The Rip Netflix deal just changed how streaming works, and it’s about time. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, through their Artists Equity production company, negotiated a first-of-its-kind agreement that gives all 1,200 cast and crew members performance-based bonuses if the film does well. This is huge. This is revolutionary. This is two Boston boys using their clout to fix an industry problem that shouldn’t have existed in the first place.
The Rip Netflix partnership means that everyone from the lead actors to the grip electricians gets a piece of the success. Traditionally, Netflix pays upfront and that’s it. You get your check, the movie drops, and if it becomes Stranger Things-level popular, too bad. The Rip Netflix model says that’s nonsense. If you build something successful, you should benefit from that success. Revolutionary concept, I know.
Affleck and Damon explained their reasoning with the kind of straightforward logic that makes studio executives nervous. “Every single person that works on this movie—it’s the most collaborative of all art forms,” Affleck said. “Everybody is vital to it.” Damon agreed: “Every single person who worked on it should benefit from it.” The Rip Netflix bonuses will be measured over the first 90 days, using metrics that were defined and shared with everyone before release. Transparency in Hollywood. Wild.
The film itself is a Miami cop thriller directed by Joe Carnahan, about officers who find millions in cash and watch their trust disintegrate. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck play two of the cops, because apparently they also act in the movies they produce. Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, and Sasha Calle round out the cast. But the real story is The Rip Netflix precedent. If this works, other productions will demand similar deals. Streaming’s exploitative pay structure might finally start cracking.
Affleck and Damon launched Artists Equity in 2022 with exactly this goal: empowering filmmakers through entrepreneurial partnerships. The Rip Netflix agreement is their proof of concept. “We wanted to institute fairness and address some of the real issues that are present and urgent for our business,” Affleck explained. The movie has to actually be successful for bonuses to trigger, which adds a delightful layer of pressure. But if anyone can will a Netflix movie to success through sheer Boston intensity, it’s these two.
Stream The Rip on Netflix and support the film that might finally make streaming fair to the people who make it.
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