Why do studios always recruit A-list stars in their films instead of talented actors?

Yo guys :)
Glad to be here and to learn and share with you.
So, Why do they always do that?

Please, share your thougts!
Thanks:cool:
 
Because they’re A-listers and ecognizability sells. That’s called branding, and it’s the most effective way to reach a broad audience.

There are exceptions to the rule, like Slumdog Millionaire, and cases where the lead is not well-known (Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody) but they still bring in someone with some Q ratings (Mike Meyers).
 
Yo guys :)
Glad to be here and to learn and share with you.
So, Why do they always do that?

because people are more likely to go see a movie if there's an actor they know in it?
its just smart to use actors that are almost guaranteed to make the movie a profit.

There are exceptions to the rule, like Slumdog Millionaire, and cases where the lead is not well-known (Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody) but they still bring in someone with some Q ratings (Mike Meyers).

I wouldn't even say that Rami Malek is an exception, he's still a very well known actor.
 
@robotkubo & @AcousticAl

Many thanks for your feedbacks. I really appreciate it :thumbsup:

I do understand it's saffer to hire peole with their own audience. But I'm not sure most people read a movie list (to make sure their superstar is there) before tying to see it. Maybe this is an other myth :) . I guest if the trailer is attractive enough, they will plan to give the movie a try.

Maybe if you have a great business plan + a great movie, you still can thrive (without big names). I mean, if
someone has a great movie, a great trailer and a great way to make people see the trailer, how could them fail?

Thanks again and talk soon :cool:
 
I do understand it's saffer to hire peole with their own audience. But I'm not sure most people read a movie list (to make sure their superstar is there) before tying to see it. Maybe this is an other myth :) . I guest if the trailer is attractive enough, they will plan to give the movie a try.

Yeah sure not everyone reads the cast of a movie before they see it but they 100% see the poster of the movie at some point before they walk in the theater and watch it.

Take Dwayne the rock Johnson's last movie. (awful movie) but lots of people like him and enjoy his films, what do you see? you see the gorilla, what the movies about. but you also have Dwayne and his name. literally only the title of the movie and his name. anyways what I'm trying to get at is it doesn't really matter if people don't read cast lists since the biggest actors in that movie are more then likely going to be on the poster with their names.
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Maybe if you have a great business plan + a great movie, you still can thrive (without big names). I mean, if
someone has a great movie, a great trailer and a great way to make people see the trailer, how could them fail?

True you could definitely accomplish this but I think it would 100% be harder. :)
 
I wouldn't even say that Rami Malek is an exception, he's still a very well known actor.

I cited Slumdog Millionaire as an exception. I never said Rami Malek was an exception, just a case of a movie that brought in a non-A-lister as the lead. Yeah, he was known before that film, but not in any major lead (feature film) roles. He was Ahkmenrah in the Night at the Museum films... that and Elliot in Mr. Robot were his most notable roles before Bohemian Rhapsody. So yes... that is a case where the film didn’t cast an A-lister in the lead.

I guest if the trailer is attractive enough, they will plan to give the movie a try.

Maybe if you have a great business plan + a great movie, you still can thrive (without big names). I mean, if
someone has a great movie, a great trailer and a great way to make people see the trailer, how could them fail?

Wouldn’t it be great if this were a perfect world? There are lots of great screenplays out there that will never get national or global distribution. There are lots of great films made with completely unknown cast that just won’t get a lot of recognition. Doesn’t matter if the screenplay is great, the cast is great, and the trailer is great. Hollywood is much more who you know than what you know.
 
I think it works both ways.

Snakes on a Plane: Campy comedy/horror pic made absolutely better throwing in Sam L Jackson and all his common antics.

Ninja Turtles: Megan Fox and Stephen Amell both cast in major rolls that, imo, didn’t fit and screamed just trying to drawl in groups.

But there really is no doubt starpower brings in crowds.
 
its just easier too sell basically

its like when your in foreign country and you want something quick to eat do you go for a completely unknown fast food restaurant or head for McDonald and order your usual... yeah some will head for the unknown but most like security, same way people tend to order the same pizza or the same subway time and time again, we like what we know and its less risky

some genres do not lend themselves as much to 'celebs' though and although many of them are indies not big studios a lot of successful horrors have unknown actors in for example
 
Wouldn’t it be great if this were a perfect world? There are lots of great screenplays out there that will never get national or global distribution. There are lots of great films made with completely unknown cast that just won’t get a lot of recognition. Doesn’t matter if the screenplay is great, the cast is great, and the trailer is great. Hollywood is much more who you know than what you know.

Hi @AccousticAL
Thanks for your answer:thumbsup:

Ok.
So, are you saying that once there are no A-listers in a movie, there is no way to "save" it and get recognition? Is that your conclusion?
 
Take Dwayne the rock Johnson's last movie. (awful movie) but lots of people like him and enjoy his films, what do you see? you see the gorilla, what the movies about. but you also have Dwayne and his name. literally only the title of the movie and his name. anyways what I'm trying to get at is it doesn't really matter if people don't read cast lists since the biggest actors in that movie are more then likely going to be on the poster with their names.

Lol. You right! This one was really bad. With the poster screaming:"We have the rock, so just come and it" :)
 
So, are you saying that once there are no A-listers in a movie, there is no way to "save" it and get recognition? Is that your conclusion?

No. What I’m saying is that the big studios spend big money to get big names so that those names will bring in fans who want to see their favorite star(s).

That doesn’t meant there aren’t good movies out there that don’t have A-listers. Or B-listers, C-listers, etc. It’s just that the ones that have large studios behind them, likely will.

Indies are a completely different beast, but without the support of a studio or distribution name, any film has an uphill climb.
 
there's also recognizable actors of different levels, although they are unlikely to do a 'no budget' films some actors like Toni Collette, Ewan Mcgregor, Ethan Hawk and a lot of TV stars like Kat Dennings, Zach Braff and AJ Buckley etc... do quite a few indie films rather than 'hollywood studo' films

these indies can have pretty big bugets still, take something like 'the impossible' which I think is an indie with Ewan but it had a budget of $45 million
 
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