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:''For the books by Zoey Dean, see The a-list. For other uses see A-list (disambiguation).''
The 'A-list' is the roster of the most bankable movie stars in Hollywood. Often these top actors in the film industry are able to earn $20 million per movie.
The list was created by veteran entertainment journalist James Ulmer, who developed a 100-point method to quantify a star's value to a film production, in terms of getting a film financed and the cameras rolling.
"Bankability" is determined for films according to three budgetary levels:

★ $5 million or less (typically independent productions)

★ $5 to $25 million

★ $25 million or over (studio films).

Contents

Ulmer Scale

Popular usage

See also

References

Ulmer Scale

James Ulmer calls his method "The Ulmer Scale". The A-list is part of a larger guide called ''The Hot List'' that has become an industry-standard guide in Hollywood. Lesser-known actors inhabit the B+, B, and C lists, and there is even a dreaded "Bottom of the Heap."
The Ulmer Scale also takes into account an actor's history (box office successes vs. failures), versatility, professional demeanor, and ability and willingness to travel and promote films.
If an actor has 100 points on the Ulmer Scale for a given budget, a movie on that budgetary level can have 100% of its financing guaranteed, based solely on that actor's participation. Very few stars have such power in the "$25 million or over" range, and the ones nearest to it occupy the A-list. Ulmer has also developed a Hot List of directors.
Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise have topped the latest ranking in 2006.^[1] Ulmer's latest Top Ten List from 2006 also includes:

★ Jim Carrey

★ George Clooney

★ Russell Crowe

★ Johnny Depp

★ Nicole Kidman

★ Jude Law

★ Brad Pitt

★ Julia Roberts

Popular usage

In popular usage outside the film industry, an "A list celebrity" simply refers to any person with an admired or desirable social status.^[2] Similarly, less popular persons are referred to as "B list." ^[3]

See also

★ ''

★ Hollywood Stock Exchange

★ Encarta "A list" at Webster's New Millennium Dictionary

References

1. Tom Cruise and Hanks top new power list
2. American Heritage Dictionary
3. Encarta, Webster's New Millennium Dictionary