Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have reunited to star in a new film after three years of not having appeared in one together with the movie called The Rip.
The Rip is a Netflix action thriller written and directed by Joe Carnahan and sees the iconic duo star on screen once again.
Affleck and Damon have worked together on and off for almost 30 years, having starred together and co-written Good Will Hunting, for which they became the youngest Oscar winners for original screenplay ever.
The Rip saw the pair not only star as a pair of Miami cops who find a stash of millions in cash but also produce the films – in the process getting a unique contract clause not just for themselves, but for everyone involved in the film.
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Damon and Affleck managed to convince Netflix, for the first time ever, to write in performance related bonuses for the entire crew.
Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ,Damon and Affleck revealed how they managed to achieve the deal, a major industry first.
Ben Affleck said: “Netflix is obviously a streaming platform, business is obviously changing, there’s been a lot going on.
“What we’re kind of trying to do is, in the old days, you knew how a movie did and you could get bonuses based on the box office performance.
“What we wanted to do was try to adapt that model to what’s happening on streaming.
“For a bunch of reasons, but basically one of the things that was important to us is we really believe that it’s not just the cast and the writers and director, but that the environment, every single person involved, that if they’re committed to making the movie good, it’s very likely to be better. It’s really a collaborative art form.”
He explained that the more the movie is watched, the more everyone involved in the film will earn, stating this applies to ‘all 1,200 crew members’ that made The Rip, referencing specifically that every ‘standby painter, greensman, camera [operator]’ would get the money.
When praised in an interview with Variety about the decision, Affleck argued that it wasn’t something that should be commended, but instead simply attempt to keep up with a changing business.
He said: “To provide the decent middle class wage that’s been provided for decades [in the movie industry] in this country you’ve got to have compensation that works for people. As you’ve seen there’s been a lot of tumults and changes and transition and so you have to adapt.”
If the reviews so far though are anything to go by, the crew of The Rip should be very pleased with the deal as it has been getting widespread praise.
Sitting at 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, Brian Tallerico of Roger Ebert.com gave the film 3/4 stars saying: “It's a testament to Joe Carnahan’s direction that there’s not a false note in this talented ensemble.
“Everyone works, especially Damon, who leans into his age in ways he hasn’t much to date, selling how trauma and exhaustion might impact a man tired of always being a hero… If we got a movie as airtight as The Rip every January, Netflix would be a better place.”
The Rip is available to stream on Netflix now.
Topics: Matt Damon, Netflix, TV and Film, Film, Celebrity, Money
Michael Slavin