Where Have All the Movie Stars Gone?

Where did the movie star go? Explore how streaming, franchises and online fame have transformed celebrity culture.
About this Event

Talk Description

The traditional movie star no longer exists. They’ve faded away as a new kind of screen celebrity has emerged. In the past, a handful of actors dominated a shared mass audience through theatrical releases and carefully controlled public images. Today, star power is fragmented across streaming services and multiple online platforms, reducing the cultural power of any single celebrity. Hollywood studios increasingly market intellectual property rather than actors themselves, making franchises more important than individual performers. So where did the movie star go? Are they ever coming back? And do we even want them anymore?

Bio

Ben McCann teaches French and Film at Adelaide University. He has published widely on cinema of all kinds and writes regularly for The Conversation website. He is particularly interested in what makes a movie star a movie star.