As I brought up in one of my previous posts, there are very few movie stars left. Tom Hanks, Julia
Roberts, and Harrison Ford have fading stars. Even the consistently
solid Tom Cruise and Adam Sandler had bad weekends with each
premiering a movie that hit the box office with a thud.
Why is this?
Part of it, I think, is the squandering
of good will. Mel Gibson used to be a bankable investment, but his
personal life and horrible statements have damned him in many eyes.
Similarly, Sean Penn alienates some audience members with his
outspoken political views. Most Americans go to movies to be
entertained. If they get the sense that they are being lectured to,
the enjoyment is sapped out of the experience. Movies are escapist.
We fork over our hard earned money and sit in a darkened theatre with
friends and strangers so that we can experience something new and
wonderful together. But as ticket prices go up and cheaper
alternatives like Netflix and Redbox become more popular, actors
cannot waste even a single ounce of appeal they offer their audience.
Another reason for this is that some of
the traditional stars are choosing projects poorly. Hanks and
Roberts couldn't muster any interest for Larry Crowne. As I wrote in
post about Taylor Kitsch, choosing the right movie is critical.
Missteps can be killer.
So are there any movie stars left?
I think that there are. I've compiled
a list of actors who I believe are the new movie stars. I've
collected data from boxofficemojo.com regarding the revenue their
films have generated. In addition, I tried to find the ones who
inspire in me a desire to see their movie because of their ability to
choose quality films.
Amy Adams:
Lifetime
Gross Total (17): $1,139,782,738
Average:
$67,046,043
Opening
Gross Average (11): $23,846,221 (Wide Releases Only)
If The Man of Steel is a hit, then her
star will only continue to rise. She has two hits under which she
has top billing: Enchanted and Julie and Julia. She can become the
new Meg Ryan if she plays her cards right.
Vince Vaughn:
Lifetime
Gross Total (27): $1,595,862,435
Average:
$59,106,016
Opening
Gross Average (17): $25,930,808 (Wide Releases Only)
Even if his movies are mediocre, I
enjoy the heck out of all of his performances. His dramas failed to
deliver at the box office, but he showed he has quality talent. He
tends to play the same character in all of his comedies, but I think
audiences like going into a Vince Vaughn movie with the expectation
of spending time with that comedic persona.
Liam Neeson:
Lifetime
Gross Total (50): $2,114,917,555
Average:
$42,298,351
Opening
Gross Average (29): $16,394,126 (Wide Releases Only)
From Oscar Schindler to Qui-Gon Jinn,
Neeson has participated in some of the biggest and best films of all
time. But it is only in the last few years that he has become a new
kind of action man. He is less testosterone-filled as he is
righteously raged.
Robert Downey Jr.:
Lifetime
Gross Total (48): $2,559,570,402
Average:
$53,324,383
Opening
Gross Average (30): $25,294,267 (Wide Releases Only)
Everyone loves a good comeback story,
and Downey Jr.'s is one of the best. The studios did not want him
for Iron Man. He and John Favrau had to fight. But now he has 3
franchises to juggle (Iron Man, Avengers, and Sherlock Holmes) while
earning tons of good will with his self-effacing charm and charitable
nature (e.g. premiering Tropic Thunder for troops overseas or
dedicating Avengers to the 9/11 first responders). I don't know
anyone who doesn't like him.
Emma Stone
Lifetime
Gross Total (9): $619,424,742
Average:
$68,824,971
Opening
Gross Average (8): $19,156,210 (Wide Releases Only)
Young, but self-possessed, Emma Stone
has proven she can handle lead roles in comedies (Easy A), dramas
(The Help) and everything in between (Zombieland). She projects and
intelligence and dignity that seems to be missing from a lot of
younger actresses. While a supporting role in The Amazing Spider-Man
should only heighten her profile, I would like to see her take the
lead in a more serious drama.
Daniel Craig
Lifetime
Gross Total (22): $1,054,054,270
Average:
$47,911,558
Opening
Gross Average (12): $23,508,106 (Wide Releases Only)
Right now he is synonymous with James
Bond. But Cowboys and Aliens generated a lot of buzz in no small
part due to him. I know that he was one of the reasons I couldn't
wait to see it. But lukewarm reception from critics and audiences
may slow Craig's assent. And his other attempted franchise starter,
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, did not go anywhere. We'll have to
see how Skyfall does, but also how his next non-Bond movie fares as
well.
Hugh Jackman
Lifetime
Gross Total (16): $1,526,956,632
Average:
$95,434,790
Opening
Gross Average (15): $36,054,624 (Wide Releases Only)
He's had hits and misses, but he is a
huge part of why we still have an X-Men franchise. I would even
venture to say that without the success of the original X-Men we
would not have modern day superhero movies. And that success falls a
great deal of Jackman's shoulders. Even Real Steel was a fun crowd
pleaser partly because of the heart of Jackman's performance. He has
a real chance to garner a critical acclaim with the upcoming Les
Miserables production.
Steve Carell:
Lifetime
Gross Total (14): $1,602,470,460
Average:
$114,462,176
Opening
Gross Average (13): $31,642,780 (Wide Releases Only)
A good portion of his box office
success is from his animated movies which could arguably be
indifferent to his star power. But he can still draw people in with
movies like Get Smart, Date Night, and Crazy, Stupid Love. He tends
to bounce from big comedies to smaller films like Dan in Real Life
and Little Miss Sunshine. But I believe it is his name more than
anything that brought audiences to those smaller films.
UP-AND-COMERS
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Lifetime
Gross Total (24): $743,289,110
Average:
$30,970,380
Opening
Gross Average (11): $17,283,880 (Wide Releases Only)
He has garnered a significant fan base
with his roles in 500 Days of Summer and Inception. He also had the
best performance of any actor last year with 50/50. But as of right
now, his staring vehicles have not made a big dent. But he still has
The Dark Knight Rises, Premium Rush, and Looper on the horizon.
Jennifer Lawrence
Lifetime
Gross Total (7): $559,721,847
Average:
$79,960,264
Opening
Gross Average (2): $103,818,676 (Wide Releases Only)
The numbers on her are as high as they
are because of the phenomenon that is the Hunger Games. But she
deserves a lot of credit for meeting fan expectations. I can say
that one of the reasons I wanted to see the movie was because I was
familiar with her outstanding work in Winter's Bone, for which she
garnered an Oscar nomination. She has 2 franchises: Hunger Games and
X-Men First Class and, like Emma Stone, carries herself with dignity
in her films.
Anna Kendrick
Lifetime
Gross Total (6): $190,327,166
Average:
$31,721,194
Opening
Gross Average (3): $9,933,653 (Wide Releases Only)
This may be the most controversial one of this list because I'm taking this one more on faith than anything. These
numbers are also a little askew because of her small role in the
Twilight phenomenon. But I believe that she has a brighter
future ahead of her than star Kristen Stewart (who also has decent
box office potential ala Snow White and the Huntsman). Her Oscar
nomination for Up in the Air opened up many roles, and she has shined
in all of them. She was the best part of What to Expect When You're
Expecting and she finally has a staring role in the upcoming comedy
Pitch Perfect. So far, she has not proven herself to be bankable,
but I believe she can do it.
So, dear reader, what do you think? Is there anyone I missed who should be on this list? About whom do you say, "Oh I can't wait to see the new (film in the name)'s movie?
One person I think who is on his way to becoming a box office name, if not already, is Jeremy Renner...possible grooming into the MI franchise, plus Avengers and Bourne franchise...he's Built up a good reputation factor thus far..and that's before Bourne comes out.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree with most of your list, I think its a little early to say Tom Cruise is a fading star. The last Mission Impossible was his highest grossing movie ever (700 million I think) and that was just 6 months ago.
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