Sometimes it's the director.
Remember when "Lincoln" got a SAG nomination for Best Ensemble? "No duh, it's got every great actor in Hollywood working bit parts for scale because it's Spielberg."
But this is a CRAZY amount of movie stars.
John Hillcoat has a nice pedigree, and does seem to pull some sought after actors, but he never has had a major hit in his career. It's interesting that actors seem to be so willing to work for him. I think it also has to do with being a coveted script that had been around for some time. My guess is that it's the combination of those elements, and that they were able to shoot around people's schedules a bit because it's an ensemble and each actor likely only had to work for brief periods at a time, so they could work a little cheaper.
shareI feel like The Proposition was sort of Hillcoat's Badlands and The Road was his Days of Heaven. And, like Terrence Malick after his return to cinema after making two masterpieces in the 70s, every respectable actor is dying to work with him. You could toss any great actor some sh!tty script, but once you say Hillcoat's directing, their eyes will likely light up with interest. He's proven himself as a masterful auteur and good actors recognize that.
"This life's hard, man, but it's harder if you're stupid!"
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It's probably the director. John Hillcoat keeps getting more and more recognizable stars with each film he makes.
What's missing in movies is same as in society: a good sense of work ethic and living up to ideals.
Outside of Kate Winslet, I wouldn't call any of them A List, I mean they're not complete unknowns, but their mid tier B list at best.
shareYep, Kate Winslet is the only A list actor here
shareThat's what I was thinking. Winslet and MAYBE Ejiofor.
Never defend crap with 'It's just a movie'
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Woody Harrelson, Aaron Paul and even Casey Affleck all a-list
shareLol!
"This life's hard, man, but it's harder if you're stupid!"
Lol what
shareNone of those actors you mentioned are A-list. Thought you were making a joke.
"This life's hard, man, but it's harder if you're stupid!"
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So oscars, Emmys, all types of critical success with fans and critics doesn't make any of them a list?
shareWoody Harrelson hasn't been A-list since the 90s. He had a brief spike in popularity after True Detective, but, of course, we all know that was because of Matthew McConaughey. Aaron Paul is a TV actor and TV actors are never A-list. His attempt to move to the big screen has only proved he's not an A-list actor. Casey Affleck has never been A-list either. He has a recognizable last name and a recognizable monotone and that's about it. These were the only three actors the poster I replied to mentioned.
"This life's hard, man, but it's harder if you're stupid!"
Woody Harrelson has had a career similar to Kevin Costner. Maybe not the better actor than Costner but he and Costner were in every damn movie in the 90s and their careers fell the hell off. Woody Harrelson is no longer an A Lister.
You're the garbage man No I just take out the trash
Woody from Cheers wasn't a tv actor?
Chris Prat wasn't a tv actor?
Bill Murray?
A lot of people love Woody. I love Woody. He has a rawness to him. You are wrong about TV actors never being A list, but Aaron Paul is not A-list. He won it big with Breaking Bad and he has a huge following, but he has yet to become A-list material. He is another actor I love though. Also, Casey Affleck is better than Ben Affleck when it comes to acting, how the hell he hasn't made it bigger is beyond me. Ben Affleck should stick to directing, because his acting is okay at best.
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Woody Harrelson hasn't been A-list since the 90s.
He had a brief spike in popularity after True Detective, but, of course, we all know that was because of Matthew McConaughey.
Aaron Paul is a TV actor and TV actors are never A-list.
His attempt to move to the big screen has only proved he's not an A-list actor.
Casey Affleck has never been A-list either.
He has a recognizable last name and a recognizable monotone and that's about it.
These were the only three actors the poster I replied to mentioned.
We're from the planet Duplon. We are here to destroy you.share
I don't agree with that. Matthew McConaughey isn't A-list either and, until recently, he didn't really show any acting range - nothing to compare with some of Harrelson's best roles - though he seems to have started taking acting seriously at long last. The bottom line though is that I tuned into True Detective because of Harrelson, not McConaughey, and I doubt I'm the only one...
Aaron Paul isn't A-list - I agree - but TV actors most certainly can be and are A-list these days.
In the mean time though, Bryan Cranston has proven that he has what it takes to make it in the movies.
There's more to it than that. He's actually a very good actor who has a much broader range than a lot of other actors and a lot of A-listers
True Detective was airing at the height of the McConaissance, and Harrelson just happened to jump onto the same wave and ride it with him during the brief True Detective craze. Most people tuned into True Detective for McConaughey, not Harrelson, and not because of his talent or his A-list status, but simply because of the hype of the McConaissance.
Name one.
He's only proved that he's a decent supporting character actor. He's not A-list and he never will be.
He really doesn't have much range at all. That's why he only works in films like The Assassination of Jesse James and Out of the Furnace and Gone Baby Gone and Ain't Them Bodies Saints. Those types of roles are his comfort zone, and if you look at each performance in each film I mentioned, you'll see that they're all basically the same.
We're from the planet Duplon. We are here to destroy you.share
Do you have any evidence to support that claim?
I gave you the URL to an article on the Hollywood Reporter site where they named one!
What more do you want???
I also explained how TV is very different than it once was
He was the lead actor in Trumbo, for which he was nominated for the Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar.
He has a very broad range and is well respected. Sorry, but the fact that you think "The Assassination of Jesse James and Out of the Furnace and Gone Baby Gone and Ain't Them Bodies Saints", are 'like' films,
He has a very broad range and is well respected. Sorry, but the fact that you think that his roles in them are basically the same performance, shows that you have no idea what you're talking about!
Oh ... and he too has had an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor too by the way...
Tom Hardy started off on TV, has done a lot of it over the years and still does tv. He is A list, at least on acting merit and respect within the industry. Maybe his film choices wont lead to mega mainstream stardom but he easily has A list talent and an A list filmography. I'm hoping he is the main lead in Dunkirk and can garner even more recognition among casual film viewers. Doesn't really help him that he is such a chameleon and had his face covered in his most famous role.
If you are just talking about A list in box office pull then Dwayne Johnson is one of the biggest A listers going, so maybe being A list isn't such a great thing right now with so much horrid taste Among the mainstream viewing public. I'm sure child TV actor Ryan Gosling could easily be A list box office pull wise if he didn't turn down all the money grabbing crap scripts he must get sent, hell he turned down the Joker.
Well, the thing is they are all A-list down to Norman Reedus. It is really a relative thing. This is not another summer blockbuster movie or comic book heroes. So it is not A-list as a movie to begin with. For example, if you take the notorius Asylum pictures. For them Lorenzo Lamas is A-list. Blows your mind, right?
share@ fillshertease "Matthew McConaughey isn't A-list either" lol he is def. an A-list actor, just look at the movies he have been in, Interstellar, wolf of wall street, Dallas Buyers Club, to name a few.
shareSadly being A-list is more about popularity than awards or critical reception. Sarah Paulson and Michael Fassbender are both amazing, but that does not make them A list.
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I don't think most of you know what "A" list means? Its the most bankable stars. If you start in a movie,it means that it will guarantee a certain amount at box office. You're confusing renown with bankable. None of these actors are really "A" list but renown. Kate Winslet is usually lucky enough to star in movie with other well known actors.Good for her coasting off titanic but she isn't "A" list. Whether she's in a movie or not doesn't guarantee its box office. Its not entirely her fault. Female actresses have a shorter window to be bankable than male stars. And that's usually if they only stay with romantic comedies. Jennifer Lawrence is the current "iT" girl but her time will pass also.
Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful.
Yes, in getting drugged.
I'm so excited, I think I'll brush all my teeth today!
Woody Harrelson, Aaron Paul, and even Casey Affleck all a-list
I agree with you, Icecutter.
Harrelson has been nominated for Golden Globes and Oscars (twice), in addition to winning an Emmy.
Paul is a triple Emmy winner on one of the most popular shows in history, in addition to being a Globe nominee.
Affleck - meh, I don't know. I know he's been nominated for an Oscar but I don't think of him as A-list but more of riding his brother's coattails.
I also think Chiwetel Ejiofor (Oscar nominee; triple Colden Globe nominee; BAFTA winner (a huge award, though Americans tend to forget that; in the upcoming Doctor Strange film), Anthony Mackie (these Marvel films have turned up his star power, in addition to being part of the trio of that comedy with Seth Rogan and Gordon-Levitt), and Gal Gadot (4th biggest global film of the year; the new Wonder Woman!) are all A-listers.
Kate Winslet needs no explanation.
Other members of the cast (Michael K Williams, Teresa Palmer, Clifton Collins, Jr.) were also impressive talents to include in the film.
And at the end of the day, though, I don't really care. I have my own life to lead. 😉
Actually Winslet was the only one who was just awful and a ridiculous failed attempt at Russian accent.
shareActors gotta eat/meet sag criteria. Aaron Paul needs a better agent to transition him out of this drug/junky typecast funk, because he is clearly a talented actor. Kate Winslet can act in the right role, but a Russian matriarch with a Russian accent isn't it. Chiwetel was barely passable in this and could be the next Cuba Gooding Jr if he doesn't choose better roles. I'm guessing Anthony Mackie needed anything. Woody Harrelson is just rehashing his true detective character without just doing true detective and could have been cut from the movie honestly. Casey Affleck was good, but nothing special. I'm not sure why these actors stuck around on this one
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This script was considered one of the best unproduced film scripts circulating around Hollywood at one point, that plus the director may have had something to do with it.
And if anyone is interested in a review for this movie- https://youtu.be/MTzKB9_ySSk
Trying to go for an informative, and hopefully something people think is funny, youtube channel so hope you guys like. Thanks.
Solid director, solid script. Those things must have brought the great cast together. It's a good film I thought. It's an ensemble piece though really, no one actor really stands out too much. Though I thought Woody did more than any other. I really enjoyed it, very gritty, somewhat complex storytelling and a very fast pace. Go see it people, but put on your seat belt before the show starts.
My body's a cage, it's been used and abused...and I...LIKE IT!!
What happened at the end? shortly after jessie from breaking bad was shot to death and blew off the other guy's head off? Basically right as they were doing the tripple 9 heist? How did it end? I had to leave ten or 20 minutes early due to a phone call about a disaster
sharethis movie sucked badly. the script was full of flaws. nothing made any sense in the film. cliche would be an understatement. tried to make something gritty and progressive, but it fails on all levels. 6.4 imdb rating? imdb should be ashamed of themselves for allowing that. its a 3.4 at best.
shareHaha. It's not that bad. The story needed some hashing out, but it was headed in the right direction. We don't get enough movies like these with real grit. What it was really missing was giving a *beep* about any of the characters.
shareThere's this thing actors have been doing in recent years where they essentially work for next to nothing up front and earn a percentage of the profits after the fact. I haven't seen this movie yet but I wouldn't be surprised if several of the actors have producer credits. Ethan Hawke has been doing this for years, The Purge and Daybreakers being two examples. Movies like this don't really make much profit in the states as it costs a lot more to promote here but overseas is where they make the big bucks once it hits the market. With all these known names attached, be they A-list or not, it will essentially market itself all across Eastern Europe and Asia where movies like this are released for online purchase and OnDemand style media services. The budget for this movie was only 28 million...over seas it will probably triple that netting all those involved several million each for their roles.
It's pretty ingenious really.
That makes a lot of sense. It also looks like the US Box office gross income eclipsed the estimated 20 million budget.
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