The residual reality check
Real talk: acting royalty isn't always raking in massive checks for every project. James McAvoy—our king of versatility in Atonement, X-Men: First Class, and Speak No Evil—just dropped a candid truth bomb on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. While he’s appeared in plenty of massive hits, he admitted that the only film he still gets consistent residuals for is M. Night Shyamalan’s 2016 psychological thriller, Split.
McAvoy kept it 100 about how weird the industry pay scale can be, noting that sometimes he gets checks for "like 25 cents," which cost more to mail than to cash. Split, however, is built different. It was an absolute monster at the box office, made on a super modest $6 million budget and earning back its production and advertising costs by the end of its first weekend. It ended up pulling in a massive $278.45 million worldwide. “Our first residual check came at the end of the first weekend. It was bonkers,” McAvoy shared.
Learning from Shyamalan
Beyond the bag, McAvoy had nothing but praise for Shyamalan’s directing style. He highlighted that working on Split and its sequel, Glass, was a masterclass in efficiency. Because the budgets were so tight, Shyamalan was incredibly “prepared,” knowing exactly how to maximize every single shot and minute of his day. It’s giving main character energy on both sides of the camera.
Why it matters
It’s a fascinating look at the backend of the film industry, where a low-budget horror flick can lowkey out-earn prestige dramas in terms of long-term dividends. For fans of Kevin Wendell Crumb and his 23 distinct personalities, it’s a reminder that Split was a total W for everyone involved.
