Director of ‘The Brutalist’ Reveals Oscar-Nominated Film Has Earned Him ‘Zero Dollars’

In a recent interview, Brady Corbet, the director of ‘The Brutalist’, revealed that he has received no compensation for his highly acclaimed work. According to Corbet, he and his wife Mona Fastvold, who is also his creative partner, have not benefited financially from ‘The Brutalist’, even though the film has won numerous accolades, including Best Director and Best Actor at the BAFTAs and is a serious candidate for Best Picture at the upcoming Oscars.

During an interview on the ‘WTF with Marc Maron’ show, Corbet clarified that both ‘The Brutalist’ and his 2017 film ‘Vox Lux’ have brought them “zero dollars.” He continued by saying that the first time he had earned any money in years, he had to accept three advertising gigs in Portugal.

“They had to live off a paycheck from three years ago,” Corbet said in response to Marc Maron’s question on whether he was using metaphor. He also noted that the financial difficulties faced by filmmakers are not unique, pointing out that many of the directors whose films are nominated for Oscars this year are going through similar difficulties, with some even finding it difficult to make ends meet.

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Filmmakers must also deal with the hardship of going to film festivals and the awards circuit without receiving payment for promoting their work, Corbet underlined. He revealed that since the September premiere of ‘The Brutalist’, he has been working on the movie circuit for the last six months without receiving any money, which has prevented him from taking on writing or other employment.

Adrien Brody is nominated for Best Actor, and ‘The Brutalist’ has ten Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director for Corbet. Paul Bradshaw gave ‘The Brutalist’ a five-star review, calling it “an epic about the literal building blocks of America” and praising its uncompromising depiction of the relationship between art and wealth.

–Farheen Ali