Film Opinion: Hollywood sequels and blacklisted actors

The latest full trailer for Dark Phoenix has been released, and like every piece of media and information around this X-Men instalment about Jean Grey, it looks… questionable. Despite starring Game Of Thrones’ Sophie Turner, and featuring the return of the A-list X-Men cast – including Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy – all reports are saying that initial cuts have been incredibly poor.

Test screenings received terrible reviews, as audiences complained about rehashed material from X-Men: The Last Stand, as well as tonal issues and a major character’s death, and reshoots were ordered. The latest trailer hasn’t inspired much more hope, as many sequences still seem identical to The Last Stand.

Another aspect of the Dark Phoenix trailer receiving unfortunate attention is the deeply underwhelming energy emanating from the stars. Even in the brief trailer, Jennifer Lawrence appears to be phoning in her performance as Mystique, giving her lines all the enthusiasm of a hungover flight attendant explaining how seatbelts work.

So why are A-list stars flocking to a film with a mediocre writer and director, in a franchise that is rapidly running out of steam? Sure, some actors are undoubtedly under contract – but this month, Keanu Reeves elucidated another reason that actors stick with dying franchises.

Speaking to GQ, Reeves explained that despite being one of the biggest stars of the ’90s, he was put in “movie jail” for over a decade by Fox, for refusing to be in the sequel to Speed. That 1997 outing failed to make lightning strike twice, reaping only $48 million at the U.S. box office. Reeves chose to take a theatre role instead, and Fox refused to work with him until 2008, when he starred in The Day The Earth Stood Still.

At a time when exploitation and abuses of power in Hollywood are finally being acknowledged and addressed, this form of professional blacklisting may not be at the forefront of conversations about the film industry – after all, no actor is automatically entitled to film roles, or support from a studio. But given that today’s cinema landscape is completely dominated by sequels and franchises, it’s worth acknowledging how actors’ careers can be monopolised for years by a single role.

Many actors now have to agree to appear in potential sequels, as studios are loathe not to capitalise on success. And if, as in the case of Keanu Reeves, they’re not contractually obliged to appear in sequels, but choose not to, they could potentially be blacklisted.

For example, Robert Downey Jr. has been playing Iron Man for over a decade – thankfully, he seems to be having a blast. But if he wasn’t? Having to commit to nine blockbuster films in a decade has all but eradicated Downey Jr.’s appearance in other projects, due to the seemingly endless cycle of MCU production. For many actors, that type of commitment isn’t success, it’s stifling. Think of the constant jokes made about actors who seem utterly unenthusiastic about the franchises they star in – Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart’s frustration with Twilight is an obvious example; Jamie Dornan’s embarrassment with the lacklustre material in Fifty Shades Of Grey another. At least they signed up for it, and were paid handsomely.

Hollywood’s system of blacklisting actors who simply choose not to return for sequels is an unnecessary and coercive form of punishment. Ironic then that Reeves’ career was resurrected by The Matrix – he indeed is The One who might save us all.