Thursday, March 29, 2012

Julia Roberts, No Longer Box office Magic?


When was the last time you went to see a movie because Julia Roberts was in the lead? Mystic Pizza? Pretty Woman?  From The Daily:
"According to industry experts, the former 'Pretty Woman' is no longer the fairest of them all when it comes to box office bank.

"Relativity’s farcical 'Snow White' tale opens tomorrow, starring former heavyweight Roberts alongside relative newcomers Armie Hammer and Lily Collins — but many in the industry are skeptical about the whimsical flick’s box office potential, predicting it will be seven-dwarfed by new blockbuster 'The Hunger Games.'

"'The film’s gonna be in about 3,200 locations and it’s gonna make somewhere in the $14-$16 million range,” Internet Movie Database managing editor Keith Simanton told Flash in a grim prediction.

"'I think if Relativity gets over that, they’re going to be tickled. It’s just kind of a hard sell at this point.'

"Long gone are the days of Roberts’ name meaning a guaranteed blockbuster, as was the case in the late ’90s with “Notting Hill” (grossing $363.8 million worldwide) and 'Runaway Bride' ($309 million worldwide).

"The actress’ only big hits in the last decade have been ensemble films ('Valentine’s Day' and the 'Ocean’s' movies). Nothing else has cracked the $100 million mark. Her most recent, 'Larry Crowne,' co-starring Tom Hanks, grossed a mere $52.4 million worldwide.
I don't believe that this is due entirely to sexism (Julia is over 40; there is a well known Hollywood curse regarding women over 40). Harrison Ford, also, hasn't had a hit in over a decade.  I personally no longer find Ford or Roberts interesting. They are good -- though not great -- actors. But because they are more "stars" than "actors" -- neither will be doing off-broadway in lieu of a Hollywood paycheck this summer -for the sake of the craft - they are ultimately judged on their looks and/or interestingness. Neither, quite frankly, is so interesting or good looking as to hold the publics attention for more than a decade.

That having been said, both seem to be quite happy in their personal relationships and families. That, I suppose, is the ultimate consolation to a fallen star.

4 comments:

Vrej said...

I understand the sentiment and agree, but the last Indiana Jones movie, quality notwithstanding, was a major hit for Ford, no?

Anonymous said...
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The Corsair said...

Vrej: You have a solid point regarding box office gross, although a lot of that has to do with the franchise and Spielberg. It was critically panned and although there are talks to do an Indy 5, I don't know if Spielberg would want to take the hit. Harrison Ford has also said in the press that he wasn't a fan of the movie. he would not be alone, though many, many paid to see it out of nostalgia. Other than a franchise like that it is hard to imagine Ford helping a movie that is a box office hit nowadays.

Anonymous said...

Crystal Skull has a 77% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes...I understand the sentiment from a larger, fan-based perspective, but the film was hardly "critically panned".