Director Brady Corbet poses with the Best Director award for ‘The Brutalist’, during the 2025 British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTAs). File
| Photo Credit: ISABEL INFANTES
Filmmaker Brady Corbet has revealed that he earned no income from directing The Brutalist, despite the film receiving 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. Speaking on WTF With Marc Maron, Corbet shared that he had to take commercial directing jobs in Portugal to make a living.
“I just directed three advertisements in Portugal,” Corbet said. “It’s the first time that I had made any money in years.” He added that both he and his wife, Mona Fastvold, who is also his creative partner, “made zero dollars on the last two films that we made,” referring to The Brutalist and Vox Lux (2018).
Corbet explained that the financial struggles extend beyond his own experience. “I’ve spoken to many filmmakers that have the films that are nominated this year that can’t pay their rent. I mean, that’s a real thing.”
He also pointed out the demands of awards season, noting that filmmakers are not compensated for promoting their films. “Our film premiered in September. So I’ve been doing this for six months. And had zero income because I don’t have any time to go to work.”
The press circuit, he said, has been relentless. “It’s seven days a week. It’s boundless. It’s constant travel,” Corbet explained, adding that he recently completed 90 interviews in a single week.
The Brutalist received 10 Academy Award nominations this year, including Best Picture, Best Director for Corbet, Best Actor for Adrien Brody, and Best Supporting Actress for Felicity Jones.
Published – February 18, 2025 12:05 pm IST