My 'guesstimate'? 1 - It's gotten cheaper to make movies so more people are making more movies. 2 - Absent indies, those who make films for commercial release and/or big time streaming face more total competition from the extra movies being made and it's harder to 'stand out' when there is more total product entering the marketplace. 3 - Faced with increased total competition, some film makers are relying on 'proven' stars who are getting older. Hence the average age of leading movie actors tends to increase.
Interesting comments below particularly Benjamin on the lead actor's age mirroring the audience age.
My take is that there are no younger stars these days who will attract an audience and also a budget, to take the place of those that have gone before. No young Leonardo, Pacino, Julianne Moore, etc. not even. a younger Scarlett Johanson or Jennifer Lawrence. No young Tom Cruise, but he's grown into an older actor!
I would say younger audiences go more for genre than young stars.
How much could be due to the last decade's appetite for legacy sequels? If all the big business is in bringing back the stars of the prior generation's biggest blockbusters, then no wonder! Same stars, 30 years older. Star Wars 7, Indiana Jones 5, Terminator Whatever, and so on.
Also, is the "old people have fun" subgenre a newish one? Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Book Club, 80 for Brady, and so forth. Even one or two of those movies might bump up the average a bit.
I’m curious if metrics aren’t driving these choices (ie the tail wagging the dog). As the prices of shooting and marketing films skyrockets, appetite for risk decreases. So, would you consider checking if Q scores and other ‘actor recognizability’ rankings are a factor. How about previous successful movies? ie. If you’re a money maker we’ll hire you again until you drop or shoot a flop. Thanks
Doesn't this mirror the audience? I noticed this trend about a year ago when I went to the cinema without my kids for the first time in too long. I was struck that with only one exception all the trailers weren't just starring older actors, they were for stories about being old. The lights came up and I was the youngest middle-aged person in the room...
My 'guesstimate'? 1 - It's gotten cheaper to make movies so more people are making more movies. 2 - Absent indies, those who make films for commercial release and/or big time streaming face more total competition from the extra movies being made and it's harder to 'stand out' when there is more total product entering the marketplace. 3 - Faced with increased total competition, some film makers are relying on 'proven' stars who are getting older. Hence the average age of leading movie actors tends to increase.
Interesting comments below particularly Benjamin on the lead actor's age mirroring the audience age.
My take is that there are no younger stars these days who will attract an audience and also a budget, to take the place of those that have gone before. No young Leonardo, Pacino, Julianne Moore, etc. not even. a younger Scarlett Johanson or Jennifer Lawrence. No young Tom Cruise, but he's grown into an older actor!
I would say younger audiences go more for genre than young stars.
How much could be due to the last decade's appetite for legacy sequels? If all the big business is in bringing back the stars of the prior generation's biggest blockbusters, then no wonder! Same stars, 30 years older. Star Wars 7, Indiana Jones 5, Terminator Whatever, and so on.
Also, is the "old people have fun" subgenre a newish one? Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Book Club, 80 for Brady, and so forth. Even one or two of those movies might bump up the average a bit.
I’m curious if metrics aren’t driving these choices (ie the tail wagging the dog). As the prices of shooting and marketing films skyrockets, appetite for risk decreases. So, would you consider checking if Q scores and other ‘actor recognizability’ rankings are a factor. How about previous successful movies? ie. If you’re a money maker we’ll hire you again until you drop or shoot a flop. Thanks
Doesn't this mirror the audience? I noticed this trend about a year ago when I went to the cinema without my kids for the first time in too long. I was struck that with only one exception all the trailers weren't just starring older actors, they were for stories about being old. The lights came up and I was the youngest middle-aged person in the room...