Netflix hit show Stranger Things returned in July with more small town sci-fi shenanigans and plenty of Eighties nostalgia.
As the show's continued to surge with their third season, the cast has allegedly bagged a gigantic pay rise for it with Deadline reporting immense salary increases.
Younger members of the cast - who were mostly unknown before the show kicked off in 2016 - reportedly saw a large bump in their salaries. According to Deadline, Millie Bobby Brown (who plays Eleven) was said to have nabbed the highest of them all, adding several zeroes to a healthy bank account that also benefits from lucrative brand campaigns and her Godzilla paycheck.
Recently, TMZ has also claimed that Brown will be making $6.1 million for her upcoming film Enola Holmes; a movie centered Sherlock Holmes’ sister Enola who will be played by Brown. The outlet also reports that she could get a $800k bonus if the film performs well. Depending on how it goes, if they decide to make a sequel Brown will reportedly make $7.5 million for it.
Brown has also recently joined a high profile advertising campaign for Samsung and shared a clip on Instagram in July, in which she announced that she was now part of #TeamGalaxy. The campaign sees her star alongside musician Steve Aoki, Lil Miquela and Ninja; one of the biggest gaming personalities on the scene today.
Here's a full break down of the cast net worth, ages and pay per episode (though it's safe to say they're earning a lot more than most teenagers of the same age).
How old are the Stranger Things cast members?
The Stranger Things cast has a diverse age range of actors on the show, with the youngest starting at 14 years old all the way through to 60. Bobby Brown (Eleven) is 15 years old, while her onscreen pals Matarazzo (Dustin) and Wolfhard (Mike) are both 16. Sadie Sink (Max) and McLaughlin (Lucas) are 17, while Schnapp (Will) is the youngest cast member on the show at 14 years old.
The show’s onscreen teenagers are all in their early to mid 20s, Dyer (Nancy) is 22, Heaton (Jonathan) is 25 years old and Dacre Montgomery (Billy) is 24 years old. Keery (Steve) is the oldest in this age range at 27 years old while newcomer Maya Hawke (daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, who plays Robin) is 20.
Winona Ryder (Joyce) is 47 years old and David Harbour (Jim) is 44 years old.
What is the Stranger Things cast salary per episode?
When Stranger Things hit Netflix back in 2016, many of its cast members were unknown. Due to this, they were paid a lower rate per episode. Deadline reports the younger stars earned $30,000 per episode for the first two series (still much better than a paper run).
After the 80s sci-fi show exploded onto the scene, the cast were able to bag a hefty pay rise in later negotiations. The show’s central Goonies-esque crew - which includes Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Noah Schnapp (Will) and Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas) - are expected to make between $200-250k per episode. Millie Bobby Brown is expected to make more but the exact figure has not been disclosed.
Brown isn’t the one with the biggest payday as the top billed cast members Winona Ryder (Joyce) and David Harbour (Hopper) are now estimated to make between $300-350k per episode.
Other actors including Natalie Dyer (Nancy) and Charlie Heaton (Jonathan) are now believed to make $100-150k per episode.
What is Millie Bobby Brown’s net worth?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Brown is valued at $4 million - however if her Enola Holmes estimations by TMZ are true then she is set to net $6.1 million for the project alone, along with the promise of $7.5 million more if they decide to go forwards with a sequel.
Based on Deadline’s estimations, Millie Bobby Brown will make as much as $2 million for Stranger Things series 3 - adding to a previous total of $510,000. This means she has taken home $2,510,000 for the Netflix series alone, but Brown has also been busy with other projects, both on and off screen.
The Blast reports that Brown made a hefty $1 million for her role in Godzilla and in a leaked contract, it was revealed she would also make a “5% cut of all the merchandising around her character”. The report also claimed she would make $3 million in the event she came back for a sequel - however she narrowly missed out on making even more money due to a clause in the contract.
Apparently, if the film made a worldwide gross of over $750 million then Brown would have received a bonus - bumping her payday (plus sequel) to $4.5 million. The film has come in far under that worldwide gross which is currently just over $378 million according to Box Office Mojo.
Where has Millie Bobby Brown’s money come from?
Beyond her roles in Godzilla and Stranger Things, Brown has also become something of a fashion darling. The actor, who is also signed to IMG Models, has been seen at a number of fashion parties (including a recent Louis Vuitton one) and she’s landed two luxury fashion campaigns with Calvin Klein and Moncler.
Although it isn’t clear from her Instagram, she has also hashtagged previous images #conversepartner which means she could potentially be nabbing a check from them too.
Brown has also since ventured into more tech partnerships, unveiling a recent campaign with Samsung for their Galaxy phone range.
Calling herself part of #TeamGalaxy, she was seen in ads flashing one of the brand’s phones in a surreal neon world alongside Steve Aoki, Lil Miquela and Ninja.
On the video game front, she was part of an EA Games collaboration for The Sims.
Brown additionally partnered with the UEFA (Union of European Football Association) on a #WePlayStrong campaign to promote women in sports.
What is Finn Wolfhard’s net worth?
Wolfhard is estimated to be worth $2 million.
Wolfhard is another of Stranger Things’ most recognisable faces and he’s made a name for himself in other throwback projects, as he featured in a recent adaptation of It in 2017. This year is set to be a big one for him as he’s also slated to feature in The Goldfinch, It Chapter Two and The Addams Family - with two more projects (including Ghostbusters 2020) pegged for next year.
As with Brown, Wolfhard also has a fashion campaign under his belt for Yves Saint Laurent. He also plays in a band called Calpurnia and recently played at the Governors Ball music festival.
What is Gaten Matarazzo’s net worth?
Matarazzo is also estimated to be worth $2 million.
While he’s known for being the funny guy in the gang, Matarazzo is also an accomplished singer (Check out his take on the Star Spangled Banner).
In fact, he’s set to star in a version of the musical Into The Woods this summer at the Hollywood Bowl. Clearly, the Stranger Things kids are really into their band phase as he also features in a 7-person group called Work in Progress. They are set to tour the East Coast this year.
Although he has yet to land a fashion campaign of the same calibre as Brown and Woflhard, he has been working with men’s grooming brand Axe, Fios and video game Brawl Stars alongside Schnapp on sponsorships.
