Overview

• Wes Anderson confirmed Gene Hackman was deeply unhappy with the flat-fee salary model used on 'The Royal Tenenbaums,' which paid all cast members equally.
• Hackman, initially reluctant to join the film, was the only cast member to protest the pay structure, though he eventually agreed after others accepted it.
• Anderson described their on-set relationship as strained, with Hackman leaving production without saying goodbye and the two never speaking again after the film wrapped.
• Hackman later admitted to Anderson that he appreciated the final film, though he struggled to understand it during production.
• Anderson’s flat-fee model, introduced on 'Rushmore,' has since inspired broader conversations about pay parity in Hollywood and remains a hallmark of his filmmaking ethos.