NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- A low-budget movie that chalks up $180 million around the world, would seem sure to earn its creators a pile of money - but that hasn't happened with last year's sleeper hit "Crash," a news report said Tuesday.

The New York Times, citing interviews with agents and others involved in the dispute, said that the movie's co-writer and director, Paul Haggis, has made less than $300,000 on the film so far. The report said that was "a pittance" by Hollywood standards.

The eight main stars in Crash deferred their usual fees in exchange for a percentage of the film's profits and have been expecting large checks for months, the report said.

But some of them, including Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon and Don Cheadle, have recently gotten checks for just $19,000, it said.

"Crash" took an eye-opening look at racial tension in Los Angeles. It won the Oscar for best picture and was a sleeper hit at the box office - raking in $55 million in U.S. ticket sales, $39 million overseas and another $85 million from DVD sales, the report said.

The payment delays are fueling tensions between the cast, producers, writers and director on one side, and Bob Yari, the producer and financier in charge of disbursing payments, on the other, the newspaper said.

It noted that Hollywood's money machine moves slowly for profit participants, players who agree to take a slice of a film's revenues in lieu of large salaries up front.

And it's not unusual for squabbles to erupt over dividing the spoils when a small film becomes a big hit, the report said.

But part of what's creating bruised feelings with Crash is that some cast members feel their initial sacrifice hasn't been acknowledged, whatever the amount of payments to date.

"To the extent that Bob Yari is sitting on cash and not disbursing it to people who put their hearts and souls into the movie, that would be wrong," Peter Dekom, a lawyer for Haggis, was quoted as saying.

"At the very least they should accelerate payment," he told the newspaper.

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