For foreign distribution, the following factors apply: dubbed/subtitled print costs, marketing/advertising arrangements, many mandatory, with foreign distributors. Revenue sharing with foreign distributors, of which the rule of thumb is that the distributor takes the lion’s share. Currency conversion, and the exhibitor’s take.

Add in piracy, competition with same, and the foreign market is NOT like that of the US. People just don’t realize how corrupt, state-cronyist, and piracy prone foreign markets can be. North-west Europe is reasonably open, but even that varies and “mandatory” arrangements with distributors and attempts to protect native film makers come into play. Asia can be a nightmare, China has laws in theory protecting private intellectual property, the practice is something else. Piracy rears it’s ugly head, in Hong Kong I saw DVDs for a dollar, of movies still playing in US theaters. In Beijing they were the equivalent of 50 US cents.

At any rate, Chace Crawford is unlikely to be a star, because the youth market is DEAD. There just are not that many young people. The bulk of the US population is 40+. Investing in any young male actor is useless because the audience is the age of Robert Downey Jr, not Crawford. Hollywood doesn’t get it — the baby boom is long over, America is a senior nation, nobody cares about young male actors. [Hot young actresses are always in demand.] CAA is beating a dead horse, not just Gossip Girl but the whole CW may go dark, simply because there just aren’t enough young people to sustain it. Demographics matter, welcome to the baby bust.

We could import lots of young Latin American people, but they’ll be watching Univision and Telemundo, not English language TV. Hollywood better wake up.

Those movies listed above with huge budgets still raked it in when combining foreign and domestic BO and would never have been greenlit counting on Domestic BO alone. No movie is.

The obsession with domestic gross really gives people an uninformed definition of financial success.

Money is money, no matter what country it comes from.

1st, to two of you, I DID point out that Brad was a Producer on The Departed.

Secondly, as one of you pointed out, Foreign box office often is, when combined, equal or greater than domestic box office gross. Let us not forget additional revenue brought in from DVD’s, TV Distribution deals (HBO, Networks), merchandising, etc.
A movie that earns $150m in theaters in the US and cost “$100m” to make + $20m to market, may make an additional $100m abroad, millions in merchandising, home video, and millions for the next 20 years when shown on TV. Thus, check your math, and “Troy” was a “hit.”
If somebody makes you $50m over 10 years from a 1 year, $100m investment, and you say that they cant deliver….then YOU ARE THE MORON.

In summation: Is Brad Pitt Bankable? Yes.
Is he the most bankable star ever? No.

Is he “overrated?” I say no. He does bring in money…Additionally, some of his best films had horrible grosses but excellent performances. He was excellent in 12 Monkees and Snatch, good in Fight Club, Legends of the Fall, Se7en. Hell, he was decent in The Mexican and that probably made an overall pprofit of $20m for the studio.

II am not a “fan” of anyone. I could give two shits. But dont put a good actor down when you are plain wrong.

Oh and really the only ’stars’ of GG are Blake Lively and Leighton Meester and it’s Blake who’s getting the most press right now.

As soon as this show ends; most of the actors will disappear.

Brad Pitt was a producer on Departed and not in it. Oceans 11 and 12 did well, but people didn’t see it b/c Brad Pitt was in it, it was an ensemble movie. Mr. and Mrs. Smith was a hit for him. Troy, yes it made $133m, but how much did it cost? A lot more, it lost money. I agree, Brad Pitt is overrated and has been for a long time. But, I think he may change my mind after Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons comes out. That looks amazing. David Fincher will make him look like a real actor.

Anyway he should have his agents focus on bigger film projects for the hiatus, that seems his best bet. And any endorsements, because on a network like The CW I doubt he’s going to get like 100K an ep.

Err, I can tell you are a fan of Pitt but having a 100M grossing movie doesn’t mean it is a hit. Infact, the studios can actually make a lost from their investment even having a 100M gross movie. You need to factor in the cost and marketing of the movies. One more thing, the cost of the movie (production, print & advertising is all borne by the studios themselves)

Note, studios have to share the gross receipts with the theater owners. So for a movie having a final gross of 100M, approx 50% is pocketed by the studios and the rest by the theater owners

Note for each of the cost of the movies below, I add in 20M for the print and advertising. This is a very conservative estimate for some movies can have more than 50M for their P&A.

Oceans 13:
Domestic Gross 117M
Cost 120M

The Departed:
Domestic Gross 132m
Cost 110M

Mr. & Mrs. Smith:
Domestic Gross 186M
Cost 120M

Oceans 12;
Domestic Gross 126M
Cost 130M

Troy:
Domestic Gross 133M
Cost 195M

So there you are. To say that Pitt is an excellent actor, the verdict is still open on that. To say Pitt is a bankable box-office star, that is debateable.

Some can argue that foreign gross and dvd will recover the overall cost but that is not how a movie star is being measured.

Anyways, studios knows that Pitt was never a big draw in the movies unlike some others, say Cruise (before he went all berserk) Hanks, Smith or even Julia Roberts. Oh! You can include Clooney in the company of Pitt.

You are an idiot. This is off topic, but Brad Pitt is actually, despite his looks, an excellent actor.

Hasnt had a hit in ages? Try:

Oceans 13: 117m in 2007
The Departed: $132m in 2006 (Producer)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith: $186m in 2005
OCeans 12: $126m in 2004
Troy: $133m in 2004

This is aside from other smaller yet money-making films like “Babel.”

Wow, only one or two $100 million+ dollar movies every year? Yeah….”hasnt had a hit in ages.” Right…..
How’s that crack hittin ya?

He may want to hold a magnifying glass up to his star before he starts a power-play…

Maybe when he grows up takes lessons on how to act, he can get the raise he deserves.

Hmmmmm I for see trouble on the set of Gossip Girl, because once someone gets cocky and asks for more money the drama begins.

Can’t wait for this show to hit rock bottom, oh wait it already has.

*GIGGLES*