Hollywood’s Hot Properties : There Are a Dozen Actors Who Can ‘Open’ a Movie--but Only Two Actresses

Call it star power, box-office persona, or simply heat.

This Christmas season, Kevin Costner again proved that he is an actor who has it. So does Tom Cruise, Mel Gibson and Macaulay Culkin--when his parents aren’t around.

On the other hand, the luster seems to be coming off Eddie Murphy, and Steve Martin should stick to comedy. Robin Williams should survive the failure of “Toys.” And, Jack Nicholson’s is such a dominating presence on the screen that he remains hot despite an occasional “The Two Jakes” and “Man Trouble.”

That is the consensus in Hollywood as the new year begins, after a season that gave audiences hits like “A Few Good Men,” “Home Alone 2” and “The Bodyguard” along with disappointments like “Toys,” “Leap of Faith” and--for sheer expectations--”The Distinguished Gentleman.”

In a time of economic recession, Hollywood depends on perhaps a dozen actors who will draw audiences because of their name or because audiences enjoy seeing them in a certain kind of role--in industry jargon, they can “open” a film.

And there are even fewer actresses who fit this criteria--Julia Roberts and Barbra Streisand. Some believe Sharon Stone could vault into this select group.

When it comes to box office appeal, Costner showed in Warner Bros.’ romantic thriller “The Bodyguard” that he has that screen charisma that brings people of all ages to the theaters.

For Costner, the rewards could be staggering. Sources said he could eventually reap $20-$30 million as a result of his back-end deal, provided the movie goes on to earn $200 million worldwide, as some now project.

“When a movie isn’t so good but opens and does the business anyway, that’s the sign of a movie star,” said a studio executive.

“The movie was lacerated by the critics, nonetheless America said, ‘We are going to ignore your opinions because we want to see Kevin Costner--bad haircut and all,’ ” said entertainment attorney David Colden. “He’s much like Gary Cooper, in that he is the type of movie star women like to see in a romantic lead and men can either project themselves onto or don’t feel threatened by. It causes both men and women to go see the picture.”

As of this weekend, “The Bodyguard” has brought in an estimated $96 million at the box office.

Mel Gibson, like Costner, also retains considerable heat. Although “Forever Young” was flawed, the movie is expected to gross more than $50 million, industry officials estimated, a tribute to Gibson’s drawing power.

Only a few months ago, people wondered if Cruise’s career had been damaged by Universal’s “Far and Away.”

Those doubts have been quashed with the success of Castle Rock’s “A Few Good Men,” which has grossed an estimated $90.5 million through this past weekend. One industry source said the feeling around town is that Cruise is most attractive when he plays “callow boys who get religion,” like he did in “Risky Business,” “Cocktail” and “Top Gun.” Like Costner, Cruise is also expected to profit handsomely from back-end deals. Cruise was paid $12.5 million against 15% of the gross, which means that he could earn millions over his up-front fee depending on how well the film does.

Nicholson, of course, is considered one of the premiere actors in Hollywood. His performance as a by-the-book Marine Corps colonel in “A Few Good Men” has garnered rave reviews. But his role as the late Teamsters leader in “Hoffa” was not enough to make the movie a hit. To date, it has pulled in an estimated $20 million at the box office.

Nicholson is considered such a mega-star that a career hiccup like “Hoffa” is not going to prevent him from continuing to be offered plum roles--he made $500,000 a day for 10 days’ work in “A Few Good Men,” according to industry sources.

Culkin, meanwhile, has proven with “Home Alone 2” that his star appeal is no fluke in that vehicle. Culkin made only $100,000 and had no points in the original “Home Alone”; for “Home Alone 2,” which has taken in an estimated $151.5 million, he reportedly was paid $5 million and 5% of the gross.

The Christmas season brought concerns for two leading comedians--Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin.

While Disney hyped “The Distinguished Gentleman” as a return of the old Eddie Murphy, the movie about a con man who becomes a congressman just didn’t take off as the studio had hoped, grossing an estimated $41.5 million through the weekend. Was it politics that turned off the public, or Murphy?

Whatever the reason, alarm bells went off at Paramount, where Murphy was set to begin filming “Beverly Hills Cop III.” Last week, studio chief Sherry Lansing postponed production of the film for eight weeks after costs began spiraling toward $70 million, including Murphy’s $15-million fee.

“They got nervous,” said an executive at a rival studio. “It’s one thing if you don’t work in ‘Harlem Nights,’ but it’s another if you don’t work in ‘The Distinguished Gentleman.’ ”

“He’s reached the point where his career needs to be resuscitated,” one industry observer said. “We no longer think of him as a fresh, funny guy. Now, he’s seen as an arrogant person talking down to us, running around with a big entourage. He needs to be humanized.”

The acid test for Murphy, the industry believes, will be if “Beverly Hills Cop III” succeeds.

As for Martin, the fact that “Leap of Faith” has grossed only about $19.2 million to date probably means that he will not get to stretch himself as an actor in the near future, industry sources said, and he could be forced to return to more familiar roles that are in line with his comedy presence.

Industry sources say Robin Williams can’t be blamed for the failure of Barry Levinson’s “Toys,” the surrealistic fable that many believe overwhelmed Williams’ talents. And he captivated audiences as the voice of the animated Genie in Disney’s “Aladdin.”

Of course, not all of Hollywood’s big guns had films playing this Christmas season. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who earns $15 million a picture up front, is still considered the reigning box office champ and is playing to type in “The Last Action Hero,” now shooting for Columbia and due out this summer. Michael Douglas proved he can open a film, as he did with “Basic Instinct,” and Harrison Ford, Steven Seagal and Bruce Willis can be counted on to do well in action movies. Willis’ fee dropped several million dollars after the 1991 “Hudson Hawk” fiasco, and faces a test later this year in “Striking Distance,” a “Die Hard”-with-boats police thriller for Columbia.

Clint Eastwood, although no longer the draw he once was, showed he can still deliver if he is playing a character that audiences want to see, as he did in “Unforgiven.” Among the up-and-coming stars, Hollywood insiders point to Wesley Snipes, who had two solid hits with “White Men Can’t Jump” and the airline hijacking action film “Passenger 57.” And many believe Brad Pitt, after what many saw as a starmaking performance in “A River Runs Through It,” can break through to the actors’ A-list.

But where are the actresses? Julia Roberts hasn’t been seen since “Hook” last Christmas, and Streisand does not provide a steady stream of films. With her steamy role in “Basic Instinct,” Stone is one of the most sought-after actresses, now commanding $5-$6 million, but Hollywood isn’t sure. They are waiting to see how the thriller “Sliver” does this year.

Geena Davis is on the ascent after “A League of Their Own” became a smash hit, but the thinking is that she is not yet capable of “opening” a movie by herself. Michelle Pfeiffer’s only blockbuster was “Batman Returns.” The verdict is yet to come in on Demi Moore. Susan Sarandon does well, but does not have box-office heat.

“I think people (who make films) are scared to push women to the top of a movie,” said entertainment attorney Peter Dekom. “They are looking for insurance. The movie business is so risky today, people who spend millions don’t want to create vehicles for women and find out that it doesn’t work.”

“There is no woman Arnold Schwarzenegger, there is no woman Kevin Costner, and that’s a shame,” Dekom said. “But there will be. ‘A League of Their Own’ did $107 million at the box office. It’s a mega-hit. It’s filled with women and has a woman director. Don’t tell me women can’t be in mega-movies.”