According to Variety, the 48-year-old pocketed a cool $3.9 million in total for her supporting role, which took her just four days to shoot.
The producers were clearly hoping that Julia’s magnetic appeal would translate to box office gold for the film, which also stars Jennifer Aniston.
In 2010 she was paid a similar amount for six minutes of screen-time in surprise hit Valentine’s Day.
That movie grossed more than $100 million in the US alone, whereas Mother’s Day, out now in Australia, is unlikely to get anywhere near that return.
The feel-good film made just $10.8 million in the US on its opening weekend, and the reviews have been less than positive.
The Detroit News wrote that “Mother’s Day is not a tribute to mothers. It’s an insult to everyone.”
Entertainment Weekly wrote, “If you love your mother, do not make her see this movie”.
And the Boston Globe was similarly scathing, writing, “It’s like a nightmare in which you are trapped in an endless Kmart aisle of horrible holiday cards.”
Some reports are saying it’s a reminder that Julia’s days as an A-list star who could carry a movie on her own could be over — as evidenced by other recent misfires like The Secrets in Their Eyes and Mirror Mirror.
The Erin Brockovich star’s next project, Money Monster (see trailer below), opens in Australia on June 2 and co-stars George Clooney.