re: Bankable stars in 2026, according to movie theater owners

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There was such a pushback against woke that it's surprising studios haven't taken advantage

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Mid-budget comedy films are hard to globalize for an international audience. Studio companies would rather mass produce a bunch of superhero films because that sells better to a global audience.

The Apatow/Goldberg/McKay era of mid-budget comedy films died around ten years ago when streaming really started to take off. As soon as sales for physical media died, the comedy genre died as well.

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The Apatow/Goldberg/McKay era of mid-budget comedy films

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These were big budget comedies, which was a big part of the issue.

Comedies were getting more and more expensive, and, as a genre, never had the worthwhile return overseas, which studios decided was a top priority. The lack of comedies cannot be blamed on Apatow and McKay, but I do wonder if we'd still have more of them if top comedy producers like these two would have reigned in their budgets and still found produced similar profits.

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Are you still a teen? You sound like one.

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And you sound like a giant fricking pussy.

I bet you still pay netflix to show trans shows to kids, but thank goodness the middle aged man checked ID so no teenagers got to see SAW a few months before it went to blockbuster.

Dumbass.

Its not a legal requirment you dumb frick. Its akin to a mcdonalds employee giving 3 sauces instead of 2. OMG THEY COULD GET FIRED. Tf out of here.

Ruin some kids night because your middle aged arse is afraid to lose your minimum wage job. Dudes probably 75 and still checking receipts at Walmart when people leave after he watched them check out. Then leaves and breaks 43 traffic laws on his 15 mile journey back to the trailer but at least its not against muh company policy.

Gosling seems low

I don't think Chamalet, Butler, Zendaya, or Holland are draws as much as dependent on the project. They are like Tom Hiddleston or Jessica Chastain level: names you recognize but don't generate automatic theater attendance.

Tom Cruise is bizarrely missing. He's really the last blockbuster movie star and a step above A list names like Pitt or DiCaprio

I need someone to explain the Zendaya love

I’ve heard people say on podcasts she’s the most beautiful woman alive and an amazing actress

What am I missing?

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I need someone to explain the Zendaya love

I’ve heard people say on podcasts she’s the most beautiful woman alive and an amazing actress

What am I missing?

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She's a decent Emmy Award-winning actress capable of roles in multiple genres. She's a good-looking woman and a fashion icon. There's no woke drama with her, unlike most Disney chicks. She has a sweet personality and seems like a loving and loyal girlfriend (wife?) to Mr. Holland. Her and Tom also bridge that generational switch of late Millennial/early Gen Z.

Cruise is an omission for sure. Assume it’s because the last ten years he’s only done franchise movies (Top Gun and Mission Impossible). But if you go back to his previous non franchise roles, Edge of Tomorrow/Jack Reacher/American Made, they all still did well. But it’s just been awhile (pre covid) since a movie theater was trying to sell you on Tom Cruise himself over the broader franchise. Be interesting to see how Digger does, as it’s the first time he’s done something like that since American Made in 2017.

Also agreed on Holland and Butler. Holland hasn’t done anything other than Spider-Man (franchise) and butler hasn’t carried a successful move since Elvis.

Disagree on Chalamet and Zendaya. Pretty much every movie they’ve been in over the past 5-6 years has done well and they’ve been the biggest name on a multiple types of movies. Last three years and four movies for Chalamet are Dune Part II, Wonka, complete unknown and Marty supreme. Four very different types of movies and potential audiences and all did very well.

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If we're including Zendaya as bankable then Zoe Saldana has to be mentioned as well. She is one of the top grossing actresses of all time and was a main character in her biggest hits.

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Zoe Saldana is the highest grossing actor of all time. She might be the blueprint for Zendaya if she wants to branch out into action films. I could see Zendaya in a Colombiana type of role.

American Made and the recent MI may have been disappointments, but they both ended up quite profitable, the MIs despite having huge budgets. Same with the Mummy.

I see why he wasn’t included in the list. If you compare him to Leo/Pitt/Chalamet he’s not doing the same work recently of carrying a bunch of different types of movies that probably wouldn’t be financially successful with a less popular (or good) lead actor. On the other hand if you go back 15-20 years it’s hard to find a cruise movie that didn’t put butts in seats and turned a profit.