DJariya

Many Many actors produce and Executive Produce movies this days. Some of them also star in it and some Produce them with other leads.

Just want to see if anyone cares or even sees this as a positive selling point for a movie? Or could you care less?

If Tom Hanks is credited as Producer, but isn't in the movie, do you care? Does he have to actually act in the movie for you to care?

If a movie is Produced by Michael Douglas, who has produced movies since the early 1970s, will that make you want to see it? Obviously you need to care about the story, directors and such.

I personally don't care. We don't know how much true involvement they actually have in the creative process or if it's just a vanity title and someone else dos all the heavy lifting.

I personally won't be drawn to a movie...From Executive Producer Matt Damon as the sole selling if he's not even in it.

GoldenJCJ

It would be impossible for me to care less.

I suppose the closest for me would be Brad Pitt’s Plan B, which really hasn’t produced anything I would be excited for or those WWII series’ produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. But even with those, it’s still not a selling point for me.

inri222

Producer is not important to me. For me the director and then the writer are most important.

davidh777

Could not care less

fumanstan

I don't think i've ever even noticed when an actor's name is attached in that kind of role.

devilshalo

It's just another way for the actor to get paid. It means jack squat.

TomOpus

Possibly. Especially as producer. As an executive producer, not so much. But it could be interesting given the movie.

jjcool

Depends. The vast majority of the time I could not care less. Though I can't say never. Most of the time that credit is just a bullshit credit done as part of their deal.

Mike86

Yeah, like most here I usually don’t really care. Sometimes I’ll take notice of it but it’s usually something I notice after I’m already interested from trailers, articles, etc.

Cardsfan111

I've never been motivated to see a film because of the producer.

inri222

And in some cases bully the writer & director.

Nick Danger

Isn't "producer" a business term, meaning that they either put up money or raised money to make the movie? And then, since it was their money, or because they represent those who put up the money, they get to make the business decisions?

DJariya

Michael Douglas produced One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest and wasn’t an actor in it.

I’m guessing some of his involvement on the creative side was getting the rights to the story since it was based on a book and play.

But back in 1975, Douglas was an unknown other being Kirk’s son. I think he was still working in TV on The Streets of San Francisco. So no one back then saw this movie because he produced it.

dex14

A more recent example... Reese Witherspoon is the producer of Gone Girl. Purchased the rights to the book for her to play the role, but ended up not acting in it.

And producing and executive producing are two different things.

inri222

These explain it pretty basically

So What Exactly IS A Film Producer? : https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resourc...film-producer/

Differences Between a Producer and an Executive Producer : http://smallbusiness.chron.com/diffe...cer-17587.html

Ash Ketchum

Originally, actors formed their own production companies to have greater control over the movies they starred in and the roles they played and not be at the mercy of the studios. John Wayne, Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas were all pioneers of this in the postwar era. But long before then, United Artists was formed back in 1919 by three stars--Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and Mary Pickford--and one director, D.W. Griffith. Some 50 years later, Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand, Sidney Poitier formed a company--I think it was called First Artists--for similar purposes. The best films I remember coming out of that enterprise were THE GETAWAY, POCKET MONEY and STRAIGHT TIME. Another one was ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE, which completely derailed McQueen's career.

Lancaster's company produced some major works, including the 1955 Best Picture winner, MARTY, which starred Ernest Borgnine, plus his own starring feature, SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS. Kirk Douglas produced his own starring film, PATHS OF GLORY which put director Stanley Kubrick on the map.

So it used to mean something once.

Once the studio system was dismantled, stars who wanted any kind of career at all formed their own companies rather than waiting to be cast. They often worked with their managers or agents on these companies. Look at the careers of Bernie Brillstein and Brad Grey, to name two producer partners who started out as agents or managers of comedians.

inri222

And then Douglas & Kubrick became enemies during Spartacus when the director got tired of being bossed around by the actor/producer.
In a way it was a blessing because it made Kubrick sever ties with Hollywood.

funkyryno

I could care less.

And come to think about it, I couldn't care less, too.

Literally.

clckworang

I'd say the producer credit could possibly interest me depending on who it is and that person's track record. But taking into account all producers, actors and non-actors alike, there are very few who seem to be able to put their own personal stamp on a project. While I am not usually a fan of his films, I think Jerry Bruckheimer is a great example of one who can. If you see his name as a producer, you sort of have an idea of what kind of film to expect, and I can see where that would be a selling point for fans of his type of films.

I'm trying to think of actors who also work as producers that could be considered standouts. Witherspoon and Pitt are both good examples. They seem to have pretty good instincts. I can't think of too many others. Maybe Clooney.

davidh777

The only reason I might pay attention is if it was some obscure topic that the actor had a personal interest in, like an unusual hobby, or Japanese American internment, or something.

rw2516

Among others
Jerry Lewis produced his own films
Bob Hope produced his own films. It was his personal accountants who screwed up and let several fall into public domain
Alan Ladd formed Jaguar Productions
Audie Murphy formed Admiral Pictures
Cagney formed William Cagney Productions
Max Bear formed his owned company to make Macon County Line

Most successful is Eastwood. He formed Malpaso around 1970-71 and hasn't worked for anybody else since. I've wondered if he was approached to appear in someone else's films over the past 50 years, and if he would have ever done it if approached with the right role.

Abob Teff

That is an ... unusual hobby.


And ...

DJariya

Correction. In the Line of Fire was a rare Non-Eastwood production. He was strictly an actor in that one.

It was produced by Sony Pictures and Castle Rock Ent and directed by Wolfgang Petersen. Malpaso had no involvement with it.

JimRochester

Can't recall one time I was ever aware of who produced before going to see a film. I usually don't know until I see the BR extras and the producer is interviewed.

GoldenJCJ

Not an actor but the only producer who I would consider any kind of “draw” for me is Jerry Bruckheimer.