Lana Wachowski Net Worth

Posted by Na Lin on Saturday, August 3, 2024

What is Lana Wachowski’s net worth?

Net Worth:$125 Million
Age:57
Born:June 21, 1965
Gender:Female
Height:1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Country of Origin:United States of America
Source of Wealth:TV/Film Director
Last Updated:March 8, 2023

Table of Contents

Introduction 

Lana Wachowski, formerly known as Larry Wachowski, is a film director, writer, and producer from the United States.

With her sister Lilly Wachowski, Lana is most well-known for co-creating the Matrix movie, DVD, and video game series. Both were born male but later transitioned to female and have demonstrated support for the LGBT community.

Lana struggled with the realization that she was transgender but managed to keep it out of the media for a long time.

As of February 2024, Lana Wachowski’s net worth is estimated to be $125 Million.

Lana Wachowski Facts

  • The movie Bound was released in 1996 and was Lana’s directorial debut.
  • In 1999, Lana and her sister released the Matrix; the first of three films that she wrote and directed.
  • Lana’s critically acclaimed V for Vendetta movie was awarded the Best Actress award at the 2007 Saturn Awards for Natalie Portman’s portrayal of her iconic character.
  • Speed Racer, Lana’s 2008 release, was nominated for the best soundtrack award at the Golden Reel Awards ceremony.
  • Lana dropped out of college and ran a house painting and construction business with her sister in Chicago in the mid-to-late-1980s.

Early Life 

Lana Wachowski was born June 21, 1965, in Chicago, Illinois, United States.

Her father, Ron Wachowski, was a businessman of Polish ancestry, while her mother, Lynne, worked as a nurse.

In 1967, Lilly Wachowski was born, and the siblings would later attend Whitney Young High School after graduating from Kellogg Elementary School.

Wachowski enrolled at Bard College in New York to further her studies, but she left after only one semester to work with her sister in their house painting and construction company in Chicago.

She wrote comic books in her spare time and played Dungeons & Dragons frequently as a child.

These activities led her to write for Marvel in multiple comic book series and, in 1993, the sisters began co-writing comics for Marvel Comics. Marvel has produced some of the most expensive comics in the world and their movies are some of the highest-grossing movies ever made.

Lana authored various pieces for the Ectokid comic book series and also wrote the horror comics Nightbreed and Hellraiser for the author of horror books, Clive Barker. Epic Comics, a subsidiary of Marvel Comics’ parent company, published her horror comics. 

Lana and her sister entered the film profession after working briefly in the comics industry, with Lana creating the screenplay for the 1994 movie, Assassins. Warner Brothers, the powerhouse studio in Hollywood, produced the movie in 1995.

Career 

The Matrix movie was directed by Lana in 1999, with Keanu Reeves as one of many well-known Hollywood actors that Lana gathered for the science fiction, action-packed film.

The two young directors saw huge commercial success with the Matrix movie and two Matrix sequel movies were produced.

The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions were both released in 2003, but the sequels were a far cry from the originals they inspired and were less successful financially.

Then Lana went back to her former comic writing business and created the Bits and Pieces comic book series. The comic book series Lana and Lily had created would eventually comprise two volumes by the end of 2004. Another comic book-based movie by Lana Wachowski is Vendetta, a movie created in 2006 to much critical acclaim. 

Lana made two movies in the latter part of the 2000s, producing Speed Racer featuring Matthew Fox, in 2008, and Ninja Assassin in 2009.

Late in 2012, Lana Wachowski released the feature film Cloud Atlas, a critically acclaimed movie adapted from David Mitchell’s book of the same name.

Jupiter Ascending, which was released in February 2015, saw Lana step in front of the camera as an actress playing opposite Mila Kunis and Vanessa Kirby for the first time.

The technological additions to the movie that improved its quality received wide appreciation at the time.

She worked on the Netflix Channel series film Sense8, which received positive reviews from critics, but 2018 saw the end of the Netflix series’ production.

In addition to writing and directing films, Lana has worked on video games and other comedic projects throughout her career, as well as filming a music video for the song Epilepsy Is Dancing.

Lana Wachowski’s Career Earnings

Bound, a scripted movie that Lana and her sister directed, was released in 1996 and launched their film careers.

When their movie came out, The Wachowskis became an overnight sensation and their earnings went through the roof as they became the hottest property in Hollywood.

Here’s an estimated overview of Lana Wachowski’s annual income:

  • Lana Wachowski’s Salary In 2015 – $5 million
  • Lana Wachowski’s Salary In 2016 – $4 million
  • Lana Wachowski’s Salary In 2017 – $6 million
  • Lana Wachowski’s Salary In 2018 – $5 Million
  • Lana Wachowski’s Salary In 2019 – $4.5 million
  • Lana Wachowski’s Salary In 2020 – $3.8 million
  • Lana Wachowski’s Salary In 2021 – $4 million
  • Lana Wachowski’s Salary In 2022 – $5 million

The Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer collaborated on the epic science fiction movie Cloud Atlas, which was released in 2012.

They struggled to get financial backing for the project and eventually raised over $1140 million in private funding. This was the largest independent movie produced in the US in recent memory.

Lana Wachowski’s Net Worth Annually

The polarizing movie, Cloud Atlas, was nominated for the best and worst movie of the year awards.

It is based on the 2004 David Mitchell novel and features numerous narratives taking place during six different periods of time, with multiple parts played by the cast members.

Financially, the movie did well and has become a popular cult hit amongst film buffs.

Here’s a breakdown of Lana Wachowski’s annual net worth:

  • Lana Wachowski’s Net Worth In 2015 – $107.5 million
  • Lana Wachowski’s Net Worth In 2016 – $110 million
  • Lana Wachowski’s Net Worth In 2017 – $112 million
  • Lana Wachowski’s Net Worth In 2018 – $115 million
  • Lana Wachowski’s Net Worth In 2019 – $116 million
  • Lana Wachowski’s Net Worth In 2020 – $120 million
  • Lana Wachowski’s Net Worth In 2021 – $122 million
  • Lana Wachowski’s Net Worth In 2022 – $125 Million

Jupiter Ascending, a space opera movie starring Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis, was Lana’s next big project, released in 2015.  Warner Brothers Pictures released the film in February, but the critics gave the movie largely unfavorable reviews.

Fans applauded the visual effects and storyline, but the screenplay lacked polish with a lack of character development.

The movie made $183 million against a staggering, $176–210 million budget, making it a financial failure.

Personal Life

In 2012, Lana came forward and admitted that she had gender difficulties. Beginning in 2000, she began transformational therapy and in 2008, she finished her transgender journey.

She is a fierce defender of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community’s identity in the US. In 2012, she was given the Human Rights Campaign Award for her work in promoting community recognition.

On October 30, 1993, Lana, who was a man at the time, wed Thea Bloom but in 2002, the couple got a divorce. In 2009, Lana, who is now transsexual, wed Karin Winslow and they are currently still together but have no children yet.

Lana’s Polish American father raised his family as Catholics, but Lana rejected her family’s faith and is not a member of any Christian denomination following her discovery quest.

As one would expect, Lana is a Democratic supporter although she supported Bernie Sanders in his campaign to unseat Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee.

Awards & Achievements

Lana has written and produced some of the most engaging and futuristic movies of the 2000s but has not been able to crack some of the major awards for her work.

Due to the subject matter and convoluted storylines, her work tends to polarize audiences and critics alike, with some loving her work and other totally hating it.

Here are some of the more memorable moments from Lana Wachowski’s career:

  • The Matrix trilogy has grossed more than $1 Billion worldwide since its launch in 1999.
  • Lana wrote and directed four Matrix video games, two in 2003, two in 2005, and one in 2021.
  • The television series, Sense8, was nominated for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (One Hour) Primetime Emmy Award.
  • Sense8 was also nominated for the Outstanding Drama Series category of the GLAAD Media Awards.
  • The Matrix won four Academy Awards, including one for Best Visual Effects.

Lana has shown unmatched creativity in her work and it has allowed her to create a sizeable fortune.

Lana and her sister love video games and Collin Chou, an actor, recalls going to Lana’s office and discovering the sisters playing video games.

How Does Lana Wachowski Spend Her Money?

Lana feels strongly about LGBTQ+ rights and is convinced that there is a need to push back against the conservative agenda aimed at limiting these rights in the USA.

In light of all of that, filmmakers Lana and her sister Lilly Wachowski have decided to put their money where their mouth is. They’ve made more than a hundred movie props that they’ve collected over the years available for auction.

This is to collect funds to stem the tide of phobia by allowing their fans to bid on props and production materials from movies like Cloud Atlas, Speed Racer, V For Vendetta, Sense8, and, of course, the Matrix.

All proceeds from the sales will go to the trans youth defense fund that Ariana Grande established, which will distribute money to trans defense and support organizations across the country.

Lana loves comics and some of the most expensive comic books are in her collection.

Highlights 

Lana and her sister founded their own production business, EON Entertainment, to be involved in every element of production.

The two started Anarchos Productions, which was shut down in 2004 but later evolved into Venus Castina Productions.

Here are some of the best highlights of Lana Wachowski’s career: 

  • Lana and her sister founded Burlyman Entertainment, a comic book publishing company.
  • Wachowski’s firm also published the original bimonthly series “Shaolin Cowboy” and “Doc Frankenstein”.
  • She is also writing and publishing comics based on “The Matrix”.
  • The dramedy series “Work in Progress” co-created and run by Wachowski debuted on Showtime in December of 2019.
  • Lana’s “V for Vendetta” movie, launched in 2005 is based on the David Lloyd graphic novel of the same name.

Lana Wachowski and her sister also owned a pre- and post-production facility as well as an effects studio named Kinowerks, which was situated in Chicago’s Ravenswood area.

The studio’s $5 million listing price was made public in 2018.

Favorite Lana Wachowski Quotes

Lana confessed to having a passion for serialized storytelling in the same vein as the Tolkien trilogy and from comic novels that shaped her formative years.

Here are our favorite quotes from Lana Wachowski:

  • ” I don’t know why directors sign on to these projects and completely rewrite everything.” – Lana Wachowski
  • “There’s a science fiction project we really want to make, but it’s very expensive. Hopefully, it will happen. ” – Lana Wachowski
  • “Richard Donner is one of the few directors in Hollywood that can make whatever movie he wants exactly the way he wants it. No one will stop him. ” – Lana Wachowski
  • “Billy Wilder really is a heavy influence on Bound. We felt that film noir was a genre where you could create a really contained story. ” – Lana Wachowski
  • “With a genre like film noir, everyone has these assumptions and expectations.” – Lana Wachowski

3 Amazing Lessons From Lana Wachowski

Lana is passionate about her craft and hates for anyone to pick it apart or change it in any way.

Now that you know all about Lana Wachowski’s net worth, here are some of the best success lessons to learn from Lana Wachowski:

1. Stand Up For What You Believe In

Lana has had to deal with conflicting gender issues for her entire life and is adamant that she be defined on her own terms.

For this reason, she is using her fame and fortune to make a stand and to support those in her community who don’t have a voice.

2. Sometimes You Have To Wait For The Money

Lana has many projects that she would like to bring to fruition, but the financial backing is just not available.

She has made some of the biggest independently funded films in history and acknowledges that it is often a case of waiting for the money to arrive before she can create her vision.

3. Be Unpredictable

In a creative work environment, Lana feels that it is best to be unpredictable so that one’s audience doesn’t quite know what to expect.

She just doesn’t want to make boring movies but rather wishes to keep her audiences guessing right to the end.

Summary 

From being a college dropout, Lana Wachowski went on to become a well-known comic book author and film director.

She tapped into the influence of other popular writers to launch a mega-successful career as a filmmaker. Her collaboration with her sister Lana, resulted in the Matrix film trilogy, arguably one of the most financially successful sci-fi franchises in recent memory.

As of February 2024, Lana Wachowski’s net worth is estimated to be $125 Million.

What do you think about Lana Wachowski’s net worth? Leave a comment below.

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