Hollywood has gone through several eras. In the 1950s and 1960s, the industry relied on larger-than-life stars to drive interest in a project. When the authorial era of the 1970s arrived, stars were still crucial to generating a healthy box office, but writers and directors were the main attraction for serious moviegoers and producers. In today’s Hollywood, which I like to call the “franchise era,” movie stars mean less and less. Yes, there will always be marquee names that call audiences, but the list of those names keeps shrinking.
Since beloved characters and franchises born in other media now serve as the cornerstone for studio stores, modern actors are more like models than experienced actors before. The last duel of 2021 is a perfect example of how small movie stars matter to modernity. The Last Duel was directed by Ridley Scott, full of stars, and has not yet managed to attract audiences to a theater. Hopefully, Amsterdam, which appears in the trailer linked above, will not suffer a similar fate. Featuring a cast of stars that includes Michael B. Jordan, Margot Robbie, Christian Bale and Chris Rock, Amsterdam is David O. Russell’s first film since Joy in 2015.