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Originally Posted by Charlatan
I really hate this, "Blame the actors who make 30 million a picture" nonsense. Like it's their fault.
Hey! Guess what... the studios don't have to hire them. You know why they do? Because people pay money to see them. If people didn't go to see films with Russell Crowe, Mel Gibson in the numbers they do, the films would not turn a profit and these people would not get hired to make another film...
While there are a few writers and directors that a few hardcore film goers will see anything they do, these films are not making hundreds of millions of dollars in profits. It is the actors that bring in the big profits to the studios and it is the actors that can demand a fair share of that profit.
If you don't like it. Don't support it. Boycott big budget films in favour of low budget films.
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Wow, bad day?
If you notice, there are many films that are being produced that the income doesn't even cover the salaries of the actors anymore! However, I think you missed my point: an unknown actor could have played any one of those roles: RC in Gladiator, BP in Troy, OB in Kingdom of Heaven, CF in Alexander - and the quality (or lack thereof) would have been the same. While I concede that the names on the film bring in the audiences the first weekend, the overall quality of the film is what causes the hundreds of millions to be made.
I think the phenomenon of the big-salaried actors is what brings overall movie making down. It goes like this:
Director: "So, you want me to direct an epic on Troy?"
Studio: "Yep"
D: "What's my budget?"
S: "$200M, but we want the lead to be Brad Pitt."
D: "Oh, so you mean my budget is $170M?"
S: "No exactly....we want the supporting actor to be Orlando Bloom."
D: "Oh, so you mean my budget is $150M?"
S: "Ummm, we want to cast Peter O'Toole as well......"
The best actor in Troy was Eric Bana, playing Prince Hector. He was mostly unknown before that film. There were 2 other "unknowns" that could have been used for Achilles and Paris - and the savings could have been applied elsewhere.