Monday Morning Poll: The Decline of the A-List Actor

i don't think Pitt and Clooney can be compared to the DeJavu since DeJavue is more or less the same kind of flick Denzel has made over the last couple of years. While Pitt and Clooney and other A-List actors have been a bit more adventurous with movies like Babel, Good Night and Good Luck, or the upcoming The Good German. Those are movies no one can expect to make 30 or 40 million on the first weekend, those are more or less independent movies with A-List Actors. I agree that Denzel is becoming less of a draw just because he is not expanding his roles, while Clooney and Pitt are accepting lower paying roles in order to make movies that are more interesting to them.

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I agree with Carsten's point. This does not look like particularly new territory for Denzel, very similar to his 'Man on Fire' character (also a Tony Scott film), resurrected. Someone remind his agent that he can do so much more!
Amazing fact that Ferrell's payday for 'Elf 2' will be more than 'Stranger than Fiction's early BO takings. Nice piece of STF here: http://www.studioartois.co.uk/big-picture/12
Great for us, the viewing public, that Ferrell, Pitt and Clooney are taking on these more eccentric roles as maybe these films wouldn't get made without a big name attached.

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But the overall issue remains: moviegoers seem to be shunning serious films for the low comedy/action/horror genres. While the "serious" season is upon us with Oscar contenders beginning to line up, there does not seem to be the excitement that usually comes with the final slew of major releases. Part of that has to do with the lack of major media press for such films, so I am suspecting a plan at the holding company level to chasten the big salary stars in order to hit a "reset button" on money and benefits. There certainly has been a dearth at the B and character level actors for some time, so maybe we are headed for an era of totally interchangeable faces. Kind of a 1950s flashback.

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Denzel no longer an A-list star because Deja Vu finished 3rd at the box office? HAHAHA. Yeah right. Neither post considered this film's per theater take home of over $6700. Neither post considered that the film was Denzel Washington's seventh picture to open to over $20 million in six years. And since when does an A-list actor guarantee a number one slot? It was a tough release date anyway where Bond took some of the Deja Vu demo. Deja Vu is a great film that solidifies Denzel's spot at the top; this weekend's box office results confirm his greatness, they don't weaken it.

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Wasn't Inside Man (his last movie, I believe) his best opening ever? Boxofficeguru.com says this is the 7th of his last 8 to make $20 million or more in the opening weekend...

After the cinematical blogger who, just the other day, declared Bruce Almighty a 'flop' (it wasn't), and the other Cinematical blogger talking about Emilio Estevez's "first film" Bobby (actually his fourth), I am less than impressed with quality of this site lately. I only look at this site every few days, yet still I notice a glaring error (or bad analysis) every time.

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hello... as these other commentors are hinting at... it's the movie stupid. No matter how A list an Actor is if the script and movie sucks then it's going to tank. Or put it in another way, if the script and subject material is risky having an A-lister will not make the difference, if the movie explorers subject matter that has been done and buried then, again it will be hard to sell. The market is saturated with it. Now you take a mockumentary about a Kazakh named Borat with some barely known comedian and market it well... well I guess it's a bit more complicated than having an A lister or not.

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Adam Sandler, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise still open movies.

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I think part of it has to do with expectation. Take MI:3. If it wasn't MI:3 and been a Tom Cruise movie, it would have been considered a blockbuster. But because the expectation of it being Tom Cruise and MI:3, the expectation was there that it would gross more. Superman Returns is another example. Sure, it's not an A-List fest and did about $200M, but since it wasn't a $400M movie and it wasn't the number #1 movie for weeks gave it a "mediocre" result in the studio's eyes. Hence the if it doesn't break $200M no sequel thing.

When studios get A-List movie stars and paying for them (upwards of $20-$30M a pic) they are hedging their bets, that because of the actor that will attract audiences. Nowadays, if a movies doesn't hit the $30-$50M mark (depending on the weekend), break $100M inside of 2 weeks, and the general high numbers for weeks, the movie is not considered a blockbuster.

Personally, I think the days of the A-List blockbuster are rapidly fading. Because of crap cookie cutter movies and actors playing basically the same character in basically same the movie (Will Farrel, Denzel Washington, Ashley Judd, etc), the A-List actor won't be carrying the movie as much.

This isn't much that this is one of the better openings for a Denzel Washington movie, or than he doesn't make movies that don't make alot of money, it's more of the case it wasn't #1, it didn't bring it $40M its first weekend and it won't hit $100M in 10 days. Its not just about Denzel, it's about the general studio expectations of return based on their outlay of money for the project, whoever the actor is.

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My comments were not an attack, more like an observation - or perhaps a lamentation.

Now, as far as this post goes - and, again, this isn't an attack - the very premise of it seems flawed, because if you check Denzel's IMDB profile, you see a history of box office returns that, if anything, has gotten better since Training Day.

The 7 movies before Training Day:

Preachers Wife $48m
Fallen: $25m
He Got Game: $21m
The Seige: $40m
Bone Collector: $66m
Hurricane: $50m
Remembering The Titans: $115m

Then Training Day: $76m

The seven movies after:

John Q: $71m
Antwone Fisher: $21m
Out of Time: $40m
Man on Fire: $77m
Manchurian Candidate: $65m
Inside Man: $88m
And Deja Vu, which opened very strong and I can't imagine will make less than $60m.

To my eyes, it seems like he is a bigger draw now than before Training Day, by the numbers. Remembering the Titans was a big hit for him, which he has yet to equal, but it was a family-friendly sports film so had broader appeal than violent fare like Man on Fire.

Antwone Fisher didn't perform well, but it was somewhat of a vanity project, since it was his directorial debut... also, he was more a of a supporting actor in it, as I recall. Other than that, I'd say his recent box office performance has been pretty great - he's been able to generate large box office numbers for some pretty mediocre - and mediocre LOOKING- films (John Q and the Manchurian Candidate remake, I'm looking at you).

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well, y'know, star power's a fine thing n all.
but, it doesn't matter what kinda star you got up there, if the script's rubbish, and the directing is y'know like leaving viewers feeling what the hek's going on, and if your star decides they're not gonna pull their weight, star power ain't worth jack. star power is what you see. what people forget is the iceberg size activity behind the scenes going on to make the star a star.
so let's keep things in proportion shall we.
yeah, a star has major pulling power. check out mr craig, daniel craig, he'll be pulling the shots a bit now for a while.
perhaps it's been watered down with tv and media taking the mystery outta the movies n'all, an bringin so much competition... but... a star who gets he / she is his/her audience will be able to pull the audiences into the cinema.
it's when a star forgets how and why they got to be a star that they start losing their pulling power.
s'like any business. yeh product, marketing, but if you ain't gonna keep the customer happy... may as well not bother.

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I dont think they can pull the numbers that they used too but they are mostly all still making good movies that I will go to see and thats all I care about.

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I just saw Deja Vu and Denzel hasn't lost any appeal as far as I am concerned. Yes, I sometimes felt like Deja Vu from some of his other roles, but the plot was creative and interesting and held my attention throughout the entire time. I give the movie 4.5 stars!

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Dejavu is a great movie i finally got my money's worth

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Hum, John Q was awful. but anyway, Washington is a B list actor, as Clooney and Pitt.

Only Cruise, Hanks, Smith open movies. They are A list.

Sandler always flop outside America. Don't forget.

Depp, is occasionaly A list

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