You've probably seen the predictably bland cover of Vanity's Fair'sannual Hollywood issue lurking beside Ireland's Ownand the RTÉ Guidein your local newsagent. How does Annie Leibovitz manage to make Carey Mulligan, Abbie Cornish and Kristen Stewart look so uninterestingly pallid?
Anyway, there is some genuinely diverting – if faintly terrifying – news within the magazine. Which Hollywood player made the most money in 2009? Avatardidn't properly get going until after Christmas, so we shouldn't be surprised that James Cameron only made it to No 4 in the glossy's chart. More startling is the fact that Steven Spielberg stays so solid at No 2. Sure, he has interests in theme parks and, yes, he recently took several producing credits, but he didn't actually direct a film last year.
The top greenback shoveller turns out to have been the gruesome Michael Bay. About $115 million of his $125 million takings came from producing and directing Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
The real shocker, however, lurks among the actors. Which woman made more than any other in Hollywood last year? It wasn't Sandra Bullock. No, it's not some obscure executive. At just 19, Emma Watson, star of the upcoming closing Harry Potterfilms, secured the No 14 spot with a whopping $60 million in fees. It's a strange, strange world.
