Putting together a hit movie in Hollywood must have seemed a pretty straightforward deal once upon a time: Find a big-name star, get a script, toss in a director who’ll keep the camera focused and there you go.
In the modern blockbuster era, though, when films are more likely to be fueled by well-known source material, ensemble casts and special effects, the time of the all-powerful movie star is long gone. And the reason may be that celebrities once available only on the big screen are now available through a multitude of media.
In decades past, one big name–Arnold Schwarzenegger, Julia Roberts, Jim Carrey–seemed enough to guarantee box-office success. Now the one-star blockbuster is nearly a dinosaur while the no-star or ensemble blockbuster is fairly commonplace.
Where the model used to be Kevin Costner in “Dances with Wolves,” it is now more like “Superman Returns,” which has earned $190 million in the states. It stars complete unknown Brandon Routh and is based on source material familiar to everyone.
Ensemble casts, in particular, are changing how Hollywood perceives star power. Take a look at the last four movies that won the Oscar for best picture: “Chicago,” “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” “Million Dollar Baby” and “Crash.” Granted, big names were involved in each film, but all were made up of large casts, and in some cases–“Baby” over “The Aviator,” “Crash” over “Brokeback Mountain”–beat out star-driven pictures.
“The idea of the movie star is rapidly disintegrating,” says Kip Pardue (“The Rules of Attraction,” “Remember the Titans,” “Imaginary Heroes”), part of a generation of young actors who’ve grown up in what might be called the Ensemble Age of cinema.
“The really big movies now are becoming concept movies,” he says. “They’re movies in which the star is not the driving force.”
So while Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible III” has performed far below domestic box-office expectations, “X-Men: The Last Stand” is swimming in box-office receipts.
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” meanwhile, has it all: An ensemble of big stars working in a sequel that is based on source material audiences are familiar with. Small wonder, then, that it has made more than $380 million domestically.
But while star-driven blockbusters still exist, especially as comedies–Will Ferrell’s “Talladega Nights” debuted on top of the box office last weekend–their numbers are on the wane for obvious reasons.
“Historically, star power has been overrated,” says Brandon Gray of the online movie site Box Office Mojo. “There are really only a handful of stars that can truly draw a crowd.”
But there are plenty of stars who ask upward of $15 million a picture, with many demanding a cut of the ultimate profits. This likely led to the casting of the undoubtedly inexpensive Routh in “Superman Returns,” a movie which still had an estimated production budget of $260 million.
“The special effects are the stars in movies today,” Gray says.
Last summer’s hits, “Fantastic 4” (with not-so-big-names Michael Chiklis and Jessica Alba) and “Batman Begins” (with relatively obscure Christian Bale), back up the assertion.
“We really are still into our celebrities. We love our superstars more than ever before. But I just don’t think we’re getting our fixes at the movies any more,” says Kerry Ferris, a sociologist at Northern Illinois University who studies celebrity.
The gossip columns and newsreels of yore have given way to far more instantaneous and in-depth coverage on TV and via the Internet, Ferris says.
And that change has had a weakening effect on the power of the modern movie star that’s not likely to fade anytime soon.
“There’s very few people now, if any, who can compare to Cary Grant, John Wayne, James Cagney,” Gray says. “They pretty much all pale in comparison.”
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We’re all stars now
While some movie stars continue to think they can make it on their own, others have thrived in the “ensemble age” of cinema. Among those with consistent blockbuster success:
Ian McKellen
The top dog among ensemble stars. Not only was he central to the three “Lord of the Rings” films, but he also was the chief bad guy in the three “X-Men” movies. And there he is alongside Tom Hanks in “The Da Vinci Code.” The master.
Michael Pena
Pena starred in the Oscar-winning “Crash” and plays an officer rescued from beneath the towers in “World Trade Center,” which already is garnering Oscar buzz of its own. The man knows how to stand out in a big cast, having also appeared on two of TV’s largest ensemble dramas, “ER” and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”
Vince Vaughn
He starred with Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams in “The Wedding Crashers,” he starred with Ben Stiller in “Dodgeball,” and he starred with Luke Wilson and Will Ferrell in “Old School.” He’s never alone, and that’s why he’s successful.
Rachel McAdams
Arguably the biggest movie star no one realizes is a movie star. She starred with Cillian Murphy in “Red Eye,” did “The Wedding Crashers” with Vaughn and Wilson, “Mean Girls” with Lindsay Lohan, “The Notebook” with Ryan Gosling–all hits.
[ Detroit News ]All in!
We’ve seen forceful ensemble casts on prime-time TV since the heyday of “ER” (and long before that, but give us a break–we have short memories). With the trend filtering into mainstream movies and even music, RedEye ranks the hottest ensembles of the moment. [ redeye ]
“Entourage”
Watching the HBO drama is like watching four guys hang out at the bar they’ve been going to since high school–with a hilarious Jeremy Piven buzzing around the perimeter.
“Grey’s Anatomy”
Can’t wait for the interns at Seattle Grace Hospital to get back to work on ABC? Join the club.
Pussycat Dolls
The sexy singers are drawing comparison to the Spice Girls, only more people like PCD’s music.
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”
Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley and the sea creature guy are still going strong at the box office.
“Little Miss Sunshine”
Great character acting has propelled the indie hit into the mainstream.
“Rock Star: Supernova”
Dave Navarro, Tommy Lee and Co. are working “American Idol”-like charm into the CBS rock competition without getting corny.
“Lost”
ABC continues to add castaways to the cast, which should juice up Season 3’s story line.
Dem Franchize Boyz
The Southern rappers are featured on Monica’s “Everytime Tha Beat Drop.”
“Deadwood”
Each week, the hardscrabble HBO drama draws great performances out of every actor.
“Superman Returns”
The movie may make a star out of Brandon Routh, but for now it’s a solid, cast-driven popcorn flick.
