Film franchises manage to stand tall above the rest and haul in a fortune with each release, and their consistency at the box office is precisely why they are able to pay their biggest performers a massive salary. Franchise like the MCU, DC, and Star Wars have all shelled out top dollar for their biggest stars, making any franchise role incredibly desirable for the world’s top performers.
Orlando Bloom has been a monumental success in the movie industry, and he has done this by landing primary roles in multiple franchises. This is incredibly rare to pull off, and it has people wondering about the type of money that he has made along the way.
Let’s see which major franchise paid Orlando Bloom the most!
He Got $175,000 For The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy
To get things started, we should first shine a light on the initial franchise that got the ball rolling for Orlando Bloom’s Hollywood journey. Landing the role of Legolas wound up being a huge win for the performer thanks to the success of the trilogy, but surprisingly, the salary that Bloom was given isn’t quite what some would expect.
For the trilogy of films, Orlando Bloom was paid a mere $175,000. Yes, you read that correctly. To be fair, there were a lot of primary characters taking part in the film and it was all filmed at one time, meaning that the studio was taking a huge gamble with the project. Nevertheless, only getting $175,000 for a trilogy of films would never fly in this day and age.
When speaking to Howard Stern, Bloom would say, “Nothing, I got nothing. $175 grand...Listen, greatest gift of my life. Are you kidding me? I'd do it again for half the money. I think there was a little bump when the movies came out...It was like a little bump, but it was nice.”
It’s nice to hear that there was some money on the backend, but based on the way that Bloom phrased it, there was not a whole lot that came his way.
At the box office, the Lord of the Rings movies would go on to gross billions of dollars, and their success opened the door for Bloom to negotiate higher pay for other projects.
He Was Paid Over $11 Million For Each Pirates Sequel
In 2003, The Return of the King rounded out the Lord of the Rings trilogy at the box office, closing the door on what was a massive cinematic achievement. Interestingly, that same year, Curse of the Black Pearl would debut at the box office, kicking off another huge franchise of films for Bloom.
While the previews for the film looked great, no one knew what to expect when it hit the box office. After all, the film was based on a Disneyland ride, and the interest in pirate content in the 21st century was no guarantee. Nevertheless, Curse of the Black Pearl was a huge hit that wound up being profitable for all involved.
It’s has been reported that for the next two films in the franchise, Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End, Orlando Bloom was paid over $11 million for each film. That is a huge jump in pay for the performer, and the string of successful films just kept on rolling for Bloom during that time.
Once again, Bloom was featured in movies that grossed billions of dollars during their time at the box office, but this time, his paychecks reflected that. It should also be noted that Bloom appeared in Dead Men Tell No Tales, but his salary, much like his salary with Curse of the Black Pearl, is unknown.
While these franchises were his biggest triumphs, Bloom continued to land roles in other prominent films. Years after the original trilogy, the actor would once again find himself heading back to Middle Earth. Only this time, he made sure to make some more money.
The Hobbit Franchise Ups His Pay
When The Hobbit franchise was announced, there was a lot of hype around the films. After all, the original trilogy was a huge accomplishment, and these movies had so much potential to make a mint at the box office.
Orlando Bloom stepped back into the saddle to reprise the role of Legolas, and people were ready to see their favorite Elf back in action. Thankfully, Bloom’s pay would increase for these movies.
According to CelebGag, Bloom was able to net himself over $21 million for his time in the Hobbit trilogy. Those films would go on to make a fortune at the box office, and while they are not as celebrated as the original trilogy, they still made a sizable impact with fans around the world.
Orlando Bloom has done quite well for himself in Hollywood, but when looking at the whole picture, his time on the high seas was more lucrative than his time in Middle Earth.