Why Did Will Smith Give Away Money to King Richard Co-Stars?

HBO is about to release a biopic on the life of Venus and Serena Williams’ father, Richard Williams. The name of the film is ‘King Richard’ and renowned actor Will Smith is playing the character of Richard in the movie.

Without a doubt, Venus and Serena Williams would not have achieved so much success if their father, Richard Williams, had not supported them in their childhood. Thus, in order to recognize his contribution, HBO decided to make a film on his life. Interestingly, along with playing the central character, Smith is also one of the producers of the upcoming movie.

Will Smith gave away additional money to his co-stars of King Richard

Fans became stunned after they get to know that Will Smith gave away a huge sum of money to his fellow co-stars of King Richard. However, what was the reason for the same?

Actually, When Warner Media launched the studio’s 2021 theatrical slate day-and-date in theatres and on streaming service HBO Max simultaneously, they had to suffer a loss of theatrical returns. As a result, even Smith suffered a loss, but he made sure that he gave away sufficient money to his co-stars. It was done in order to compensate the actors for the lost theatrical returns.

In simpler terms, Warner Media had to go through a loss since it is releasing the film simultaneously in theatres as well as on their streaming platform HBO Max. Thus, to compensate for such losses, Smith gave a hefty bonus to his co-stars.

Intriguingly, Smith received a total of about $40 on his payday and then wrote checks to his other co-stars. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a source described this payment or bonus as a compensation for the pivot to simultaneous HBO Max release strategy.

In addition, at the Grand Premiere of ‘Red Notice’, Layla Crawford who is playing the role of Serena Williams’ sister, Lyndrea Price, revealed that Smith gave her and the other co-stars some beautiful presents after the completion of the film.

“He gave us Polaroid cameras and different treats all the time. He’s just such a generous and sweet person. He also gave us iPhone 12 Pro Max gifts in boxes. We ripped them open and everyone started crying. I literally cried my eyes out- it was the best gift ever,” said Crawford.

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When is King Richard hitting the theatres?

Fans are quite excited to watch the film which will be getting released on the big screen on November 19, 2021. Those who have the subscription of HBO Max can also watch it on the online platform from the very same date.

After getting some really good initial reviews, fans are eagerly waiting for King Richard’s release. Will it turn out be yet another Will Smith blockbuster?

Also Read: “Completely the Opposite”: Will Smith Reveals How His Image of Venus and Serena Williams’ Father Changed