Hollywood stars are being forced to take pay cuts as the major studios are pulling the plug on big-budget projects.
With last year’s box office takings down 5.2 per cent and the cost of making movies ballooning because of added expenses for digital enhancement and global marketing, studios are refusing to meet stars’ financial demands. In addition, several high-profile films due to go into production have suddenly disappeared from view.
Studios have taken note of the fact that only three of the 10 highest-grossing films last year – War of the Worlds, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Mr and Mrs Smith – were star-driven. The rest of the major hits – such as Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and The Chronicles of Narnia – had no stellar names, or fat salaries, to speak of.
In addition, all of this year’s Oscar nominees for best actor – Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote), Terence Howard (Hustle and Flow), David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck), Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line) and Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain) – worked for rock-bottom wages. The last of the big paydays went to Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, who was paid a reported $20m plus 20 per cent of the gross for King Kong, made by Universal.
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GOOD! It is ABOUT TIME these overpaid “stars” learned what it felt like to actually WORK for their money…instead of being expected to be paid large sums of money just to make an appearance on a show!
Mabye hollywood is finally wising up to paying all of these so called “stars” enormous salaries. A lot of those salaries take away from the budget that a film has anyway so I am gald it is happening.
Damn “no edit” function on zeropaid! I meant I am GLAD it is happening on that last part…sorry. I am also “gald” too…whatever that means! LOL!
Saddly this probably wont change a thing if the actors arnt making they money its just going in the pockets of the investors. Thats probably all this is another way for the investors to pocket loads of cash.
Ever since Lord of the Rings came out with no big names to speak of Elijah Wood being the only actor on there that anyone had even possibly heard of the writing was on the wall Pirates of the Carribbean did it again while Johnny Depp was somewhat known he and all of the unknowns who co-starred were catapulted to the top. I noticed this trend happening again and again and it was pretty inevitable as it snow balled.
I say the stars need more cuts.