If you feel like you’ve been seeing a lot of Dwayne Johnson lately, you’re not wrong: The pro wrestler-turned-actor just released his second popcorn movie in three months – while the first one is still in theaters.
“If you look up ‘international superstar’ in the dictionary, Johnson’s name is there,” says comScore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian.
Johnson is one of 10 movie stars who made USA TODAY’s ranking of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood. So is Tiffany Haddish, who has prominent roles in a whopping eight movies in 2018 and 2019, and Margot Robbie, who stars in six.
Their ubiquity made us wonder: Who else leads that list? Using casting and search data from Movie Insider and IMDb, we analyzed actors’ recent starring film roles, upcoming projects and page views, with consideration given to name recognition.
Our ranking includes Oscar winners, action stars, independent film stars/producers and character actors, though unsurprisingly, there are some big gaps in our findings. The movie business still skews white and male, and so does this list. There are also two men who have been accused of abusive behavior toward women, which doesn’t seem to have diminished their ability to find work.
But there’s reason to expect progress in the years to come: Haddish, one of three women and three actors of color to make our top 10, was relatively unknown just last summer.
“What stands out is that this group of actors is truly cross-generational, a mix of old school and new school, with some representing multiple decades in the business, alongside dynamic young stars that are relatively early in their careers,” Dergarabedian says. “Given the impressive and growing influence of women both behind and in front of the camera, future lists of this type will likely see a greater number of female creatives among the ranks.”
1. James Franco
What you’ve seen him in lately: Franco starred opposite his brother, Dave, in “The Disaster Artist” last December and won a Golden Globe for best actor in a comedy. In May, he played a warlord in “Future World,” which was savaged by critics (zero percent positive reviews) on aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes.
Biggest box-office opening: “Spider-Man 3” (2007), $151.1 million
Next roles: He has a handful of indie projects geared up for the next year, including the action drama “Blood Heist.” And he’ll lend his voice as James the Bottlenose Dolphin in the all-star cast of “Naya Legend of the Golden Dolphin.”
2. Dwayne Johnson
What you’ve seen him in lately: Quintessential summer action flicks “Skyscraper” and “Rampage,” both in theaters now.
Biggest box-office opening: “Furious 7” (2015), $147.2 million
Next roles: How much time do you have? Johnson stars in the wrestling drama “Fighting With My Family” (slated for March 1) and “Jungle Cruise” (Oct. 11, 2019) based on the Disneyland ride. Farther down the road, he’s in preproduction for his “Fast & Furious” spinoff “Hobbs & Shaw” (next July), “Jumanji” sequel (Dec. 13, 2019) and four other projects. He’ll also take on the starring role in DC supervillain flick “Black Adam,” which is still in development. And hopefully, he’ll take a nap soon.