Hollywood stars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are once again challenging industry norms, this time by ensuring that the entire crew of their new film shares in its potential success. Their latest project, the Netflix thriller The Rip, features a pioneering deal where all 1,200 people who worked on the movie will receive a bonus if it performs well on the streaming platform.
A New Model for Film Industry Fairness
Through their production company, Artists Equity, Affleck and Damon brokered a first-of-its-kind agreement with Netflix. The deal stipulates that if The Rip hits specific performance thresholds measured by minutes watched, bonus payments will be distributed to every cast and crew member involved in the production.
"Our contention is, if the movie is successful for the platform, and Netflix can measure that by the minutes watched, if we hit those thresholds, bonus payments come out and get shared amongst everybody who worked on the movie," Damon explained in a virtual interview from New York.
Affleck emphasized the collaborative spirit behind the move. "We wanted to codify a model that included 1,200 people on the crew, as well as the cast, because we firmly believe that when everyone is investing themselves, that makes it likelier that you’re going to have something that people connect to more."
The Film: A Tense Crime Thriller Inspired by True Events
The Rip, which began streaming on Netflix on January 17, 2026, is a crime thriller written and directed by Joe Carnahan. Inspired by a true story, the plot centres on a group of Miami police officers, led by characters played by Affleck and Damon, who discover a stash house containing $20 million in cash.
The film explores the escalating tension and mistrust within the group as they grapple with the temptation and danger surrounding the immense fortune. The supporting cast includes Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, Sasha Calle, and Kyle Chandler.
Affleck described the psychological drama at the film's core, noting the real-life Florida law that offers informants a percentage of seized illicit funds. "People do a lot of things for money and there’s some danger there," he said.
Building on a Legacy of Disruption
Affleck, 53, and Damon, 55, first upended Hollywood nearly three decades ago with their Oscar-winning script for Good Will Hunting. Now, with Artists Equity, founded in 2022, they aim to instigate structural change.
"How this business survives and thrives going forward, we believe, is going to be fundamentally related to the fact that (filmmaking) really is a collaborative art form, so (we are) seeking to incentivize all of those folks into making the best movie possible," Affleck stated.
The company, which has also produced films like Air and The Accountant 2, seeks to create more equitable financial participation in an industry traditionally dominated by back-end deals for top-tier stars and producers.
Hidden Gems and Lasting Partnership
During the interview, the lifelong friends, who have collaborated since childhood, also recommended lesser-known films from each other's careers. Damon highlighted Affleck's 2020 drama The Way Back, while Affleck praised Damon's performances in The Informant!, Stillwater, and The Good Shepherd.
The deal for The Rip represents a tangible step toward their vision of a more inclusive film economy, where a project's success translates into rewards for the many, not just the few.
