Hollywood to rethink A-lister salaries?

Hollywood studios are reportedly veering away from meeting the pay demands of A-list stars following a series of hit movies featuring unknown actors.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the disappointing opening weekend for Jim Carrey's A Christmas Carol is the latest box office misstep prompting producers to rethink big budget, name-driven movies.

"Nobody says that a big wonderful movie needs to be expensive, it's just that that's been the trend, and perhaps the trend is misguided," USC cinema professor Jason Squire said.

Recent releases Twilight, The Hangover, District 9 and Paranormal Activity have all been commercially successful with smaller budgets and little-known stars, while vehicles for Bruce Willis (Surrogates), Adam Sandler (Funny People) and Will Ferrell (Land Of The Lost) have failed to ignite the box office over the summer.

"The [major movie] machine didn't fly last summer, if you look at the movies and the names, they were not star-driven movies, they really weren't," said Mandalay Entertainment chairman Peter Guber.