We've talked a lot here about whether the success of movies are star-driven or related to the quality of the story. Here's one chart to show you that it's the story that makes the difference.
This chart represents the top 20 worldwide best selling movies of all time. What may surprise many of you is that none of them are driven by big-name stars.
This is important because many companies are struggling and changing drastically to become viable businesses. This is one piece of the puzzle that shows it's not the stars that have ever made the difference. Yet, you've got to hand it to their agents and publicity machines; they've done a great job at making everybody think it's their clients.
The Tom Cruise incident is the first of many that will bring back some fiscal sanity to the motion picture industry.
The figures below are not adjusted for inflation.
| 1 | 1997 | Titanic | $1,835,400,000 |
| 2 | 2003 | Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | $1,129,027,325 |
| 3 | 2006 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest | $975,898,046 |
| 4 | 2001 | Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone | $974,557,891 |
| 5 | 2002 | Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | $926,284,377 |
| 6 | 1999 | Star Wars: Phantom Menace | $924,288,297 |
| 7 | 1993 | Jurassic Park | $920,100,000 |
| 8 | 2004 | Shrek 2 | $916,121,703 |
| 9 | 2005 | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | $892,213,036 |
| 10 | 2002 | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | $878,987,880 |
| 11 | 2001 | Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | $867,683,093 |
| 12 | 2003 | Finding Nemo | $866,914,978 |
| 13 | 2005 | Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith | $848,470,577 |
| 14 | 2002 | Spider-Man | $821,700,000 |
| 15 | 1996 | Independence Day | $816,969,255 |
| 16 | 1977 | Star Wars | $797,900,000 |
| 17 | 1982 | ET: The Extra-Terrestrial | $792,910,554 |
| 18 | 2004 | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | $792,538,952 |
| 19 | 1997 | Lost World: Jurassic Park | $786,686,679 |
| 20 | 2004 | Spider-Man 2 | $783,924,485 |
Cruise is an exception. He always do well, very well at the box office.
Since more than 20 years. i think if Cruise got his salary cut off, everyone will. Because he is the biggest.
Posted by: David | September 3, 2006 5:17 PM | Permalink to Comment