When we hear “Deadpool,” we think of a blockbuster hit that makes tons of money. But getting The Merc with a Mouth onto the big screen wasn’t easy. Surprisingly, neither was the paycheck for the film’s director, Tim Miller.
During a panel at CCXP in São Paulo, Brazil, Tim Miller talked about his time working on the 2016 Deadpool movie. He was joined by Robert Kirkman and Dave Wilson, while Steve Weintraub from Collider hosted the discussion. While promoting his new series Secret Level, Miller shared a surprising fact: he was only paid $225,000 to direct the movie. That’s shockingly low, especially for a film that earned over $782 million worldwide and became a massive cultural phenomenon.
Sure, $225,000 might sound like a lot to most of us, but for directing such a huge hit, it’s not what you’d expect. Miller’s story shows that even when something becomes a big success, it doesn’t always start with big rewards.
Advertisement 
Steve Weintraub pointed out how tough it was to get the Deadpool movie made and asked Tim Miller how it felt to see the underdog film become a big deal, even mentioned by Disney in stockholder meetings. Miller said it felt amazing to be part of creating something that turned into such a huge pop culture hit. It was a moment of real pride for him.
I feel nothing but proud, When I walk around CCXP and see all the Deadpool toys and figures, I think to myself, ‘These wouldn’t exist if we hadn’t made the movie.’ It’s such an incredible feeling to know I was part of something so special. But then I also think, ‘Man, I wish my director deal included a cut of the merchandise so I could earn some of that money too.’
Tim Miller said
Most people don’t realize that being a first-time director in Hollywood doesn’t pay much. Let me be clear—I got $225,000 to direct Deadpool. Sure, that sounds like a lot, but it was two years of work, so it’s really not. Don’t get me wrong, I’m super grateful, but that’s just how it works when you’re new. My agent even joked, ‘You could’ve made more money directing an episode of The Walking Dead!’
Tim Miller explained,
People often think everyone in Hollywood makes millions, but that’s not always true, I don’t want to seem ungrateful because I was. I got the chance to direct Deadpool when I was 50, and for a long time, I thought I’d never get to direct a movie, even though it had been my dream my whole life.
Tim Miller shared
Deadpool was an underdog story, both in the movie and behind the scenes. For years, Ryan Reynolds worked hard to bring Wade Wilson to the big screen the right way after the character’s disappointing debut in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. When the movie finally got approved, it had a small budget of $58 million. Even the film joked about it, with Deadpool saying they couldn’t afford to include the real X-Men. To put it in perspective, most superhero movies at that time cost $150 million or more.
Since Deadpool, Tim Miller has built an impressive career. It was his first time directing a feature film, but he went on to direct Terminator: Dark Fate and worked on reshoots for Lionsgate’s Borderlands (though he wasn’t credited). He also served as an executive producer for all three Sonic the Hedgehog movies. Back in 2005, Miller earned an Academy Award nomination for his animated short film Gopher Broke.
On TV, he created Love, Death & Robots and directed episodes of the series. Before directing movies, Miller started as a visual effects artist. He even designed the opening title sequences for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) and Thor: The Dark World (2013).
His latest project, Secret Level, is streaming now on Prime Video. Meanwhile, you can watch Deadpool, Deadpool 2, and Deadpool & Wolverine on Disney+.