A public war of words has broken out amongst the defunct HBO series’ stars and producer Mark Wahlberg over salary demands that are holding up production.
RELATED | Entourage Movie Gets Green Light — But What Will It Be About?
Wahlberg, whose life inspired the series, told TMZ that production on the reunion movie, which has been talked about since Aug. 2012 and officially got a green light back in January, would start up “as soon as them guys stop being so greedy.”
Cast member Adrian Grenier seemingly responded to that shot across the bow with this tweet, which says in part, “I will sign any deal that gives ALL the boys an opportunity to share in the upside of success EQUALLY…. [D]espite the perception, there is no greed in my heart.”
Seemingly at stake here, above and beyond any upfront pay, are “back end” participation points, which stand to fatten wallets if the Entourage film enjoys a fraction of the success that its HBO-to-Cineplex predecessor Sex and the City did.
To date, only Jeremy Piven — who famously commanded the biggest bucks as the show’s best known, breakout and Emmy-awarded performer — and, by some accounts, Kevin Connolly have closed their deals, leaving Grenier, Kevin Dillon and Jerry Ferrara as the holdouts.
UPDATE: As pointed out by TVLine reader Mike, Connolly weighed in on the hullabaloo during a Grantland podcast, saying, “It’s not a matter of greed, it’s a matter of people wanting different things…. It’s really gotten blown way out of proportion, like there’s some huge money discrepancy. That’s not the case.” E’s portrayer also said that scheduling conflicts preclude the shoot from starting any sooner than December. “Guys are busy, so it’s just a matter of getting the dates right and signing everybody’s deals.”
In related news: Who exactly is clamoring for an Entourage movie?
Get more from TVLine.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
- Arts & Entertainment
- Media
- Mark Wahlberg
- Entourage
- Adrian Grenier
