‘Disclosure Day’ Cast Salaries: How Much Did the Stars Make for Steven Spielberg’s Sci-Fi Movie

Credits: Universal
Credits: Universal
The cast salaries behind Disclosure Day are as ambitious as the film itself. Steven Spielberg's science fiction epic starring Emily Blunt assembles one of the more compelling Hollywood lineups of the summer, with Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment backing the production at a scale that reflects serious commercial ambition. Blunt leads alongside Josh O'Connor, Colin Firth, Colman Domingo, and Eve Hewson, with David Koepp on screenplay duties and John Williams composing the score.
With a domestic opening projected between $35 million and $59 million, Disclosure Day is shaping up to be one of 2026's most anticipated summer releases, and the cast assembled to carry it has not come cheap.
Steven Spielberg as director
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
According to Parade, Steven Spielberg typically commands around $10 million upfront as a directing fee, and Disclosure Day is believed to follow that same structure, with producing fees and backend profit points on top. The director has long favored deals that weigh heavily toward profit participation rather than upfront pay alone. It is a strategy that has made him one of the wealthiest filmmakers in Hollywood history.
His past earnings reflect just how lucrative that approach has been. On Jurassic Park (1993), backend points reportedly netted him around $250 million. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) delivered tens of millions in backend earnings even by 1980s standards. W** of the Worlds (2005) and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) both came with substantial profit participation deals, as did Lincoln (2012), which combined a modest upfront fee with significant backend returns from its awards season run.
While Spielberg commands the director's chair, the cast assembled in front of his lens carries its own considerable weight , beginning with the film's clear lead.
Emily Blunt as Margaret Fairchild
Emily Blunt is the highest-paid cast member on Disclosure Day, with her fee estimated between $10 million and $15 million. Her character, meteorologist Margaret Fairchild, is the first human to understand and communicate in an unknown alien language, making her the emotional and dramatic spine of the entire film. It is a weight that her market value more than justifies.
Her recent earnings tell the story of a career at the very top of the industry. Blunt earned $12–13 million for A Quiet Place Part II (2021), one of the highest actress salaries that year. She took a reported pay cut to $4 million for Oppenheimer (2023) to work with Christopher Nolan, despite her market rate sitting well above that figure. Edge of Tomorrow (2014) and Mary Poppins Returns (2018) both came with multi-million dollar deals, and her involvement in The Devil Wears Prada franchise has added further to her commercial profile.
Blunt anchors the film's human story, but the supporting cast around her brings its own formidable track record to the table.
Josh O'Connor as Daniel Kellner
Josh O'Connor is estimated to have earned $6 million for Disclosure Day, where he plays Daniel Kellner, a whistleblower working to expose the truth behind the alien encounter. His asking price has risen sharply on the back of a strong run of acclaimed performances. This Steven Spielberg project marks a significant career payday for the actor.
His past earnings reflect a trajectory that has moved quickly from indie prestige to major studio territory. God's Own Country (2017) and La Chimera (2023) came with modest fees typical of independent productions. His Emmy-winning turn in The Crown raised his profile considerably, while Challengers (2024), where he earned approximately $350,000 as part of an ensemble behind Zendaya, demonstrated his ability to hold his own against far higher-paid co-stars. Emma (2020) added further visibility without yet reflecting the current market rate.
O'Connor's rise has been one of the more striking in recent years, though he is not the only veteran presence Steven Spielberg has brought on board.
Colin Firth as Noah Scanlon
Colin Firth, who plays corporate executive Noah Scanlon, is estimated to have earned between $6 million and $10 million for Disclosure Day. His long career, international recognition, and consistent box office reliability give him strong leverage in negotiations for roles of this scale. Past earnings back that up clearly. The King's Speech (2010) earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor, with profit participation in a film that generated $50–75 million in profits. Mamma Mia! (2008) and its sequel brought significant paychecks from a franchise that grossed over $600 million worldwide. Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) came with a solid mid-seven-figure fee for the hit action franchise, and the Bridget Jones series has provided consistent high-end leading man pay across multiple instalments.
Firth brings decades of prestige and global appeal to the ensemble, a quality shared by at least one more cast member, rounding out the film's central lineup.
Colman Domingo as Hugo Wakefield
Colman Domingo is estimated to have earned between $4 million and $7 million for his role as Hugo Wakefield, a key figure in the film's central mystery. His profile has grown substantially through a combination of acclaimed television, theatre, and film work, and Disclosure Day represents one of his largest studio paydays to date. His past earnings reflect a career built on prestige rather than blockbuster scale.
Selma (2014) and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020) came with fees in the mid-to-high six figures typical of prestige ensemble productions. His Emmy-nominated work on Euphoria raised his television profile significantly, while Rustin (2023), which earned him an Academy Award nomination, marked a turning point for his film salary expectations. Fear the Walking Dead further established his long-form television value over multiple seasons.
Domingo rounds out a central ensemble that collectively commands tens of millions, but one more name completes the picture.
Eve Hewson in a supporting role
Eve Hewson is estimated to have earned between $3 million and $6 million for Disclosure Day, with her character's details kept largely under wraps ahead of release. The deliberate secrecy around her role has only added to audience curiosity heading into the opening weekend. Her past earnings sit in the rising mid-range of the industry.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Flora and Son (2023) came with a fee reflective of an independent production with strong festival ambitions. Bad Sisters gave her one of her most widely seen performances to date, significantly boosting her streaming profile. The Perfect Couple (2024) continued that upward trajectory with a high-profile Netflix production. Bridge of Spies (2015), incidentally, also a Steven Spielberg film, gave her early exposure to working at this scale, making her casting here something of a full-circle moment.
Overall cast salaries for Disclosure Day are estimated to fall between $35 million and $45 million, a significant but standard allocation for a star-driven Steven Spielberg production of this scale. The film will need somewhere between $300 million and $500 million globally to turn a theatrical profit once marketing and revenue sharing are factored in. The pedigree assembled both behind and in front of the camera, however, gives it every reason to get there.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
What are your thoughts on the Disclosure Day cast salaries? Let us know in the comments.
ADVERTISEMENT
Edited By: Itti Mahajan
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT



