14 DAY TRIAL // Just a couple of years ago, the names on movie posters were sometimes enough to sell tickets and pack large theaters with fans, not just for the premiere weekend, but throughout the entire theatrical run of a film. These days, moviegoers are easier and easier deterred from coming out of the house to go and catch a film in theaters, which translates into A-listers losing their hold of the box-office, a recent piece in the New York Times says.
Spring and summer numbers reveal that most household names have taken a serious hit in terms of popularity in recent months, which inevitably leads to the question of whether the same will happen to Brad Pitt, whose latest film, the Tarantino R-rated “Inglourious Basterds,” opened this Friday. As the likes of Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Russell Crowe, Denzel Washington, Eddie Murphy, John Travolta, Will Ferrell and Adam Sandler no longer have the power to command many millions' worth of sales in the opening weekend, studios are becoming increasingly worried about the situation, trying to find a way out.
So what will happen to “Basterds,” the NY Times asks, when the entire marketing campaign for the film has been centered on Pitt? Or, more importantly, what is it that makes it that A-list stars, the crème de la crème of Hollywood as they were once called, no longer hold the same appeal they used to have with audiences? “Some of the same well-worn reasoning for declining star power has become even truer with time: people are harder to move off the sofa; a plethora of entertainment options competes for time and attention; the Web and paparazzi culture have made it difficult for stars to stand apart as rare and unique.” the piece in the aforementioned publication reads.
At the same time, Twitter, Facebook and even text messaging work better than any marketing campaign, analysts believe, with moviegoers telling all their friends while the movie is still running whether it’s any good or not. Judging by the figures published this year, most of the time, the film is not worth the trouble and the money. Stories that are not well transposed to the screen, bad or awkward advertising and routines that are no longer of interest (like Ferrell’s) are also factors that work against major stars, as also is the fact that these stars often choose projects that intrigue only a small segment of the audience (see “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” as opposed to Johnny Depp’s “Public Enemies”). As the NY Times notes, they also ask for salaries that are downright absurd most of the time.
There is some hope for Brad Pitt, though, analysts believe. “This weekend, Mr. Pitt has an opportunity to stop the bleeding. […] Harvey Weinstein and The Weinstein Company built the marketing campaign for the film almost entirely around Mr. Pitt. And the actor may pull it off – kind of. Mr. Weinstein contends that Mr. Pitt’s drawing power is not remotely in question. ‘Brad Pitt is a super-superstar at the apex of his popularity, and he’s a large part of why people want to see this movie,’ he said.” the NY Times writes.
As we speak, official numbers for the North American box-office have not yet been made public. Even if they had, “Basterds” and Pitt still have to prove their worth in the long run, so this is a clear case of “only time can tell” if this particular star still has what it takes to make box-office magic.