Brady Corbet, director of the Oscar-nominated film The Brutalist, recently revealed that he has earned no income from his latest project. In an appearance on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast, Corbet explained that he and his wife and creative partner, Mona Fastvold, have received no payment for both The Brutalist and their previous film, Vox Lux. To cover his expenses, the filmmaker turned to directing advertisements in Portugal—a venture he described as his first paid work in years.
Corbet detailed the financial challenges faced by independent filmmakers during the lengthy press circuit. “I just directed three advertisements in Portugal. It’s the first time that I had made any money in years,” he said, noting that he has been living off a paycheck from three years ago. The director lamented the constant demands of film promotion, which have kept him from taking on other projects, including writing jobs.
The situation described by Corbet is not isolated. He mentioned speaking with other filmmakers whose Oscar-nominated projects have yet to yield any financial returns, underscoring the broader issues of sustainability within the industry. He explained that while filmmakers work tirelessly to promote their films, there is little compensation for the effort involved—a reality that has left many struggling to cover basic expenses.
The Brutalist, which earned 10 Academy Award nominations, stars Adrien Brody as a Hungarian-Jewish Holocaust survivor. Other nominations include best supporting actress for Felicity Jones and best supporting actor for Guy Pearce. Despite the film’s critical success and recognition, the promotional period has taken a significant toll on Corbet’s personal finances and work-life balance. He described the past six months as a period of non-stop work, with 90 interviews in one week and no real break since a brief four-day rest over the Christmas period.
The revelations from Corbet shed light on the financial hardships that can accompany even critically acclaimed projects in the film industry, raising questions about how filmmakers are compensated for their contributions beyond the accolades.
