Jet Li Scores a Record $13M Payday

Action star Jet Li will bag $13 million for his role in the upcoming The Warriors, breaking his own salary record for an actor in a Chinese-language film. With Chinese films drawing more international attention, Li's fat paycheck comes from investors' confidence in him as a "guarantee" of the $40 million film's global viability, Reuters reports.

"Without Jet Li, we would not dare to invest $40 million in a Chinese-language film," the film's director said. Nearly half of the budget for The Warriors went to the cast, which also includes Hong Kong star Andy Lau. The Warriors opens in Asia in mid-December, and in North America next March. (More Jet Li stories.)