Photo: Daniele Venturelli/WireImage

The stories about George Clooney’s paydays are legendary. His Gravity Payday and suitcases full of $1 million go to 14 of his closest friends. The Nespresso ad that finances a spy satellite in Sudan. Now an alleged salary of $35 million for the lead role in Wolves for Apple TV+, according to an article in the New York JustBut Clooney says that’s not the case. At a press conference in Venice, Clooney said he and Brad Pitt each received less than $35 million for the film and even gave back part of that lower fee in the hope of getting the film a wider release. “By the way, there’s a really good reporter, Nicole Sperling of the New York Justshe wrote an interesting article about it,” he said, “and whatever her source was for our salary, it’s millions and millions of dollars less than what was reported. And I only say that because I think it’s bad for our industry when people think that’s the benchmark for salaries.”

Clooney said it was “garbage” that Wolves was not released on a wider scale. “There are elements that we’re still figuring out. You’re all in it, too. We’re all in this industry trying to find our way after COVID and everything else, and so there are some bumps along the way,” he said. “That’s a bummer, of course, but on the other hand, a lot of people are going to see the movie and we’re getting a release in a couple hundred theaters, so we’re getting a release.” Real glass-half-full guy, that George Clooney.