Back in the early '90s, landing a million-dollar paycheck was a huge milestone for any actor. The top stars were raking in between $6-8 million per movie. So, for anyone not named Bruce Willis or Arnold Schwarzenegger, a $2 million offer for a single film was quite impressive in 1993. Surprisingly, a 13-year-old with minimal acting experience turned down Disney's offer of that amount. In the end, he ended up earning way more in the following years. This is the tale of one of Hollywood's most daring contract negotiations.

The 13-year-old who turned down Disney's $2 million deal

Jason Weaver kicked off his acting journey in 1990 when he appeared on Oprah Winfrey's show Brewster Place at just 11 years old. He then portrayed a young Michael Jackson in the 1992 miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream, which led to his breakout role in the sitcom Thea. That same year, he released his debut single, I Wanna Be Where You Are, highlighting his musical skills. Disney also reached out to him in 1992 to provide the singing voice for Simba in their groundbreaking animated film, The Lion King.

In a 2019 interview with Vlad TV, Weaver reminisced, "I remember it was like $2 million. Just to sing. For a typical middle-class family in Chicago back in the early 90s, that was a huge deal." However, his mother, Marilyn 'Kitty' Haywood, wasn't having it. She turned down the offer that would have had most performers eager to sign on the dotted line.

How Kitty Haywood struck a deal for Hollywood's most daring contract

Haywood was concerned that a one-time payment might mean that even though Disney would keep profiting from Jason's songs, her son wouldn't see any more money from the studio. "You have to remember, they were coming off hits like Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. Disney was rolling in cash. That really hit my mom," the singer shared during the interview. Ultimately, she managed to negotiate a deal that included a $100,000 upfront payment along with royalties for the rest of his life. While Weaver has never revealed the exact amount he earned from this agreement, considering that the Lion King soundtrack sold 7 million copies, it must be substantial. Even after 30 years, it remains the top-selling movie soundtrack in the US. One of the standout tracks he performed was the hit Hakuna Matata, which has earned him millions on its own.

The film itself grossed nearly a billion dollars at the box office. Industry experts suggest that over the past three decades, Weaver has likely made 'several times more' than the $2 million he initially received, and he owes a lot of that to his mother.

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