1. Directors Are Movie Stars Too
Sometimes, the success of a movie depends not on who's
in it, but who's
making it. Directors and producers can be some of the most powerful stars in the film business, as the most famous ones have the ability to make any project they desire (for better or worse). It doesn't matter who stars in the next Steven Spielberg film. People will go see it because it's a Spielberg film. I would not necessarily call Matthew McConaughey a big time box office draw, but Warner Bros. and Paramount won't bat an eye that he's headlining
Interstellar because that's Christopher Nolan's next film. Ben Affleck doesn't have to star in his next movie because his name as a filmmaker carries so much clout, something like
Argo can make over $230 million worldwide. Directing and producing credits are used in marketing materials all the time. Sometimes, THEY are the stars that will entice people instead of the actors. Highlighting a director's involvement with a certain movie can be extremely beneficial. If a famous director is calling the shots, a studio could opt to bypass a huge movie star salary and focus the budget on other things (since the director will be the big draw). Hollywood today is populated by several talented directors who can generate interest in an upcoming film. Spielberg, Nolan, Affleck, Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, David O. Russell, JJ Abrams, Brad Bird, Peter Jackson, and James Cameron are all filmmakers who (in my opinion) can get people excited about a movie just by having their name attached. Because there's such a large number of talented directors out there (with other names such as Neill Blomkamp and Bennett Miller looking to raise their profiles this year), it lessens the demand for new acting movie stars since there are so many directors who can operate as a star in their own right. Now for some parting thoughts...