Dustin Hoffman made $7.5 million for 5 days work on Fockers threequel

I find those Focker films fun but forgettable. Does anyone think that Dustin Hoffman’s performance in the last film, Meet the Fockers, was pivotal? Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Blythe Danner and Teri Polo were in the first film, Meet the Parents, with Hoffman and Barbra Streisand added as Stiller’s character’s parents for the second. Streisand and Hoffman were excellent but I doubt that the third installment, Little Fockers , will fill less seats with either of them missing. Producer and star Robert De Niro believes that Hoffman’s character is necessary, though, and signed off on a whopping $7.5 million salary to ensure that his friend would reprise his role for the third film. That’s incredible.

Dustin Hoffman will earn a staggering $7.5 million to reprise his “Meet the Fockers” role – for just five days of work!

The 73-year-old Hollywood legend was ready to turn his back on the long-awaited sequel, “Little Fockers,” but co-star Robert De Niro – whose company Tribeca Films produced the movie – dug deep into his pockets to give Dustin, who plays Bernie Focker, a deal that will pay him an incredible $1.5 million a day.

Dustin was not included in the original filming because he demanded such a high fee, but after the movie wrapped, studio execs – and notably co-star Ben Stiller – weren’t happy that Dustin had been left out.

In late August, the source says, it was decided that having the superstar in the project was more important than saving a few million dollars, and Dustin was brought in to shoot for five days.

De Niro, who co-founded Tribeca in 1989, personally approved the massive payout.

“Even though he and Dustin have been friends for many years, it was not an easy decision,” added the source. “That’s a lot of money, and there were a lot of people who thought the movie was just fine without Dustin.”

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, October 11, 2010]

It’s a hell of a lot of money, but maybe they think Hoffman is worth it. The last film, Meet the Fockers, earned a whopping $517 million worldwide while the first movie in the series, Meet the Parents, took in $330 million. You can see why they would want to invest in the stars again for the third film, as outrageous as $7.5 million sounds for five days work. Barbra Streisand is coming back too, and she can’t have been cheap. Little Fockers is out in the US on December 22, right in time for Christmas, and it’s sure to earn bank at the box office.

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