The Hollywood Reporter's Star Power(R) 2002 Survey Reveals the Bankability Of More Than 1,000 Motion Picture Actors February 04, 2002 LOS ANGELES, Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts tied at No. 1 in The Hollywood Reporter's Star Power(R) 2002 survey, with each receiving a perfect 100 global score. Key industry executives participated in the confidential worldwide poll, which resulted in Mel Gibson (98.68), Jim Carrey (98.46), George Clooney (95.18), Russell Crowe (94.74), Harrison Ford (also 94.74), Bruce Willis (94.30), Brad Pitt (92.98), Nicolas Cage (91.23), Leonardo DiCaprio (91.01), Will Smith (89.91) and Denzel Washington (89.04) ranking in the list's top Maximum Star Power category. Focusing on the bankability of more than 1,000 actors, the survey polled industry members from around the globe asking them to rank individuals on a number of criteria. Among those elements: an actor's ability to secure financing for a film, obtain studio distribution and open a film to significant boxoffice on the strength of his or her name alone. (See Survey Methodology and Ranking Scale at bottom for more information.) The results of the survey and the top 130 finishers will be previewed in the Tuesday, Feb. 5, Weekly International Edition of The Hollywood Reporter, with the complete survey soon to be available online to subscribers of the paper's Web site -- http://www.hollywoodreporter.com . According to John Burman, The Reporter's International Editor as well as Executive Director of the trade paper's Star Power(R) and Director Power(R) projects, the 2002 rankings and analysis highlight several industry trends. Among them: -- The globalization of star power continues to move along at a steady clip, especially for non-U.S.-born actors who continue to climb the chart as they establish themselves in the key U.S. market as well as with audiences worldwide. Among those applicable whose scores saw a boost from the previous Star Power survey were Russell Crowe (94.74 vs. 46.46 in the previous survey), Jackie Chan (86.84 vs. 75.93), Penelope Cruz (62.28 vs. 17.54), Jude Law (61.84 vs. 29.44), Chow Yun-Fat (58.99 vs. 43.70) and Jet Li (57.68 vs. 29.29). -- In 2001 films starring Cruise, Hanks and Roberts generated $844 million globally ($493 million in North American boxoffice revenue and $351 million rest of the world). -- Women scoring high and finishing in the survey's Strong Star Power category include Sandra Bullock (87.28), who finished behind Roberts as the second-highest scoring actress, as well as Cameron Diaz (84.87), Nicole Kidman (84.65), Meg Ryan (83.77), Jodie Foster (81.80), Angelina Jolie (79.39), Gwyneth Paltrow (76.97), Michelle Pfeiffer (75.00), Drew Barrymore (74.78), Catherine Zeta-Jones (74.78), Jennifer Lopez (73.68) and Helen Hunt (71.88). -- The industry is still grappling with the affects of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks as they apply to tenor and tone of films that are green-lighted, how they are positioned in the marketplace and the willingness of talent to travel on behalf of a project. -- The next generation of up-and-coming potentially bankable names are also finding their way, voters' results show. Renee Zellweger (69.96 vs. 46.48 in the previous survey), Reese Witherspoon (66.01 vs. 40.11), Kirsten Dunst (56.58 vs. 24.07), Tobey Maguire (51.97 vs. 29.89), Josh Hartnett (49.56 vs. 6.85), Kate Beckinsale (48.03 vs. 23.15) and new names on the list such as Heath Ledger (57.68), Vin Diesel (54.17) and Hugh Jackman (53.07), are among those whose star power is clearly on the rise. -- As Oscar nominations approach -- they will be announced Feb. 12 -- another theme that emerges when looking at some of the top finishers is that their pulling power, from a bankability standpoint, is complemented by achievements scored as a result of their acting talent. That indicates they are not just picking roles that have the highest chances of scoring big at the boxoffice, observers say, but are looking to stretch themselves creatively with audiences that seem to be generally accepting of such career choices. Of the survey's top 20 finishers, 12 have been nominated for an Academy Award in an acting category, with eight having won at least one Oscar. "The results of The Hollywood Reporter's Star Power 2002 survey highlight an expanding universe of actors in the filmed entertainment industry at all levels who are finding their way to audiences globally via projects from the studio and independent sides of the business," said Burman. "Audiences worldwide are looking to be challenged in their filmgoing experiences. They are open to projects featuring diverse talent that includes established names as well as newcomers." Burman adds: "From a business perspective, whether a film being put together comes from a major studio or an independent, global star appeal continues to be an essential component of the package." Top news-gathering and publishing organization The Hollywood Reporter, now in its 72nd year, serves the entertainment industry with complete news coverage of film, television, cable, music, new media/technology, video, marketing, sports, fashion, electronic games and theme parks. The Hollywood Reporter publishes five editions: Daily (M-F), Weekly, Online, E-Mail, and THR-East. The trade paper's Web site is updated regularly throughout the day by its editorial staff around the globe. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com The Hollywood Reporter is published by VNU Business Publications USA, a part of VNU Business Media. Netherlands-based VNU is the world's largest organization of entertainment-related publications and services. Survey Methodology: The Hollywood Reporter's editors and film reporters compiled the list of 1,000 actors (of which the top 130 finishers appear in the Tues., February 5 edition). While not all encompassing, the list is meant to reflect a broad range of actors. The confidential global survey, while subjective, polled a cross section of 114 studio and independent executives, distributors, producers, financiers, buyers, sales agents and others involved in the purchase, distribution and exhibition of films around the world and in key individual territories. Star Power(R) Ranking Scale: (Rank) Maximum Star Power (Range) 87.50 - 100; Strong Star Power 62.50 - 87.49; Moderate Star Power 37.50 - 62.49; Minimum Star Power 12.50 - 37.49; No Star Power/Don't Know