Hollywood stars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have taken an unprecedented step to reward the behind-the-scenes workforce on their latest project, ensuring 1,200 crew members will receive back-end bonuses tied to the success of their new Netflix film.
A New Model for the Streaming Age
The longtime friends and collaborators, who produced the crime thriller 'The Rip' through their company Artists Equity, have revived a traditional box office bonus model for the modern streaming landscape. During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the duo explained their motivation. Affleck, 53, noted the industry's controversial shift to streaming platforms like Netflix, where traditional performance metrics are less clear.
"In the old days, you knew how a movie did and you could get bonuses based on the box office performance," Affleck stated. "What we wanted to do was try to adapt that model to what's happening on streaming." The core principle, according to the actors, is that every single person involved in the film's creation contributes to its quality, and thus should share in its financial success.
Sharing Success with Every Crew Member
Affleck emphasised that the profit-sharing scheme extends to all 1,200 crew members, from camera operators to standby painters and greensmen. "The more people that watch [the movie] the more levels it will hit," he said, indicating that bonuses are directly linked to the film's viewership performance on Netflix.
The announcement was met with enthusiastic applause from the studio audience. Damon, 55, and Affleck then humorously encouraged viewers to stream the film repeatedly, with Affleck joking, "You would never say to turn on the movie and put it on loop. But if you happened to do that, crew members would make a lot of money."
The Vision Behind Artists Equity
This move is a direct implementation of the main objective of Artists Equity, the artist-led studio the pair co-founded in 2022. The company, which replaced their former Pearl Street Films, is explicitly focused on sharing a movie's profits with all involved parties, not just top-tier stars and producers.
'The Rip', directed by Joe Carnahan and released on Netflix on Friday, 15 January 2026, sees Affleck and Damon reunite on screen as Miami cops who discover a fortune in cash. The film marks another collaboration for the duo, whose shared credits include Good Will Hunting, Dogma, and Air.
By instituting this wide-scale profit-sharing model, Affleck and Damon are challenging industry norms and advocating for a more equitable and collaborative filmmaking process, where the success of a project is collectively celebrated and rewarded.
