Bankable star

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and Leonardo DiCaprio are examples of "bankable stars".

In the film industry, a bankable star is an actor (movie star) "capable of guaranteeing box-office success simply by showing up in a movie".[1] The bankability of an actor includes their films' box office track record, professional demeanor, and other factors. Hiring a bankable star helps a film company to secure investment, distribution, and garner media attention. Some bankable stars have so much star power that even films without a strong concept or "hook"―such as star vehicle films―are feasible to make.

A bankable director is a similar notion.

Overview

Media consultant Blake Harris

script or a strong story idea. The involvement of a bankable star in a film gives investors
confidence that they will achieve a return on their investments by ensuring that the film is widely distributed and that at least some people will pay to see it (that it will "open").

Harris adds that obtaining a bankable star for a package is not easy because of the dearth of such stars. He states that at any point in time there are no more than "a dozen or so" stars whose mere involvement will ensure that a film will be made.

Analyst Alex Epstein

high-concept (they have what Epstein terms "hooks"), but others are simply star vehicles
for bankable stars.

The Hollywood Reporter has published several results of polls for Hollywood's top ten most bankable stars, the most recent three being one in 1999, one in 2002 and the last one in 2006.[4]

The 2002 survey polled "114 executives at both major studios and independent companies, financiers and various industry players from around the world."[5] Voters were asked which stars "did the most to attract financing to a film, ensure its global distribution, and deliver that hugely important opening weekend based on the strength of their good name."

sexist"; how a woman's name alone cannot sell a movie, and how female stars are only bankable when cast with a male star or in ensemble movies.[6]

Lists of most bankable stars

Further information: List of highest-grossing actors and List of highest-paid film actors

The Hollywood Reporter

These are the top 10 lists of the most bankable stars, with their scores, as published by The Hollywood Reporter.

Ulmer Scale

The list was created by veteran entertainment journalist

film production, in terms of getting a movie financed and the cameras rolling. The Ulmer Scale also takes into account an actor's history (box office
successes vs. failures), versatility, professional demeanor, and ability and willingness to travel and promote movies.

2009

The Top 10 list as of 2009 (in order of 'bankable' value):[9]

  1. Will Smith
  2. Johnny Depp
  3. Brad Pitt
  4. Tom Hanks
  5. George Clooney
  6. Will Ferrell
  7. Reese Witherspoon
  8. Nicolas Cage
  9. Leonardo DiCaprio
  10. Russell Crowe

See also

References

  1. ^ Daniel Frankel (1999-06-14). "Survey Says: Hanks Hollywood's Most Bankable Star". E!. Archived from the original on March 20, 2005.
  2. ^ Blake Harris. "A Brief Look at the Industry". The True Art of Screenwriting. Archived from the original on 2006-05-12. Retrieved 2005-12-28.
  3. ISBN 0-8050-6992-5
    .
  4. ^ Melissa Robbie. "Find your high concept — or be left low without one". Melbourne Romance Writers Guild articles. Archived from the original on 2005-12-08. Retrieved 2005-12-28.
  5. ^ "Bankable Stars". CBS News. 2002-02-05.
  6. ^ a b "Company Ranks Celebrity Bankability". NPR. August 6, 2010. Archived from the original on 5 November 2010. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  7. ^ Bankable Stars, CBS News, Feb. 5, 2002
  8. ^ "Tom Cruise and Hanks top new power list". World Entertainment News Network. 2006-04-10.
  9. ^ "The Ulmer Scale". Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved June 12, 2009.

External links

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