Even before the summer movie season began in earnest during Memorial Day weekend, there were flashing yellow lights that older audiences were shunning more serious fare despite the stature of the lead actor.
Universal's recent releases, "State of Play," starring Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck, and "Duplicity," with Clive Owen and Julia Roberts (who not long ago was Hollywood's most celebrated female star), bombed -- as did the Paramount-DreamWorks film "The Soloist," starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx.
Of course, the right star in the right movie can still lure large audiences, as evidenced by 20th Century Fox's Ben Stiller sequel "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" and "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," in which Hugh Jackman helped attract female moviegoers.
"The Proposal," Disney's romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, had a strong opening less than two weeks ago at more than $33 million and will be profitable since it cost only about $40 million.
"There's something to be said for chemistry between actors, and you don't need to be a star to have chemistry," said Oren Aviv, Disney's production president, suggesting that is exactly what the casts of "Proposal," "Star Trek" and "Hangover" all have in common -- "combined with an idea that people connect with."
But for the most part, audiences aren't connecting with the stars this summer. Although it may be too early to know whether the weak reception will prompt the studios to rely less heavily on high-cost actors in big-budget movies as a linchpin of their summer strategy, some executives acknowledge they are reevaluating old nostrums.
"The star system was created from movies in the past," said Universal's Shmuger. "And clearly, we have to look forward and be aware of the shifts around us. We're seeing the supremacy of a great idea and concept well told in a fresh way -- of course that will inform our thinking."
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claudia.eller@latimes.com
