Hollywood studios have come to the conclusion that Cinema Retro arrived at years ago: there are precious few stars left in the world who are worth their inflated salaries. Unlike the past, where audiences went to see a movie because Marilyn Monroe or John Wayne starred in it, today's hits are largely franchise-driven and are often derived from comic books and other pop culture sources. If a major star appears in them, that's well and good, but they are not generally the major reason for a film's success. There are still some actors (but no actresses, in our opinion) who can earn their keep but their ranks are rapidly dwindling. Thus, the studios are making stars share the risk on future projects. Jim Carrey had to defer his $25 million salary for his next picture, but will gain a large share of the revenue after the studio recoups its costs. Similarly, second-tier actors are seeing salaries cut from $1 million to $100,000. If actors fail to comply, they are finding their films cancelled as studios try to control soaring production budgets. To read Variety's full report, click here