After executives at Universal sat down and realized that they just can’t throw Eugene Levy in a teen sex comedy and call it an American Pie movie, they came up with American Reunion, because holy crap Hollywood has completely run out of ideas! Anyway, the salaries of the film’s actors have leaked to The Hollywood Reporter, and by the sound of it, perpetual lady of mess Tara Reid is doing really well. By which I mean she’s earning less money than the actors everyone forgot existed!
According to sources, Universal is paying Jason Biggs and Seann William Scott a robust $5 million each, plus a small slice of first-dollar gross, to reprise their roles. Alyson Hannigan, star of CBS’ How I Met Your Mother, is getting about $3 million. And veteran Eugene Levy, who starred in four profitable direct-to-DVD Pie films that helped make the property a billion-dollar franchise, is said to have received a payday also in the $3 million range. The rest of the cast — which includes Chris Klein, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Natasha Lyonne, Jennifer Coolidge, Mena Suvari and Shannon Elizabeth — is being paid far less, say sources, most in the $500,000 to $750,000 range (though bonuses for some could kick in if the film is a hit, as expected). Rounding out the list is Tara Reid, who is said to have joined Reunion for close to the $250,000 that Universal initially offered. A studio rep calls the figures “inaccurate” but declines further comment.
All right, so here’s the shittiest part: No, it’s not the fact that Tara is getting paid the least, because no offense to her but she’s a terrible actress who drank away her career. No, it’s the fact that the most successful member of the cast, Alyson Hannigan, who starred on two of the biggest TV shows of the last decade, is earning less money that Jason Biggs (who?) and Stifler. Seriously. If you ever needed irrefutable proof that women aren’t treated with the same respect as men, there’s your proof!
