Actor Jim Caviezel received approximately $4 million to play former president Jair Bolsonaro in the feature film "Dark Horse," while Joaquin Phoenix pocketed $4.5 million to play the Joker, Batman's villain, in his solo film of 2019. The amounts were revealed by BBC News Brasil based on messages and documents obtained by the Federal Police.
According to the investigation, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro is said to have requested the amounts from businessman Amazonas NR as a condition to enable his father's participation in the project. Negotiations between the parties were mediated by Flavio himself, who appears in conversations asking for amounts considered high for the production.
Producers and film directors interviewed by BBC News Brasil classified the fees as disproportionate. According to these entertainment industry professionals, amounts of this magnitude are rare outside of major Hollywood productions and are not justified for an independent Brazilian film.
The investigations into the case are part of Operation "Illuminare," which investigates crimes of criminal organization, money laundering, and falsification. The Federal Public Ministry has already indicted several people involved in the scheme, including Bolsonaro himself and his son.
