Pulling in over one billion dollars over the course of two movies, The Hangover franchise has out-earned almost every other comedy series in history, and it is currently one of Warner Brothers' most profitable properties. And now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the actors involved in the series are asking for a hefty raise for the series' third installment.
Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Bradley Cooper are all negotiating with the studio to make a staggering $15 million each for The Hangover 3, which could be in theaters as soon as Memorial Day 2013. This salary is a far cry from the $1 million each actor made for the first installment, and the $5 million they made on the second one. However, the studio should have no problem making a profit from the movie despite the large payroll.
With the Harry Potter series officially ending last year, and The Dark Knight franchise coming to an end this summer, The Hangover can now be seen as Warner Brothers' cash-cow, especially after both Akira and Arthur & Lancelot got shelved due to budgetary concerns.
In a rare move by a Hollywood studio, Warner Brothers is pushing the creators of The Hangover to deviate from the formula of the first two and think of some fresh story ideas for this latest installment.
[via The Hollywood Reporter]
