“Thor: Ragnarok” co-stars Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth are reuniting for another big budget project. Thompson is in talks to join Hemsworth in Sony’s “Men in Black” spinoff, Variety reports. This casting news is an opportunity to raise some important questions about pay equity.
The original 1997 sci-fi comedy starred Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as agents of a secret organization — known as the Men in Black — formed to protect Earth from aliens. If Thompson and Hemsworth are co-leads in the pic, it only makes sense for the “Men” part of the title to change. But we’re left wondering if that’s all that’s going to be updated.
Now is the time to examine the quote system, which is how paydays in Hollywood are determined. The system is inherently sexist because quotes are based on the success of an actor’s last film — and if women don’t get opportunities to carry top-grossing films, then they will never get high quotes. We also have to bear in mind that men continue to be valued more than women — and are much more likely to have under-performing movies excused than women. Just consider Johnny Depp’s filmography in recent years — it includes box office duds such as “Mortdecai,” “The Lone Ranger,” and “Transcendence.” But he can still demand huge quotes. Could a woman with the same track record?
If Thompson and Hemsworth have equal screen time, will they be paid equally? Yes, he’s Thor, but she’s in blockbusters too — including Hemsworth-led “Thor: Ragnarok.” She played a central role in “Creed.” Made with a modest budget of $35 million, the boxing movie went on to earn over $173 million worldwide. She’s also in “Westworld,” one of the hottest shows currently on TV. She has indie cache (“Dear White People”) and has starred in a Best Picture nominee (“Selma”).
Prior to “Thor,” Hemsworth was best known for Australian soap “Home and Away” and a supporting role in “Star Trek.” “Thor” grossed more than $449 million and made him a star. Sequels and “The Avengers” followed. With receipts for box office success, he could demand a high quote for his next projects. That same trajectory is not available to women, and especially not women of color.
Hemsworth and Thompson most likely have very different quotes. But she hasn’t had the opportunities he’s had. Arguably only one woman has — “Wonder Woman’s” Gal Gadot, also a relative unknown plucked from relative obscurity to star in a highly anticipated, well-promoted, big budget superhero movie. (Jennifer Lawrence went from “Winter’s Bone” to “X-Men” to carrying “The Hunger Games” franchise with several Oscar noms in there too.)
In order to change these bullshit sexist quotes we need to pay people equally for their parts, and not based solely on their previous projects. This business practice is inherently racist and sexist. People should be fairly compensated for the work that they do. This is what systemic change looks like.
To help enact industry-wide change, we’re hoping Hemsworth adds an inclusion rider to his contact.
Slated to open May 17, 2019, the”Men in Black” spinoff is being directed by F. Gary Gray (“The Fate of the Furious,” “Straight Outta Compton”).
