Kube

Is Will Smith a bigger star? Wasn't he a bigger star when the first flick came out?

jaeufraser

When the first came out both were probably of equal star status, at least in the theatrical movie sense. Martin Lawrence had first billing on the first movie, so I suspect Will Smith was able to put his ego in check and allow the billing to stay the same.

danol

Kube you forgot to name the movie, but I am guessing it's "Bad Boys". Top billing has wrecked a number of top stars
like Abbott and Costelo. Lou Costello broke up the duo. Bud Abbott was the straight man and Lou Costello was the funny man yet costello got 2nd billing.


Martin Lawrence has always been a actor where Will Smith came from a hip hop singing career. I think they should be billed side by side, top biling has broke to many stars. Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis billing was the break up, Dean being the straight man and Lewis being the funny man. IMHO

immortal_zeus

Martin Lawrence hasn't always been an actor. He started off in showbiz as a stand up comic.

Maybe Martin Lawrence gets top billing because his name comes first alphabetically? Will Smith is definitely the bigger star, but he doesn't seem like the type to care who gets top billing.

gcribbs

I am sure Will Smith is happy having the bigger check since I would bet he got a bit more money for this.

Will Smith is the bigger star and his movies have on average grossed more than Martin Lawrence's movies.

Martin:Total (16 movies): $701,122,916
Average: $43,820,182
(Bad Boys II gross as of 7/22/03)

Will:Total (12 movies): $1,237,195,432
Average: $103,099,619
(Bad Boys II gross as of 7/22/03)

atari2600

how do you prevent this? overlap the names? one has to be listed first?

if you put one on top of the other that doesnt help. either alphabetically or above their pictures on the cover/poster.

its not even that big of a deal. friggin babies.

FuzzyBallz

Man, who gives a fsck. As long as I get my check, you can put my fscking name in the end credit behind the janitor's name.

Those who broke up 'cause of billing can go fsck 'emselves.

spainlinx0

Obviously us normal people don't understand the top billing problems, but I think actors are quite different creatures. Remember, a lot of people in showbiz got there because they wanted to be as famous as possible, and receiving top billing is quite the status symbol to people who live for fame.

Me, I'm of the same mind as the "just give me the damn check" people.

Doughboy

Martin Lawrence got top billing in the first one. So why change it for the sequel? The same thing happened last year with Men In Black II. Tommy Lee Jones retained top billing just like in the first film.

Besides, Will Smith's track record lately when headlining a movie hasn't been great. Wild Wild Worst, The Legend of Bagger Vance, and Ali all tanked. MIIB and BB II didn't. Do the math.

Goat3001

I see what you're saying but I doubt the two are related. I think the reason those three movies he headlined tanked were because they weren't that good. And its arguable whether or not MIIB and BB2 were good but I think their sucess has to do with the success of MIB and BB respectivly and not whose name came first on the poster.

I think top billing is overrated. If both names are on the poster than people know that both actors are in the movie, regardless of whose name is first.

harosa

If you ever saw ads for Rush Hour 2, print, train, tv, Chan and Tucker's names were always switched around, sometimes Chan got first billing, somtimes Tucker did.

Face/Off

Lawrence had top billing in the first movie, just like Tommy Lee Jones had top billing in the first Men In Black. But in Men In Black II, both Jones and Smith's names appeared on the screen at the same time.

lesterlong

I was thinking that was odd. Cause I sure didn't pay money for Bad Boys 2 to see Martin Lawrence.

inri222

The funny thing is that if you look at the different billboards for BBII, Will Smith's image is always bigger and in front of Martin Lawrence's.

danol

Your missing the point Martin Lawrence will always be an actor whether or not he started as a stand up comic, whereas Will Smith first started as a singer!

www.imdb.com you can't look up a singer unless the singer has done something in video, Lawrence OTOH would showup because he was either seen as a stand up comic, in video or a movie as a stand up comedian.

conscience

Okay. This thread is in the running.

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I am pretty sure the actors didn't care who came first.

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Check out The Towering Inferno for a far more clear answer to the problem of billing.

tofu

How weird. I always thought it was alphabetical ordering.

immortal_zeus

Umm, no you're missing the point. You said that "Martin Lawrence has always been an actor." I said that he hasn't always been an actor, he started off as a standup comic.

Besides, how many records has Will Smith made the past few years?

DonnachaOne

I'm wondering was this a contractual obligation. Perhaps when they signed the contracts back in 1994, there was the option of sequels in mind already.

Why do I think this? Well, Don Simpson's name is still, somehow, in the credits.

Dammit Conscience, I was just about to say that too...

JNielsen

A bunch.

1997 - Big Willie Style
1999 - Willennium
2002 - Born to Reign

You're absolutly right on the Martin point also. Like Smith he went from a different industry (Comedy/Music), to a TV show, to the movies. Just being a stand up comedian doesn't make you an actor.

immortal_zeus

To me, the past few years means 3. Couple means 2, few means 3. That said, according to you, he's made 1 record in the past 3 years.

According to IMDB, including films he is currently making, he's made 6 movies:

Sharkslayer (currently filming)
I, Robot (currently filming)
Bad Boys II (2003)
MIB II (2002)
Ali (2001)
The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)

If your definition of "few" goes back to 1997, you'd need to add 3 more movies to that list:

Wild Wild West (1999)
Enemy of the State (1998)
MIB (1997)

It seems to me that his music career has taken a backseat to his acting career. And why not? He's been much more successful as an actor. I'm sure it's been more lucrative to him as well.

FuzzyBallz

The word you're looking for is rapper.

BlackBeauty92

i always thought both of Bad Boys movies supposedly centered on Martin's character & Will's character as his "side-kick"
although in reality, Will Smith tend to steal the movie...

just my thought

Jericho

I think you're comparing apples and oranges here. While appearing in several movies in one year is very common, many musicians don't release an album a year (or several a year). 3 albums in a 5 years span seems normal (although I'm no musical expert).

Not to say Will Smith isn't focusing more on movies, but you have to compare them to their respective industries.

NiCK Crush

why cant it just be alphabetical? i think you guys are looking into it waay too much.

-NiCK