Will Smith: 2008's #1 Money Maker

NEW YORK — No name on the marquee was more pleasing to theater owners in 2008 than Will Smith, according to a survey of movie exhibitors. Smith, star of "Hancock" and "Seven Pounds," was voted the star who generated the most box office revenue for theaters in an annual survey by Quigley Publishing Co.

Smith is only the second black actor to be chosen in the Quigley poll, which since 1932 has asked movie exhibitors to vote on the 10 stars who brought in the most business. Sidney Poitier topped the poll in 1968.

Smith's superhero summer blockbuster, "Hancock," grossed $228 million. "Seven Pounds," currently in theaters, has pulled in a somewhat lackluster $39 million in two weeks.

Following Smith, in order, were Robert Downey Jr. ("Iron Man," "Tropic Thunder"), Christian Bale ("The Dark Knight"), Shia LaBeouf ("Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull") and LaBeouf's "Indiana Jones" co-star Harrison Ford.

The top 10 were rounded out by Adam Sandler, Reese Witherspoon, George Clooney, Angelina Jolie and Daniel Craig.

Last year's winner, Johnny Depp, who didn't have a film released this year, didn't make this year's poll, nor did seven-time winner Tom Cruise.

Anne Hathaway ("Rachel Getting Married") was voted the top "star of tomorrow" along with Chris Pine of "Bottle Shock."

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Quigley Publishing is a division of QP Media Inc.

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On the Net:

http://www.quigleypublishing.com/

Comments

[ColoradoDan]

Will's acting is so-so. Like Jim Carrey ... suited for certain roles and not too deep. Likeable guy overall. Kids seem to enjoy him and that's where the money is. Half his movies have been terrible and the other half, simply okay. Pursuit being about his best. There are many much better actors but this is his time.

Looks like Will might also now become the new celebrity spokesman for Scientology after Tom's wild few years and negative press.

[Einstein44]

Will Smith will one day receive his Oscar...Mark my words, he is a winner in my stats.

[sandiegoconservative]

He just needs to find the right script and the right director. He has great potential, and is ALMOST there.

[Bitsko]

L. Ron Hubbard would be proud.

[Badger84]

Proving again that nobody will become poor catering to the lowest common denominator.

[bubbuh]

Will Smith is doing fine. He's averaging a a gross of $131 million dollars a film. I'm pretty certain that that is the top gross per film of any actor who has made more than ten films.


To all you folks who feel he needs career advice, save it. Watch the films that appeal to you. Maybe, "Wings" or Olivier's "Hamlet." Oh, never seen them? Why?

[bubbuh]

PS I should have not been so certain. Franchise stars Olando Bloom and Toby Maguire come in ahead of Smith. And, then there's Harrison Ford. Inflation adjusted he's probably the lreader on an inflation adjusted basis.

[Dannydel]

Hey bubbuh, I saw 20 minutes of '7 Pounds', before quickly changing cinemas to finish off 'Bedtime Stories'. Will Smitths pics are all about Will Smith face time. Whoever put up the money for '7 Pounds', probably did it because Smith was in it and never read the pathetic, depressing story. Adam Sandler continues to turn out quality, funny, family entertainment. His 'Bedtime Stories' took in 20 mil. this weekend, compared to the Fresh Princes 10 mil. for his pointless sobber. Will Smith is well on his way to becoming what he has aspired to apparently: The Black Tom Cruise.

[bugsbonzai]

yeah, cause' Adam Sandler movies are totally not about Adam Sandler face time. I haven't seen either movies and don't plan to.

[auramac]

Waste of money.

[mamacat]

My opinion: Mr. Smith has absolutely tremendous talent, but does not fulfill his potential. I suggest that he finds and cooperates with a really good director, and then more-or-less do what he is told. To make another truly great movie, he needs a good script and better direction.

Since he became rich and powerful, he has been making good movies, but not great movies.

[Whatashame]

Seven pounds. Is it about organ donation?

[noseysniper]

....well let's just say *spoilers*

[repugnicansfearme]

After this last stinker Seven Pounds (felt more like a ton) I am hoping he will fizzle and we can be spared his crappy acting. Fifteen minutes is more than up for this guy.

[LeeCalif]

You trolls !!!

Will Smith is a great actor and I also would recommend Seven Pounds.
It had an unusual twist to it.

Happy New Year, everyone !

[LiberalBuzz]

Unusual twist?

Seriously? You think killing yourself is somehow a good thing to portray in a movie as though the reasons behind the suicide are somehow noble?

Terrible movie.

[ReverseUniversal]

Thanks for ruining the ending of the movie for me and everyone else who reads your comment.

[WRPrintz]

Wow...and this comes from someone who loved Handcock (which, I admit, was flawed, but fun)...7 pounds was horrid. Flat out stinker. It should have never been greenlighted.

Yes, Will Smith is a good actor...good enough he should not have been in that film.

[roblabrousse]

What's your definition of a great actor? Box office draw? Makes so many millions a year? Hangs out with other big Hollywood stars? For me it's an actor who draws you in to the story so much so that you forget it's so and so or this actor . It doesn't depend upon the special effects and all the rest. Will Smith has that talent but it's often misused in low brow story lines.

[mergina]

Can't imagine WHY.

[amistad]

Jealous.

[MyThought]

Good grief - the quality of actors has gone down so far it's pathetic. Smith can't act and his ego is up to the moon.

Put him next to the likes of Johnny Depp - no comparison.

[SabrinaFair]

I agree. And next to Sean Penn, Robert Downey, Jr., Denzel Washington, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Tom Hanks, Laurence Fishburne, and Kevin Bacon he doesn't even rank against any of them.

[alreadyfamous]

i think that johhny depp is quite terrific, but to suggest that will smith cannot act, seems a bit extreme.

just my humble opinion :)

[sweetwhine]

His ego? You must be mistaken.

[bubbuh]

Since Smith and Depp are contemporaries, your first statement seems to be brainless. As for your second, no one has more ego than Johnny Depp. And, it is true that Will Smith isn't the humble sort. However, neither has let his ego get in the way of good sense in many years. In other words both are adult and canny film entrepreneurs. Finally, the two are actually very similar as entertainers. Smith, with his half dozen Grammies, probably gets the nod musically although Depp is a gifted guitarist. Depp, with three Oscar nominations to Smith's two, perhaps, has an edge as an actor. Both seem to be devoted family men who dote on their children.

It seems that they compare quite well.

[adamsmith3]

Will Smith's success has less to do with his acting abilities (although he has a good amount, he's not the greatest) and more to do with a personality and family-man persona that appeals to most anyone except perhaps the die-hard cynical movie-goers who need to prove their esoteric taste by hating anything that makes a lot of money at the box office.

[Changeizgood]

Will Smith like Jack Nickleson are comfortable with their acting skills, haters.

Go to a meeting or something, jeesh!

[adamsmith3]

Hater? I was sticking up for him. Re-read my post.

[postman606]

Shows what happens when an actor gets so big. These are two horrible movies, and certainly rank with another bad movie of Will's, "The Wild, Wild, West.

[fanifesu]

Did you even go see his movies?
I doubt it...

[sweetwhine]

I love Will. His soul is good and kind.