Brady Corbet, the director of the Oscar-nominated The Brutalist, recently shared that he "made zero dollars" from the critically acclaimed film. Speaking on the WTF With Marc Maron podcast, Corbet revealed that his recent income came from directing three commercials in Portugal — his first paycheck in years.
Corbet, along with his wife and creative partner Mona Fastvold, also made no money from their previous project, Vox Lux (2018). Despite The Brutalist earning 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Actor (Adrien Brody), Best Supporting Actress (Felicity Jones), Best Director (Corbet), and Best Picture, financial struggles have persisted.
"Yes. Actually, zero," Corbet confirmed when Maron asked him to clarify his income. "We had to live off a paycheck from three years ago." He added that many filmmakers with Oscar-nominated films this year are in similar positions, struggling to pay rent.
Promoting the film has also taken its toll. Corbet noted that filmmakers aren’t compensated for promotional work, which often stretches for months. "Our film premiered in September, and I’ve been doing this for six months with zero income," he said. The press circuit, described by Corbet as "a six-month interrogation," has been relentless, with 90 interviews completed in one week alone.
"It’s seven days a week, constant travel, working Saturdays and Sundays. I haven’t had a day off since Christmas, and that was only four days."
Corbet’s candid revelations shed light on the often unseen financial hardships faced by independent filmmakers, even when their work is celebrated on Hollywood’s biggest stage.
