Emma Watson was incredibly skeptical about a major production decision involving her highest-paying Harry Potter movie.

Via: TheThings

Suffice it to say, Emma Watson‘s net worth has racked up some serious miles on the Harry Potter express. The now 33-year-old is currently worth an eye-watering $85 million, the bulk of which she accrued from portraying Hermione Granger, one of the franchise’s triumvirate of beloved characters.

Despite the massive payoff, Watson wasn’t as enchanted with the franchise as some might think. Surprisingly, the Noah star’s skepticism peaked right before she cashed in on her highest-paying gig within the franchise. Despite the colossal paycheck awaiting her, Watson found herself grappling with a pivotal production decision, suspecting it to be a potential money grab.

What Was Emma Watson’s Highest-Paying Harry Potter Movie?

Beginning as one of the hottest young adult fantasy novels of the ’90s, the Harry Potter franchise owes a massive chunk of its success to its eight silver-screen adaptations, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson.

Wrapping up in 2011 with the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, the films boast a cumulative box office gross of around $9.5 billion. Predictably, the masterminds behind the films have cashed in a colossal fortune for their efforts, and Emma Watson, who portrayed Hermione Granger in all eight films, is no exception.

While the 33-year-old’s earnings from the first four Harry Potter films remain undisclosed, it can be safely assumed that she pocketed less than $1 million for the inaugural installment, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. According to Parade, Daniel Radcliffe snagged a cool $1 million for his debut transformation into Harry Potter, making it highly improbable that any of the cast’s paychecks breached the million-dollar mark.

As the franchise’s popularity and box office performance skyrocketed, so did Watson’s paychecks. According to Cosmopolitan, the 33-year-old banked a whopping $4 million for her role in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which pulled in an impressive $942 million at the box office.

However, Watson’s most substantial payday didn’t roll in until 2010, when she reprised her role in the franchise’s two-part finale, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, scoring a cool $30 million.

Emma Watson Was Concerned That Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Was A Money Grab

Despite the massive payoffs, Emma Watson’s tenure in the Harry Potter franchise wasn’t without its bottlenecks. From navigating awkward off-screen confrontations with co-stars to enduring grueling production demands, the Noah star had to confront multiple challenges before her time as Hermione Granger lapsed.

Surprisingly, one of Watson’s most overwhelming moments occurred right before she geared up to reprise her role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, her highest-earning gig in the franchise. Even with a colossal $30 million check dangling before her, the Noah star found herself wrestling with some intense skepticism about a crucial production decision.

So, what exactly about the Harry Potter finale left Watson feeling so unsettled? Well, much like some fans, Watson was rather cynical about Warner Bros.’ decision to split the finale into two parts, suspecting the move to be an underhanded attempt to capitalize on the franchise’s success and boost box office sales.

“At first, I’ll be honest, at first I was like ‘Oh my goodness’ cause we were doing [movie] 6 at the time, I was like ‘Oh my God three more movies’ I was just overwhelmed, I was like wow that is a lot,” she shared with Collider in 2010.

“I was like, ‘Is this a money-spinner?’ You know I was very cynical and dubious about it. I’ll be honest I was not immediately impressed.”

Emma Watson Eventually Understood Why Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Had To Be Split Into Two

It’s not exactly a mystery why Emma Watson harbored skepticism about the notion of splitting the Harry Potter finale into two parts. While undeniably lucrative, none of the preceding entries in the franchise had come close to the $2 billion mark. The franchise’s biggest commercial triumph at the time remained Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, which had raked in a colossal $1.02 billion at the box office.

Splitting the finale into two parts, however, proved astronomically lucrative in terms of box office sales, with both films collectively amassing a colossal $2.319 billion at the box office against a combined budget of $250 million.

However, the Perks of Being a Wallflower star’s skepticism didn’t endure for long, owing to a rather eye-opening discussion with the film’s production team. Speaking to Collider in 2010, Watson revealed that she eventually realized that the decision to split the finale into two was driven more by artistic integrity than financial gain.

“I thought about it and I talked about it with David, the producers, and they said ‘Look, there’s no way we can fit everything into one movie. It’ll be too much. It won’t be a good movie, it won’t be true to the book.”

“We’re not even sure we could call it Deathly Hallows cause we don’t even know if we can fit that storyline in cause we’re trying to focus so much on getting the Horcruxes and killing them. We’d have to call it something different, it would just be crazy.”

Convinced that the decision wasn’t solely driven by financial motives, Watson swiftly shifted her stance and wholeheartedly embraced the notion of splitting the finale into two parts.

“As soon as I saw the logic behind it I realized that it was absolutely the way we had to do it. So yeah, it made total sense and I was totally behind it. Certainly, at first, I had my reservations.”