What Is Paul W.S. Anderson's Net Worth?
Paul W.S. Anderson is a British director, screenwriter, and producer who has a net worth of $80 million. That is a combined net worth with his wife since 2009, actress Milla Jovovich (who also stars in "Resident Evil"). Paul is best known for his work on the "Resident Evil" film series. Aside from generating hundreds of millions at the global box office, "Resident Evil" also happens to be the most successful video game adaptation ever.
Paul first garnered attention when he wrote and directed the film, "Shopping." The project starred Jude Law and Sadie Frost, among others, and was banned in the UK. His second film, "Mortal Kombat," proved to be more successful, and he took on bigger projects. Unfortunately, his next two projects, "Event Horizon" and "Soldier," did not fare well at the box office. He directed a television movie, which proved successful, and then followed that up with the smash hit, "Resident Evil." Since then, he has gone on to write, direct, and/or produce such projects as "Alien vs. Predator," "Death Race," "The Three Musketeers," "Pompeii," and the "Resident Evil" franchise, among others.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Paul William Scott Anderson was born on March 4, 1965, in Wallsend, North Tyneside, England. Anderson showed an early interest in filmmaking, using a Super 8 film camera to make movies when he was nine. He attended Royal Grammar School in Newcastle and the University of Warwick, where he was the youngest person to graduate with a B.A. in film and literature.
Anderson began his professional career writing for the British crime drama-comedy series "El C.I.D." which aired from 1990 to 1992. He then teamed up with producer Jeremy Bolt to establish Impact Pictures with the goal of funding his directorial debut with the action/crime drama "Shopping." The film faced significant challenges in securing funding and was only released in 1994 in the UK having been delayed by British censors due to its violent content.
Critics panned it upon release with some cinemas banning it for promoting an irresponsible outlook. The US version was an edited direct-to-video release that came out two years later. Paul still believes "Shopping" paved the way for Channel Four Films to back more successful projects like "Trainspotting" and "Shallow Grave," which subsequently led to a more favorable reassessment of the film. "Shopping" remains his only British film. Ever since its acceptance at the Sundance Film Festival, it got the attention of American studios, which appreciated its look and style despite a modest $2 million budget, opening Hollywood doors for Anderson.
"Mortal Kombat" and Commercial Success
In 1995, Anderson directed "Mortal Kombat," a fantasy martial arts film based on the popular video game by Midway Games. He was hired for his visual style shown in "Shopping." Test screenings led to the addition of more fights in the reshoots. While critics gave mixed to negative reviews, the fans loved the film, giving it an A− on CinemaScore. "Mortal Kombat" topped the US box office for three weeks and grossed over $122 million on a mere $18 million budget. This made it one of the first films to be successfully adapted from video games.
"Soldier," "Event Horizon," and "The Sight"
Anderson worked on the sci-fi action flick "Soldier" following "Mortal Kombat's" success. The film was written by David Peoples, who also worked on the "Blade Runner." However, he chose to direct "Event Horizon" due to production delays. While it was praised for its amazing visuals, the film was a box office flop.
"Soldier" was eventually completed and released in 1998 but soon became a critical and commercial disaster. Anderson regretted weather issues and studio constraints that compromised the film's look and marketing. This failure made him pause the remake of "Death Race 2000," and he opted to create "The Sight," which wasn't picked up as a TV series despite having high ratings.
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"Resident Evil," "Alien vs. Predator," and "Death Race"
In 2002, Anderson made his cinematic comeback with "Resident Evil," a sci-fi action horror film inspired by the Capcom video game series. Having played the games for days, he pitched a script titled "The Undead" to Constantin Film, who agreed to buy it if they liked it as a "Resident Evil" film. Paul took it as a prequel, featuring Milla Jovovich as Alice—the only actor to appear in all six films. Despite its low budget ($33 million) and mixed reviews, the movie grossed over $100 million and generally performed well on home media. While Anderson didn't direct the sequels that concluded the first trilogy, he was actively involved in writing and producing them. Just like in the first film, they received poor reviews while achieving even greater box office success.
Next, Anderson worked on "Alien vs. Predator," a crossover between the "Alien" and "Predator" franchises that also became a box office success. In 2008, he directed "Death Race," which garnered average reviews and a B+ from CinemaScore but wasn't a commercial success.
"Resident Evil," "The Three Musketeers," and "Pompeii"
In 2010, Anderson directed "Resident Evil: Afterlife," the first in a new trilogy. Despite mixed reviews and a B from Cinemascore, the film was largely a commercial success, outperforming previous films in the series and grossing $300 million against a $60 million budget. His next project was "The Three Musketeers," a 3D action-adventure with a star-studded cast including Milla Jovovich and Matthew Mcfayden.
In 2012, Anderson made a comeback with "Resident Evil: Retribution," reuniting actors from earlier films. It got poor reviews and a C+ CinemaScore but still grossed a whopping $240 million against a $65 million budget and outperformed the original trilogy. Two years later, Paul released "Pompeii," a 3D historical disaster romance about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD starring Emily Browning and Kit Harington. Anderson then released "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter."
"Monster Hunter" and Future Projects
Anderson directed "Monster Hunter" in December 2020, based on Capcom's "Monster Hunter" video-game franchise. The film received mixed to negative reviews and only grossed $43 million against a $60 million budget. He is set to write and direct a film based on George R.R. Martin's short story "In the Lost Lands."
Personal Life
Anderson began dating "Resident Evil" star Milla Jovovich in 2002 after the film's theatrical release. He proposed to her in 2003, and they married in 2009. Their first-born daughter was born in November 2007. They have two other daughters born in 2015 and 2020.
Real Estate
In 2016, Milla Jovovich and Paul W. S. Anderson purchased a property in Beverly Hills for around $3.922 million. It was immediately clear that this was an investment property, as the couple rented out the apartment for $20,000 per month soon after their purchase. In 2018, they listed the 2,400-square-foot minimalist property for $4.5 million. They sold this property in late 2021 for $4.6 million.
In 2005, Jovovich and Anderson purchased a townhouse in New York's West Village for $6.375 million, renting it out again soon after their acquisition. In 2013, they sold the spacious property for $6.7 million, earning a modest but significant profit.
In 2007, the couple upgraded to an extensive $8.5 million Mediterranean villa in Beverly Hills. The gargantuan 8,493-square-foot property sits alongside similar mansions owned by celebrity couples like John Legend and Chrissy Teigen.
In March 2022, Jovovich and Anderson paid $10.2 million for a 9,000-square-foot mansion in the Hollywood Hills.
