Report: James Cameron Made More Than $250 Million Last Year

Last spring, 'Transformers' director Michael Bay was on top of the world, estimated to have earned $125 million in 2009, according to Vanity Fair's annual number-crunching. Imagine doubling that, as our pals at Moviefone explain the magazine's new list of who was on top in 2010.

At the No. 1 spot is a name that should come as no surprise: James Cameron. (The filmmaker's super-high tally of $257 million is more than the next three top earners combined!) Writing, producing and directing 'Avatar' gave Cameron the whopping (dare we say, titanic?) payday, which makes sense when you consider the fact that the film itself has earned almost $3 billion. And Cameron stands to keep on earning this year, as the underwater epic he produced, 'Sanctum,' opens this weekend.

Some new names hit VF's list, including Vin Diesel, thanks to his fee for 'Fast Five.' Joel Silver ranks No. 25 for 'Sherlock Holmes,' and Jon Favreau may have been absent in 2009, but a year later, he's in the Top 20 for his earnings with 'Iron Man 2' and his fees for 'Cowboys & Aliens.'

Women in Hollywood, unfortunately, fared even worse in 2010 than they did the previous year, according to the mag's calculations.

While 2009's list of 40 power-earners boasted nine women, this year's roster only includes six. From most to least money earned, they are: Kristen Stewart, Jennifer Aniston, Angelina Jolie, Sandra Bullock, Katherine Heigl and Reese Witherspoon. Only Stewart and Aniston broke the Top 20, and though Jolie might be considered the go-to actress in Hollywood, her estimated earnings only placed her at No. 21.

As for the 'Twilight' phenomenon, could this be the last time we see Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart on the list? Both have been primarily indie actors caught in the blockbuster whirlwind of vampires. The Vanity Fair list of 2010 moneymakers does, however, show the different trajectory Taylor Lautner is taking: The 19-year-old zipped past his 'Twilight' co-stars to rank as the youngest person on VF's Top 10, thanks to earnings from his work as wolf-boy Jacob plus his paycheck for 'Abduction' (opening later this year).

Tyler Perry grabbed the No. 17 spot with estimated 2010 earnings of $25 million. While not exactly a James Cameron-caliber payday, it's certainly enough for 'SNL' star Kenan Thompson to keep showering himself in money: