10 Movies That Deceived You Into Buying A Ticket
4. Stealth
One of the most frustrating deceptions in Hollywood is when a movie is advertised so it looks like a famous star is playing a larger role than they are. Bryan Cranston in the 2014 Godzilla film is a prime example of this devious trick.
And then there's Jamie Foxx in Stealth. Although the sci-fi thriller had an impressive cast, Foxx was the biggest name hands-down. Coming fresh off from his spectacular turn in Michael Mann's Collateral and his Oscar-winning performance in Ray, Foxx was expected to be playing a significant part in Stealth. Featuring in all of the promotions (and standing in the dead centre of the posters), it appeared as if Foxx was a leading character.
Which is why it was such a surprise when his character was killed off at the halfway point.
So, why did the studio pretend Foxx was the lead? The simple answer is marketing. Although Stealth was released a year after Ray, Foxx shot his scenes prior, before he was a big star.
After he became an Academy Award winner, the powers-that-be put Jamie Foxx's face on all the promotions, hoping it would get butts in seats.