RMD: I negotiate movie backend deals but Netflix doesn’t pay royalties

Richard Mofe-Damijo, Nigerian actor better known as RMD, says he negotiates backend deals in movie projects but Netflix doesn’t pay royalties.

Backends are contracts between the filmmaker, actors, talent, and production crews in which payment is disbursed as a percentage after the distribution of a film once all cost expenses have been paid and the movie breaks even.

It is common when a film is projected to rake in high returns, as against contracts where flat rates are handed out.

Netflix is said to pay millions and more for a blanket license to stream its titles and so doesn’t do royalties per se.

RMD spoke of the state of royalty payments in the Nigerian movie industry during a recent interview with HipTV.

“Not everyone can negotiate backends and all that but, gradually, I think more people will. I try to negotiate backends all the time but Netflix doesn’t really pay backends,” the film icon said.

“I always argue that you have to pay that one-off fee as future fees as well. There are a few actors getting royalties.”

RMD said there is a need for indigenous actors to find successful stars as career mentors, so they get to aim higher.

“In everything, if you don’t have people you look up to, you don’t aspire very far,” the 60-year-old actor added.

“Your mentors don’t have to be up close or personal. I’ve admired Denzel Washington forever but I’ve not met him.

“I hope  I do someday so I can say thank you. Mentors are needed everywhere.

“What I do is try and mentor as many as I can. I look back and feel happy about how many people I have touched.”