2018: He announced that he would turn down any offer where his counterpart was not paid like him.