Sylvester Stallone was allegedly paid over $3 million to appear in Randall Emmett’s movie, Armored, but he was unaware the contentious producer was directing the flick.
Stallone arrived on the set with no knowledge that Emmett was directing as well as producing the project, several crew members told the Los Angeles Times. However, the assistant director and a producer claimed that Stallone was not surprised by Emmett’s “presence” on set.
Additionally, several crew members say that Stallone was paid $3.5 million for one day’s work on Armored. Filming for the action thriller occurred during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike with a waiver from the union.
“When Stallone got there, Randall asked the DP to come in and talk to Sly with him,” one person who was on set that day told the LAT. “He said, ‘Sly doesn’t quite know that I’m directing this. I want you to back me up that this [film shoot] is going poorly and I need to take over the ship.’”
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“Stallone basically took over for that one day,” prop master Steve Noell told the LA Times.
News of Stallone’s major payday comes amid claims that Randall does not pay his bills or crew on time. Crew members, vendors and even sheriff’s deputies who provided security for the shoot claim they waited months before they were paid for their work, per the LA Times.
However, several others refute these claims on the set of Armored. “The set was safe and all crew and vendors were paid,” line producer Josh Fruehling told the Times. First assistant director Gustavo Peña added, “Overall, the shoot went without incident.”
While he has built a career as a movie producer, many people might know Emmett as Lala Kent’s ex-fiancée on Vanderpump Rules. (Us Weekly confirmed their split in November 2021. Kent and Emmett share daughter Ocean, 2.) Even former Vanderpump Rules stars Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor alleged that Emmett owed Taylor over $70,000 after a failed business deal.
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Emmett is currently working on a movie titled Cash Out, an action thriller about a bank heist gone sideways starring John Travolta, labeled as “a film by Ives.” Ives is the name Emmett has adopted since the Los Angeles Times published an expose in 2022 (followed by a Hulu documentary) about allegations of abuse and mistreatment of women, assistants and business partners. Emmett has denied these claims.
“These allegations are false and part of a now-familiar smear campaign orchestrated by Randall’s ex-fiancée to sway their custody dispute,” Emmett’s representative Sallie Hofmeister told Us Weekly in a statement at the time.
The LA Times also stated that Emmett’s production company Emmett/Furla Oasis Films was in serious debt. The company was reportedly facing over a dozen lawsuits and owed over $25 million in outstanding loans and payments.
