gravity sandra bullockWarner Bros.

If Sandra Bullock doesn't take home the statue for Best Actress at Sunday's Academy Awards, the "Gravity" star will still be left with a $70 million consolation prize.

The 49-year-old actress is set to earn her biggest paycheck ever for her challenging role as an adrift astronaut in 2013's Alfonso Cuaron-directed space flick.

Studio sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Bullock will walk away with at least $70 million for her role, when all revenue streams are factored in.

According to THR, Bullock earned "$20 million upfront against 15% of first-dollar gross," meaning that she got $20 million upfront plus 15% of box office revenue. 

Since its October release, "Gravity," which took over $100 million to make, has raked in more than $700 million at the worldwide box office and is expected to cross the $750 million mark. 

"Assuming Warners gets 45% of that, Bullock's take would be more than $50 million, including her upfront payment," notes THR. "But theatrical revenue is just one part of what she'll make, as she also gets a percentage from home video, TV and ancillary revenue."

One veteran finance lawyer explained to THR, "The theatrical window is going to generate a third of the total revenue a movie will earn; it will get another third on DVD; and then the final third comes from pay and free TV."

So even by a conservative estimate, Bullock will earn at least an additional $20 million from the outside sources.

"Bullock's first-dollar-gross deal is highly unusual in today's marketplace, where studios insist on recouping costs before sharing profits with talent," explains THR. The only other actor to score a similar deal is Robert Downey Jr., who earned $50 million for "The Avengers."

So how did Bullock pull off such a rare, lucrative deal?

There are a few reasons. First, Warner Bros was in desperate need of a female actress who would be able to carry the film. After Angelina Jolie dropped out of the role, the studio felt that Bullock's recent success with "The Blind Side," which won her an Oscar and grossed $309 million globally, made her one of the few stars who could carry so much solo screen time.

Secondly, THR reports that Bullock's "reps at CAA and the Ziffren Brittenham law firm closed the pact in late 2010 before the belt-tightening [at the studio] now taking place." And thirdly, with a cast of just two people [Bullock and George Clooney], the studio felt they could splurge on salaries — though it is still not clear exactly how much Clooney pocketed.

But it wasn't just Bullock who benefited from "Gravity," as the film's profits are set to total more than all of the other Oscar-nominated movies combined. 

To put Bullock's big payday into perspective, Angelina Jolie was Forbes' highest paid actress of 2013, but she made just $33 million last year with film roles and endorsement deals combined. Oscar-winning "Silver Linings Playbook" star Jennifer Lawrence, who came in second, netted $26 million throughout 2013.

Robert Downey Jr. took the top spot on Forbes' highest-paid actors list last year with his $50 million "Avengers" paycheck, while Channing Tatum came in second with $60 million earnings after "Magic Mike" took in $167 million worldwide on a $7 million budget.

Bigger paychecks come in the form of film franchises, such as Johnny Depp, who admitted he was "overpaid" for the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies, for which he's reportedly earned more than $300 million.

Bullock's rep has not responded to THR's report.