The top 20 Hollywood earners include the likes of James Cameron, Tim Burton, Steven Spielberg, Tyler Perry and more with a combined earning of over $571 million.

The elite team of film directors were amongst the top Hollywood stars, with fortunes in the tens of millions for a variety of film projects including royalties.

James Cameron easily topped the list, beating his closest competitor, Steven Spielberg with $257 million for Avatar and other film rights.

While these top directors have pulled in over half a billion dollars, the Hollywood elite includes younger stars like Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner with a massive $28.5 and $33.5 million dollar haul.

Sometimes the biggest earners in the film industry are directors and producers, not the stars of movies, and although they are less seen in front of the camera, their work behind the camera is what audiences will see at the cinema.