Do Movie Stars Still Exist?
The movie ecosystem has changed in terms of what gets the audience’s attention.
A few days ago, my friend Richard Newby – who writes for The Hollywood Reporter and Fangoria, among others – questioned the assessment that Timothée Chalamet is a modern-day movie star, an assessment brought about by the dual success of Wonka and Dune: Part Two. In depressingly predictable fashion, the actor’s fans got on Richard’s case, as though he had personally offended them.
The thing is, of course, he was right. Chalamet is a talented actor, and his charm was undoubtedly part of the promotional campaign for both films, which were released after the SAG-AFTRA strike came to an end. But he has yet to prove he has the ability to draw large crowds with something that isn’t a huge studio production, and based on famous IP. Which is really the case for most actors working today, including the ones who used to be able to get butts in seats with pretty much any project.
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