Hollywood Futures

I recently saw a trailer for the movie Tulip Fever.  It's an historical drama based on the novel set in 17th century Amsterdam, when there was a mania for tulip bulbs that created a huge economic bubble.

But the trailer reminded me of another kind of bubble.  Almost every film made is a speculation of one type of another, and that certainly includes Tulip Fever.

There's no way to guarantee a hit, but Hollywood likes nothing better than stars for insurance.  But established stars cost a lot, so even better is an up-and-coming star.  And right now, they're going long on Tulip Fever's lead Dane Dehaan.  He's already appeared in a fair number of films--including the latest Spider-Man where he was the Green Goblin--and Hollywood is betting on him big this year.

He's 31 and looks half that.  He has a resemblance to Leonardo DiCaprio, and perhaps producers hope he'll be the new Leo (or will be confused with the old one).  You may not believe in stars, but would The Revenant have made a quarter as much money without DiCaprio?

So DeHaan is starring in three major productions this year.

First out was A Cure For Wellness, which has already flopped. Next to come are Tulip Fever and the biggie, Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets.  DeHaan's career rests on their performance.

I have no idea how they'll do, but if they fail, this could be one of the biggest drops since the Taylor Kitsch crash of 2012 (Battleship and John Carter).