Spielberg, Lucas & Ford may not get paid for Indy 4

From LA Times: The Indiana Jones series is known for its cliffhangers. But the real cliffhanger in the long-awaited upcoming sequel is when -- and perhaps even if -- the famous filmmakers and the star will make money.

That's because before executive producer George Lucas, director Steven Spielberg and leading man Harrison Ford get their hands on any treasure, Paramount Pictures will need to collect $400 million in revenue to recover all its costs and make a sizable fee to distribute "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."

If that seems like a no-brainer, consider the norm in Hollywood, where top-tier filmmakers and stars traditionally earn huge upfront fees and get a big cut of ticket sales before a studio recoups its investment.

The atypical arrangement between the studio and the triumvirate illustrates the new economic realities of the movie business. Read the rest of the article.