Up until recently, the way a movie star was quantified as a “star” was whether or not they were considered bankable. Being bankable meant that no matter what the movie was, audiences were guaranteed to show up in droves to see whatever film an actor or actress was promoting. Nowadays, it’s not a stretch to say that almost no one—outside of Tom Cruise—is guaranteed to sell tickets at the box office anymore.
Case in point: this weekend’s disastrous opening for A Big Bold Beautiful Journey. The film stars two household names, Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie (who we were lucky enough to interview), yet neither was able to draw even a modest audience. According to Deadline, the $50 million film is heading for a $3 million opening. That’s an atrocious number for a movie headlined by stars of that caliber.
Now, let’s be fair—A Big Bold Beautiful Journey doesn’t spell the end of Robbie or Farrell’s perceived stardom. Both have weathered flops before. Robbie had back-to-back disasters with Amsterdam (remember that one?) and Babylon (currently enjoying a cult resurgence), while Farrell has never really been known as a box office draw, often choosing projects outside the blockbuster realm. Given the right role (Barbie for her, The Penguin for him), audiences still show up. Had this movie been better received (reviews—including our own—have been poor), it likely would have performed stronger. Instead, it was a big swing and a miss for all involved, which is a shame.
Sony, the studio distributing A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, has been in the midst of a troubling box office run. While I take issue with their recent string of cheap legacy sequels (I Know What You Did Last Summer was atrocious, Karate Kid Legends was weak), some of their more original offerings deserved better—particularly the underrated Caught Stealing. Outside of Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later and their releases through Crunchyroll, 2025 has been a rough year for them.
As for last week’s champ, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, despite its historic opening it’s proving to be extremely front-loaded, likely dropping an astounding 78% to around $15 million this weekend. Even so, it will easily finish as the highest-grossing anime film of all time in North America, crossing the $100 million mark. However, it may face competition from Jordan Peele’s Him, which is performing right in line with our expectations, opening at around $15 million.
So, who do you think are the last real movie stars? Let us know in the comments.