But now even the international box office appeal of stars like Stallone is softening.

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He generally participates in ensemble casts -- Anna Karenina, the Sherlock Holmes franchise, Soderbergh's Contagion, The Holiday -- making his singular box office appeal somewhat more elusive.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Rather than gauge box office appeal, Relativity instead listens to what cable executives are looking for. (Need 35-year-old women at 8 p.m.? Check.) He then plugs data into his computers and offers up solutions in the form of specific show ideas.

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Woo's producing partner, Chang, says the need to prove box-office appeal has slowed Woo's creative progression from where he left off in Hong Kong.

CNN: The Next Mission

The Beaver's blend of darkly humorous drama - not to mention belief in a talking glove puppet - did not appeal to box office audiences in the States.

BBC: Jodie Foster bows to puppet power in The Beaver

Mr Duerfahrd worries that the pressure to make box-office hits with a wide appeal is taking a toll on both bad and good movies.

BBC: Razzies vs Oscars: Can bad movies ever be good?

"Nemo's" solid box office run will keep the film's characters (and appeal) alive as audiences wait for the recently announced Finding Nemo 2.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

To be fair, this was the fourth best opening weekend for an animated movie of all time (three of the top four are Shrek movies), and the mass appeal of Shrek may help it achieve longevity at the box office.

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