Posted on 11/22/2009 7:30:13 PM PST by Dr. Scarpetta
'Land of the Lost's' dismal box office helped land star Will Ferrell at the top of our annual list of Hollywood's Most Overpaid Stars.
Ferrell is no longer the sure bet he seemed after hits like 'Elf.' ($220 million worldwide box office)
This summer's 'Land of the Lost' was one of those epic Hollywood disasters that makes outsiders question why anyone is in the movie business.
The concept seemed like a good idea: pair funnyman Will Ferrell with a cult kids show from the '70s and hilarity is bound to ensue.
Or not. The film ended up costing an estimated $100 million and earned only $65 million at the worldwide box office. Universal studio heads Marc Shmuger and David Linde were subsequently fired.
For every dollar Ferrell was paid, his films earned an average $3.29. Compare that to Shia LaBeouf, who topped our list of Best Actors for the Buck in August. For every dollar LaBeouf was paid, his films earned an average $160.
Besides Will Ferrell, other big names on our list include Eddie Murphy and Tom Cruise.
Murphy (who ranks fourth) has commanded one of the highest quotes in Hollywood for his work in family comedies, thanks to the performance of movies like The Nutty Professor, which grossed $274 million at the worldwide box office.
But lately his return on investment has fallen off a cliff. Last year's 'Meet Dave' was a box office disaster, earning only $50 million worldwide. This year's Imagine That did even worse, bringing in $18 million.
Murphy escaped being named the most overpaid star thanks to 2007's Norbit, which earned $160 million. For every dollar Murphy was paid, his films earned an average $4.43.
Cruise ranks sixth with a return on investment of $7.18.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
99% of Hollywood is overpaid. But then when they have to pay for Obama’s socialist America, it won’t matter.
Every star loses value over time. LaBeouf has been in only a few major block busters while Ferrell has been in numerous movies. It is just the law of averages that they all fizzle out over time.
I find Ferrell to be one of the least funny men alive. Why he is so popular is beyond me. They said he was great as Bush when in fact he was awful. I guess he got critical praise for doing that because his portrayal was insulting and mean spirited.
The No. 2 spot is filled by Ewan McGregor. His ratio is $1 to $3.75.
Nos. 3, 4, and 5 are Billy Bob Thornton, Eddie Murphy, and Ice Cube.
Coming in at No. 6 is Tom Cruise.
No. 7 is the only woman on the list, Drew Barrymore.
Nos. 8, 9, and 10 are Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, and Jim Carrey.
The Dems in congress should add to the health care bill an amendment that any actor earning over $500,000 a year has to pay an extra 25% in taxes.
All libs. I am pretty much done with most movies. The best one in a while and maybe ever was The Lives of Others - a German film Rush loved about the old East Germany. Amazing.
I wil watch films by non-Amewricans who do not spew liberalism - Russell Crowe, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and maybe Christian Bale though I heard T4 was lib. Bale did scream at his lib step mother Gloria Steinem because she was always preaching lib crap. He yelled “will someone please shut that woman up.”
The list should be titled “The Most Under Taxed Hollywood Stars.”
Didn’t expect to see Thornton, Jackson, or Barrymore on that list. I love most of their films.
We went with a group of people last night to see ‘2012.’ It was alternately boring, tedious, and downright silly.
I’ve little respect for the performing arts as a profession, and consider them all overpaid.
Yep, I’ve never understood the attraction either.
All of them.
There. Short article.
Dittos!
Colonel_Flagg! I salute you!
I pretty much just watch foreign movies, they blow away anything Hollywood puts out. Today Hollywood is just about special effects with recycled plot lines. And as Cartman put it, the “Independent Movies” are all about “Gay Cowboys eating Pudding.”
LOL! Great. Some of the SouthPark stuff is hilarious but I cannot take the gross stuff. I dumped TV anyway.
I watch very few films but Hollywood’s output is just trash anymore. The Brits taking over the Batman franchise worked because the great cast. The earlier Batman films were just junk.
So true about recyling plots. It is all so boring. It is amaizng how zombies go to movie theaters to watch this trash.
When you insult 50% of your customers, what do you expect? Less $$$ for the DNC.
Pray for America’s Freedom
Chris Farley never made me laugh either. All he did was scream and act like a big dumb fat guy and easily entertained audiences laughed like this was comedy genius. Granted it takes a lot to get my sense of humor going but I just don’t know why some people will laugh at almost anything. Maybe the figured it’s on TV so I’m supposed to like it.
You read my mind. Entertainers, celebrities, athletes - all overpaid IMO.
The most overpaid star is BH Obama. He can’t even act like a Senator, Mayor, Meter Maid, Community Organizer, Dog Catcher, let alone President. He can however act like a perpetual candidate and spoiled child.
I have given up on Holllywood and find a ton of great international flicks like "After the Wedding" and "The Inheritance" which are both from Scandanavia.
Give them a try and then I'll point you to some thers if you like.
Don’t forget Vince Vaughn...it wouldn’t really be Christmas without ANOTHER stooopid, crappy Vince Vaughn “holiday” movie full of adolescent bathroom humor and mocking jabs at Christianity.
I hate horror movies, but my wife loves them. The Japanese flick "Audition" by Miike still haunts me.
There are a handful of solid South Korean movies that are...interesting-"Oldboy", "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance", and "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance"-but they are an acquired taste.
MANY thanks. Keep em coming. Some of the movies from Scandinavia are very good. As far as older stuff I always liked the Bergman one with Max Von Sydow in The Seventh Seal.
Some of the Brit stuff was good until it became more Hollywood. French, Italian and others can be good.
Hollywood is so predictable and the same old formulas. I used to like those little Scottish films by Bill Forsyth like Gregory’s Girl, Local Hero, Comfort and Joy. Scottish Brit films with Ewan McGregor in Shallow Grave and Trainspotting.
Once they realize that they don’t have the money to buy that extra Rolls Royce, they might get p!ssed.
A lot of the Samuri films from Japan in the 1950s and 1960s (?) were later rippped off in westerns (good westerns) like Magnificent 7 and Clint’s spaghetti westerns.
I highly recommend Andzej Wajda’s “Katyn”, which finally came out here in the states on DVD.
I had to turn off “Sympathy for Mr. Vengence” when the little girl drowns. I felt the filmmaker was having perverted fun shoving tragedy right in our faces. I’ve seen tons of tragedy in Korean dramas, but it’s it done right— outside of this particular movie.
I recommend the Korean movie “Oasis”, powerful stuff.
Chris Farley was funny. Will Ferral is an idiot whos only in Hollywood cause of his gay lib father.
Ironic, given the Left’s “greed” witch-hunting among business executives.
Are they with sub-titles?
Never heard of it. Did you have to buy it to see it?
Who is his father?
I rented it. Blockbuster, NetFlix and others have it. Great film. The movie poster or box will show a middle aged German guy with headphones on.
Oh so that is why Wil has all this gay stuff in his movies. Really lame. I gave it up after one film. Chris Farley was funny in Tommy Boy with David Spade. Dumb film but funny and cute.
Hollywood is responsible for more bombs than the USAF over the last 20 years.
Will Ferrell is about as funny as an infected tooth! I had one a while back and it felt like I took a baseball bat to the jaw.
I am pretty sure his father is that idiot from Mash Mike Farrel...
Ok I looked it up and his father is not Mike Farrel... It is the keyboardist of the Righteous Brothers.. My bad!
Absolutely. It took me two or three flicks to get used to it and then I didn’t even notice anymore. I never listen to the dubbed version.
The vengeance trlogy was tough to watch but there is something about Korean cinema I enjoy.
I have it but am waiting for a few days off during Thanksgiving to watch it. Heard great things about it.
Brit Cinema is pretty good. I enjoyed “Layercake” with Daniel Craig before he was Bond and “The Winslow Boy”-a David Mamet project-that one was awesome.
Yup. Daniel Criag was in one where he wanted to retire from drug dealing. Was that Layer Cake?
Saw a 1980s Brit film with Bob Hoskins and Mickey Rourke. Mickey is an IRA member in London who wants out. Sad how he wrecked his career but his real life redemption story is better than any Hollywood movie. Never lost his faith and his dogs saved him from killing himself. The Brit cinama has some good films.
In small films I liked I Am David especially Jim Caviezel who seems to be a good guy. I sort of liked Christian Bale in a Brit film where he plays a slow young man who runs away and lives in the forest and meets John Hurt (Alien) who is lives in the woods.
Older stuff - just about anything Michael Caine. Ipcress File Funeral in Berlin, Get Carter (not Stallone remake) and others.
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