Looking back at Brad Pitt's iconic career, this might've been his best role. He thrived in 'Fight Club' and although the film wasn't a financial success at the time, it would leave a lasting legacy as an iconic dark comedy, maybe the best of its genre. Although Pitt turned down a potential iconic role like 'The Matrix', we can all agree he was better suited for 'Fight Club' than a role as Neo.

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The film made just over $100 million, which really wasn't that successful given its budget of $63 million. Nonetheless, it would thrive years later, an impact that can still be felt today. Surprisingly, despite the big budget, not every star made the big bucks, in fact, there was a huge gap between Ed Norton and Brad Pitt. Turns out, Pitt made seven times more than Norton.

We'll take a look at that situation, along with the bond created between the two stars and why it wasn't as financially successful as it should've been.

Pitt & Norton Had A Blast Making The Film

Despite the difference in pays, Norton and Pitt had a blast making the film - especially behind the scenes as the atmosphere was a loose one. Norton recalls constantly laughing while filming, "One thing I’ve noticed is that [in] all the pictures of us making that movie, we were laughing all the time,” he explained. “The whole experience was an experience of laughter and creativity. Brad is funny. [Costar] Helena [Bonham Carter] is really funny. [Director David] Fincher’s really funny. [Script doctor] Andy Walker’s funny. It was a funny bunch of people doing a dark comedy, so it was a lot of laughs.”

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The two would also bond in a truly hilarious way when the film was screened at the Venice Film Festival. The two had a little puff of a certain something and it would lead to them laughing throughout the film, "It was the Venice Film Festival and it was a midnight screening. For some reason, we thought it would be a good idea to smoke before."

"They put you up in a balcony next to the festival head, it’s very formal. The movie starts. The first joke comes up, and it’s crickets. It’s dead silence. Another joke, and it’s just dead silent. You know it’s in subtitles, and this thing is just not translating at all. The more it happened, the funnier it got to Edward and I. So we just start laughing. We’re the assholes in the back laughing at our own jokes. The only ones laughing."

It should come as no surprise, Norton would be very open to working alongside Pitt again, according to his words with Us Magazine, "I would do it. If he would be in one of mine, I’d do it. … I think we’d rather be in something together probably.”

Despite the great chemistry, the movie was marginal in terms of box office numbers, years later, Norton would blame it on the studio.

Norton Blames The Studio For Marginal Finacial Success

The film made just over $100 million, which in truth should've been three times the number. Norton looks at the marketing of the film as to where it went wrong, "I think there was a reluctance on the part of some of the people who were actually marketing it, to embrace the idea that it was funny, and honestly I think they felt indicted by it,” he said. “I think if you felt more like the guy who plays my boss in the film, then you tended to not like the film. … But also, it just was a tough one to distill."

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Not only was the financial success a major letdown, but Norton made a lot less for the role.

Norton Makes $2.5 Million

Nrton Fight Club red carpet event
via Gettyimages

It is hard to believe but Norton took home $2.5 million, which in the current market really isn't much for an actor of his stature. Pitt would ultimately take home seven-times the amount, at $17.5 million. Even that number is lower than what Brad usually demands nowadays, which is upwards of $20 million.

Even with the difference in pay, Norton won't forget the role, "It was an interesting experience because we all loved it and we were very confident about it. We were a little stung,” Norton says. “You can never completely detach your ego to how does it do when it first opens, but then we all had the very special experience of realizing that the relationship it formed with people was everything you dream of when you get into films.”

Clearly, Norton was nothing but positive despite the pay difference.

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Sources: Us Magazine, Indie Wire, EW & Bro Bible