Who Are Hollywood’s Most Overpaid Stars?

Forbes has released their figures this week of who the highest paid actors in Hollywood are… and it’s not good news for Eddie Murphy. The list piles together the salaries and profits of the films these actors and actresses have made in the last five years and the ‘overpaid’ part comes from how much their films make at the box office per every $1 the actor/actress is paid. Unfortunately for Eddie Murphy, the list does not take in to account voice acting because, according to Forbes, the star isn’t the major pull for animated films.

Here is the list in full:

Shut up and quit, Murphy.

1. Eddie Murphy

2. Katherine Heigl

3. Reese Witherspoon

4. Sandra Bullock

5. Jack Black

6. Nicolas Cage

7. Adam Sandler

8. Denzel Washington

9. Ben Stiller

10. Sarah Jessica-Parker

 

It should come as no surprise that Murphy tops the list, I mean when was the last time he really made a good live action film? He has been off the boil now for at least six years, going on 10. It’s also no surprise that Katherine Heigl appears so high up on the list; as much as I do like her as an actress she doesn’t half make some God awful films, not least One For the Money that I actually sat all the way through this year (medal please?).

The list seems to be made up of actors who have ‘lost it’. Murphy, Adam Sandler, Nicolas Cage, Jack Black, Ben Stiller and Sarah Jessica-Parker are a long time past their best but because they are big names they can still demand a high salary, despite their box office pull not being as strong as they might like to think.

Maybe those ridiculous Ghost Rider films had something to do with it.

The name I most unexpected to see on this list is Denzel Washington but I think that it makes sense he will be on here. I think that, especially in recent years, when you cast Denzel Washington you’re not casting him because you think he will bring in a large audience; you are casting him because you know you’re going to get a flawless performance in a dramatic piece: Flight and American Gangster are the best examples of this.

After the release of these statistics maybe some of these actors should think about stopping making movies… I’m looking at you Sandler!!

Terrific Trailer for ‘The Gangster Squad’!

UK Release Date: 9th November 2012.

The Gangster Squad is an upcoming crime drama chronicling the LAPD’s fight to keep the East Coast Mafia, led by Mickey Cohen, out of Los Angeles in the 1940s and 50s.

Ruben Fleischer is at the helm of The Gangster Squad and while he may be inexperienced in the genre (his previous directorial outings being comedies Zombieland and 30: Minutes or Less) the cast is star studded. Taking the lead as Mickey Cohen is the brilliant Sean Penn and the LAPD officer charged with stopping him is Josh Brolin. Support comes in the form of Hollywood hot property Ryan Gosling, the wonderful Emma Stone, Nick Nolte, Giovanni Ribisi and Anthony Mackie.

This is an absolutely fantastic trailer and is a brilliant advert for the film. It clearly defines the opposing characters (Penn and Brolin), it provides a great insight of the sort of action and tone of the film and provides a bit of comic relief in the form of Gosling’s character. I think that The Gangster Squad looks like a fantastic film and this trailer has certainly peaked my interest.

The crime genre is a timeless one and audiences are always going to be interested in it. Two of the greatest films of all time were gangster flicks, The Godfather and Goodfellas, but while the more recent Public Enemies and American Gangster failed to make any real waves in the film industry both were well received both critically and commercially. Success is surely on the cards for The Gangster Squad.