Movie stars are a vital part of the Hollywood landscape. Without them, it would be almost impossible for certain films to catch on with audiences. Any movie fan has his or her list of favourite actors and actresses and most of the time, the names on that list will include the big A-list stars that we love so much. The last couple of years, I've noticed articles online lamenting the end of the movie star and highlighting the fact that there are very few (or none at all) new movie stars. Whenever a guy like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, or Michael Fassbender is attached to a project, the term "rising star" is frequently used, but there aren't many pundits who would consider them to be legitimate box office draws. Eventually, the movie studios are going to have to find a remedy for this issue, but for the time being it's not a large concern. While there are certainly talented actors more than capable of becoming reliable leads, there's no pressure for them to become them now. Here are a few reasons why...
3. There Are So Many Already
Perhaps the main reason why the new guys have had such a hard time becoming big stars is the fact that there is already a full roster of leading talent currently working in Hollywood. Names like DiCaprio, Damon, Pitt, Bale, Clooney, Hanks, and Jackman have been on the top of film posters for years and there's no sign of that stopping any time soon. One look at the film slate for 2013, including several of the ones I highlighted in my
15 Films You Need to See in 2013 article, proves this. Leo was in
The Great Gatsby and he'll show up in
The Wolf of Wall Street. Pitt fights in
World War Z and has a supporting role in Ridley Scott's
The Counselor (which stars Fassbender in the lead role). Damon and Clooney both have two films to carry; the former headlines the original sci-fi flick
Elysium, the latter co-stars in
Gravity while they both play parts in Clooney's own
Monuments Men. Christian Bale will most likely be at the front of the ensemble cast for
American Hustle. Tom Hanks plays
Captain Phillips and Hugh Jackman has a new Wolverine movie as well as
Prisoners. The common denominator there is that established actors are getting the roles in awards contenders and blockbusters. As long as these guys are willing to act (Pitt has hinted at retirement in recent years), directors and executives will find a way to fit them in a movie because the star presence of a DiCaprio or Clooney can help give a smaller awards contender long legs at the box office. This brings me to my next point...