Photo: Daniele Venturelli/WireImage

The stories about George Clooney’s paydays are legendary. His Gravity payday and the suitcases full of $1 million going to 14 of his closest friends. The Nespresso ads that paid for a spy satellite in Sudan. Now an alleged $35 million salary to star in Wolves for Apple TV+, according to an article in the New York Times. But Clooney says that’s not the case. At a press conference in Venice, Clooney says that he and Brad Pitt each got less than $35 million for the film, and even paid back some of that lower amount in hopes of securing a wider release for the film. “By the way, there’s a really good reporter, Nicole Sperling for the New York Times“She wrote an interesting article about it,” he said, “and whatever her source was for our salary, it’s millions and millions and millions of dollars less than what was reported. And I only say that because I think it’s bad for our industry if that’s what people think is the standard bearer for salaries.”

Clooney said it was a “bummer” that Wolves didn’t get a wider release. “There are elements of this that we’re figuring out. You guys are all in this together. We’re all in this industry and we’re trying to figure out our way after COVID and everything, and so there are some bumps in the road,” he said. “It sucks, of course, but on the bright side, a lot of people are going to see it and we’re getting a release in a couple hundred theaters, so we’re getting a release.” Glass half full, man, George Clooney.