The movie world was rocked on Sunday with the news that legendary director Tony Scott (his work includes Prometheus, Gladiator, and, of course, Top Gun) had jumped to his death from the Vincent Thomas Bridge in Los Angeles. His death was an enormous loss to the Hollywood community — but perhaps not as great as the legacy and inheritance that he left behind.
Tony Scott wearing his signature red hat at the 2010 “Unstoppable” premiere
Scott made an estimated $90 million over the course of his career, thanks in part to Scott Free Productions, the production company that he founded in 1995 with his brother, the (also) legendary Ridley Scott. The company began with the purchase of a controlling interest in Shepperton Studios, which later merged with Pinewood Studios.
Between them, the Scott brothers raked in round $1.7 billion in total box office sales including such blockbusters as American Gangster, Enemy of the State, Black Hawk Down and fan favorites In Her Shoes and G.I. Jane. Add their net worths together and you get around $230 million cumulatively.
Scott’s biggest grossing movie, not surprisingly, was Top Gun, which has made almost $177 million since it opened at the #1 spot in May of 1986. In fact, it did $8 million in sales during its opening weekend — an astounding number at the time. Unstoppable, released in 2010, was a sleeper hit, but a huge hit nonetheless, making nearly $82 million to date.
And why stop at movies? The Scotts made TV bank as well; they’re the masterminds behind the CBS hits The Good Wife and N3mbers. They were also working on a film adaptation of Bill O’Reilly’s bestseller Killing Lincoln before Tony’s death.
Check out our Recessionista-in-Chief weighing in on Scott’s legacy on “The Insider” here!
