Jennifer Lawrence named world's highest paid actress for second year in a row

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- For the second year in a row, Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence is the world's highest paid actress, earning $46M over 12 months.

Down from the $52 million she earned in 2015, Lawrence's paycheck still landed her at the top of the list thanks to the $653.4 million grossed by Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 and the $20 million she negotiated for her upcoming film Passengers.

Melissa McCarthy came in second place for the year with $33 million, largely due to her eight-figure Ghostbusters check, and her new clothing line that caters to women of all sizes.

Scarlett Johansson earned a third place $25 million thanks to her appearance as Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff in Captain America: Civil War and the reported $17 million she was paid to star in the upcoming live-action anime remake Ghost in the Shell, which has drawn criticism for casting Johansson in favor of an Asian actress.