• Ben Affleck and Matt Damon negotiated a rare Netflix concession for their film The Rip.
• All 1,200 production crew members on the nearly $100 million film will receive a one-time bonus if the movie performs well on Netflix.
• The deal was brokered through the actors’ company, Artists Equity, and backed by RedBird Capital.
• The agreement could challenge Netflix’s standard policy of paying fixed upfront fees with no back-end bonuses.
H2: What happened with The Rip and Netflix
Netflix will debut The Rip next Friday, and the streaming giant agreed to an unusual contract: a one-time, performance-based bonus for every person who worked on the production. The deal covers all 1,200 crew members on the nearly $100 million film, from lead actors to production assistants.
H3: Why this matters
Streaming platforms like Netflix typically pay crew and cast a fixed fee determined before production, eliminating traditional back-end payments tied to a project’s success. The Rip’s agreement reverses that standard for this production, reinstating a form of profit-sharing tied to viewership performance.
Ben Affleck, who co-founded Artists Equity with Matt Damon, framed the arrangement as an ethical and philosophical choice. “We wanted to institute fairness and address some of the real issues that are present and urgent for our business,” Affleck said in an interview. Artists Equity, launched in late 2022 with investment from RedBird Capital, was created partly to push for more equitable deals like this.
H3: The deal’s specifics
According to people involved, the one-time bonus will be paid if The Rip hits performance targets on Netflix. The payment structure treats the whole crew equally, offering the same potential upside to grips, editors, and above-the-line talent alike. Exact financial triggers and bonus amounts were not disclosed publicly.
H2: Industry context and potential ripple effects
The concession comes as Netflix continues to reshape Hollywood economics. Just over a month before The Rip’s release, Netflix announced an $83 billion acquisition of Warner Bros.’ film and television assets — a move that intensified scrutiny about how the streamer will handle film financing and compensation under its new, larger content umbrella.
By agreeing to a back-end-style bonus, Netflix has signaled some flexibility, at least for high-profile collaborators. The deal could prompt other talent and production companies to press for similar terms, especially as industry unions and creators push for more transparent and equitable pay models.
H4: What to watch next
The Rip’s release will be watched closely not just for its story about corruption and loyalty among police officers, but for industry fallout. If the film performs well and bonuses are paid, the arrangement could become a template for future Netflix projects.
For now, the deal is a win for the workers who helped make the movie and a notable moment in the evolving relationship between talent, crews, and streaming platforms.
H5: Film details
The Rip stars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in an ensemble police drama. It lands on Netflix next Friday, and audiences — and industry observers — will be tracking both viewership and the practical effects of this compensation experiment.
Image Referance: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/09/business/media/netflix-the-rip-ben-affleck-matt-damon.html
