The Downside of Huge Ensemble Casts in Movies

The Pitfalls of Massive Ensemble Casts

Handling a massive ensemble cast isn't an easy task for any director, and some movies could have benefited from simplifying things and focusing on fewer characters. When done well, movies with huge casts can be incredibly immersive, portraying a detailed world filled with believable characters. To name just two recent examples, Oppenheimer and Barbie both succeeded with this formula. They each featured huge casts, but they maintained a sharp focus on their core protagonists. Problems often arise when a huge cast draws focus from the main characters, and the plot suffers as a result.

Women scrubbing blood from the cobblestones after the battle in Les Miserables

Huge casts can be a great box office draw, since audiences are keen to see so many great actors all working together. Unfortunately, the reality doesn't always live up to expectations. There are just as many bad examples of large ensemble casts as there are good ones. Often, there is something about the movie which could have been great, if only the cast could have been trimmed down a little. Plenty of these movies aren't necessarily bad, but their enormous casts weigh them down and spread the focus too thin. Big ensemble casts are a dangerous ingredient for a movie, and they can sometimes ruin a good idea.

Two cats look up in Cats 2019

Examples of Movies with Overwhelming Casts

Let's take a closer look at some examples of movies with overwhelming ensemble casts, and how the large number of characters affected the overall experience. From Les Misérables to Cats, The Expendables to Eternals, the impact of massive casts on these movies varied from impressive to disappointing.

Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Expendables 2

Les Misérables (2012) boasted an impressive ensemble including Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, and many more. While its ambition and visual design were admirable, it sometimes failed to hit the rousing highs of the stage musical. The overwhelming cast didn't always do justice to the show-stopping numbers.

Hugh Jackman sings to Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables

Cats (2019) featured Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift, and more. Despite the serious musical talent, the movie was a critical and financial failure, with disturbing visuals and an overall disappointing experience for audiences.

Jennifer Hudson in Cats 2019

The Expendables (2010) brought together Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and many more iconic action stars. The end product didn't quite live up to the explosive standards of its stars, leading to a derivative and underwhelming outcome.

Eternals (2021) showcased a mix of Hollywood legends and fresh talent, but struggled to introduce so many new characters into the MCU, resulting in an overly long runtime and pacing issues. The obligatory inclusion of CGI-heavy action sequences disrupted emotional storytelling, leading to a rare disappointment for Marvel.

Ikaris is tied down in Eternals' final fight

Lessons Learned and Future Prospects

These examples illustrate the challenges and drawbacks of movies with huge ensemble casts. While some movies managed to succeed in portraying a detailed world with immersive storytelling, others suffered from overwhelming casts that drew focus away from the main characters and the plot. It's important for filmmakers to strike a balance and maintain a sharp focus on core protagonists, even in movies with large casts. The impact of massive ensembles on audience experience and the overall success of a movie cannot be understated.

don't look up review