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14[[quoteright:250:[[Film/ThreeTenToYuma2007 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_310yuma.png]]]]
15
16So, let's say we've got at least two actors, with about the same level of success and popularity. They might be interested in making similar projects, have starred in similar roles, or may even be buds and want to make a film together; in any case, it is certain that people will love to see these two in a movie together to watch them go at it. Thus, we get a Dueling Stars Movie, a film whose entire reason for being (and the main reason to see it) is to see "those guys" together.
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18It should be noted that a film starring two bankable actors doesn't automatically qualify as a DSM. Here are a few qualifications that must be met:
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20'''1) The stars must be about equal in success and popularity.'''
21For instance, ''Film/LethalWeapon'' is ''not'' a DSM: people didn't say "Aw man, Creator/MelGibson and Creator/DannyGlover are making a movie together, I gotta see this!"; Gibson provided the star power here (in fact, this is the movie that [[StarMakingRole made Glover a star]]). Similarly, ''Film/RushHour'' wouldn't be considered this either: people didn't give a damn about seeing Creator/JackieChan and Chris Tucker going at it, they wanted to see Jackie Chan kick ass, and Tucker was along for the ride. This wasn't the case with the next two films though, where Jackie Chan was billed under Chris Tucker.
22
23'''2) We are interested in seeing the film not only for the ''characters'' the actors play, but primarily to see ''them''.'''
24People didn't go to see ''Film/LethalWeapon'' to watch Gibson and Glover play off each other, they went to see ''Murtagh and Riggs'' do that, which is an important distinction. In the same vein, while movies like ''Film/HarryPotter'' and ''[[Film/XMenFilmSeries X-Men]]'' may have big name stars to their credit that we love to see together (Creator/AlanRickman, Creator/JasonIsaacs, Creator/KennethBranagh, etc. for the former; Creator/IanMcKellen and Creator/PatrickStewart for the latter), we don't go just to see them, we go to see Snape, Magneto, Professor X, and so on.
25
26Now ''Film/FaceOff'', on the other hand, is perhaps the poster boy of this trope. The sheer [[RuleOfCool awesome ridiculousness]] of the plot was just icing on the cake; what people really wanted to see was '''"[[Creator/JohnTravolta Travolta]]/[[Creator/NicolasCage Cage]]"''' (as the poster proclaimed) to see who could better [[ChewingTheScenery Chew The Scenery]] and blow up more stuff. Of course, a DSM need not be merely an action-blockbuster; sometimes we can get films where we actually want to see the stars ''act'': ''Film/TheLionInWinter'' is a good example of this, as the main draw is seeing two of the best actors in Hollywood (Creator/PeterOToole and Creator/KatharineHepburn) give it their all while they verbally eviscerate each other for two hours (Hepburn won Best Actress at the Oscars for her performance).
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28In short, this trope could be thought of as JustHereForGodzilla as applied to the film's stars, and as a result is practically ''made'' of SugarWiki/AndTheFandomRejoiced. It will very often (nay, almost inevitably) involve copious amounts of ChewingTheScenery, with the stars often making [[LargeHam glorious hams of themselves]], to the point that the [[WorldOfHam whole movie can be made of pure, juicy meat]], especially if the stars in question go after each other in a bout of HamToHamCombat. HostilityOnTheSet is often the behind-the-scenes result of this, though that's [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity not exactly a bad angle for publicity]].
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30A SubTrope of AllStarCast. Not to be confused with DuelingMovies or HostilityOnTheSet.
31
32----
33!!Film examples:
34
35* ''Film/TwelveMonkeys'': Creator/BruceWillis vs. Creator/BradPitt.
36* ''Film/TwoGuns'' paired Creator/DenzelWashington with Creator/MarkWahlberg.
37* ''Film/ThreeTenToYuma2007'' with Creator/RussellCrowe and Creator/ChristianBale.
38* ''Film/ThreeThousandMilesToGraceland'' with Creator/KurtRussell and Creator/KevinCostner was a notoriously unsuccessful example.
39* ''Film/FiveCardStud'': Music/DeanMartin and Creator/RobertMitchum.
40* ''Film/TheAfricanQueen'', which was Creator/HumphreyBogart and Creator/KatharineHepburn's only screen pairing to boot.
41* ''Film/TheAgonyAndTheEcstasy'': Creator/CharltonHeston and Creator/RexHarrison.
42* ''Film/AirAmerica'' paired Creator/MelGibson and Creator/RobertDowneyJr.
43* ''Film/{{All Night Long|1981}}'': Creator/GeneHackman and Creator/BarbraStreisand.
44* ''Film/AllThePresidentsMen'': Creator/RobertRedford and Creator/DustinHoffman.
45* ''Film/AmericanGangster'': Creator/DenzelWashington vs. Creator/RussellCrowe. Also, ''Film/{{Virtuosity}}''.
46* ''Film/AngelHeart'': Creator/MickeyRourke vs. Creator/RobertDeNiro.
47* ''Film/AngerManagement'': Creator/AdamSandler vs. Creator/JackNicholson.
48* Creator/GregoryPeck and Creator/SophiaLoren in ''Film/{{Arabesque}}''.
49* ''Film/AutumnInNewYork'' paired Creator/RichardGere and Creator/WinonaRyder.
50* ''Film/TheAvengers1998'': Creator/RalphFiennes and Creator/UmaThurman.
51* ''Film/BabyMama'' was basically an excuse to see what happens when you give [=BFFs=] Creator/AmyPoehler and Creator/TinaFey a film together. They got to team up again in ''Film/Sisters2015''.
52* ''Film/BadBoys1995'': Creator/WillSmith and Creator/MartinLawrence.
53* A notoriously unsuccessful example was ''Film/BallisticEcksVsSever'', which paired Creator/AntonioBanderas with Creator/LucyLiu. The title is, in fact, a complete lie, as they fight each other in one scene and spend the rest of the film fighting other people.
54* ''Film/{{Bandidas}}'': Creator/PenelopeCruz and Creator/SalmaHayek.
55* ''Film/TheBarefootContessa'' paired Creator/HumphreyBogart and Creator/AvaGardner.
56* ''Film/{{Becket}}'': Creator/RichardBurton vs. Creator/PeterOToole.
57* ''Film/BestFriends1982'': Creator/BurtReynolds and Creator/GoldieHawn.
58* ''Film/TheBestLittleWhorehouseInTexas'': Creator/BurtReynolds and Music/DollyParton.
59* ''Film/BirdOnAWire'' paired Creator/MelGibson and Creator/GoldieHawn.
60* ''Film/TheBlackCat'' pitted Creator/BorisKarloff against Creator/BelaLugosi and it was so successful that a number of other films featuring both of them were made as a result.
61* ''Film/BlondeInBlackLeather'' - Creator/MonicaVitti and Creator/ClaudiaCardinale.
62* ''Film/BlownAway'': Creator/JeffBridges vs. Creator/TommyLeeJones.
63* ''Film/TheBookOfEli'': Creator/DenzelWashington vs. Creator/GaryOldman.
64* ''Film/{{Borsalino}}'': Creator/JeanPaulBelmondo and Creator/AlainDelon in the same movie in 1970, meaning possibly at the height of their national (and possibly international for Delon) fame. To find an American gangster movie with two top and highly bankable stars at the time it was made, you would have to wait for... let's say ''Film/{{Heat}}''.
65* ''Film/{{Bowfinger}}''- Let's face it, it's got both Creator/SteveMartin and Creator/EddieMurphy. In 2002, Murphy would have unsuccessful pairings with Creator/OwenWilson in ''Film/ISpy'' and Creator/RobertDeNiro in ''Film/{{Showtime}}''.
66* ''Film/TheBreakUp'': RealLife couple Creator/VinceVaughn vs. Creator/JenniferAniston.
67* ''Film/TheBridgesOfMadisonCounty'': Creator/ClintEastwood and Creator/MerylStreep.
68* ''Broadway Melody of 1940'' paired the top male tap dancer of the day (Creator/FredAstaire) with the top female tap dancer of the day (Eleanor Powell). The story was just an afterthought.
69* ''Film/{{Buck and the Preacher}}'': Creator/SidneyPoitier and Music/HarryBelafonte.
70* ''Film/TheBucketList'', because who wouldn't want to see Creator/JackNicholson and Creator/MorganFreeman on-screen together?
71* Creator/MichaelWinner's comedy ''Film/{{Bullseye|1990}}'' was the only pairing of longtime friends Creator/MichaelCaine and Creator/RogerMoore.
72* ''Film/TheCableGuy'': Creator/JimCarrey vs. Creator/MatthewBroderick.
73* ''Film/CaliforniaSplit'': Creator/GeorgeSegal and Creator/ElliottGould.
74* ''Film/{{Camelot}}'': Creator/RichardHarris and Creator/VanessaRedgrave
75* ''Film/CapeFear'': Creator/GregoryPeck vs. Creator/RobertMitchum.
76** The remake had Creator/RobertDeNiro vs. Creator/NickNolte.
77* ''Film/{{Caprice}}'': Creator/DorisDay and Creator/RichardHarris.
78* ''Film/CatchMeIfYouCan'': Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio vs. Creator/TomHanks.
79* ''Film/CatOnAHotTinRoof'': Creator/PaulNewman and Creator/ElizabethTaylor.
80* ''Film/{{Charade}}'': Creator/CaryGrant and Creator/AudreyHepburn.
81* ''Film/CharlieWilsonsWar'' and ''Film/LarryCrowne'' starring Creator/TomHanks and Creator/JuliaRoberts.
82* ''Film/CinderellaMan'': Creator/RussellCrowe and Creator/ReneeZellweger.
83* ''Film/CityHeat'' [[http://img.timeinc.net/time/magazine/archive/covers/1978/1101780109_400.jpg starred]] Creator/ClintEastwood and Creator/BurtReynolds. The result was not really what fans of either actor were hoping for.
84* Creator/CharlieChaplin's final film, ''Film/ACountessFromHongKong'', paired Creator/MarlonBrando and Creator/SophiaLoren. It didn't help the film.
85* ''Film/CoverGirl'': Creator/GeneKelly and Creator/RitaHayworth.
86* ''Film/CowboysAndAliens'': Creator/HarrisonFord and Creator/DanielCraig.
87* ''Film/TheCowboyWay'': Creator/WoodyHarrelson and Creator/KieferSutherland.
88* ''Film/CrimsonTide'': Creator/GeneHackman vs. Creator/DenzelWashington.
89* ''Film/DateNight'' was similar with Creator/TinaFey and Creator/SteveCarell as a married couple.
90* ''Film/{{Dave}}'': Creator/KevinKline and Creator/SigourneyWeaver.
91* ''Film/DeadManWalking'': Creator/SeanPenn and Creator/SusanSarandon.
92* ''Film/DeathHunt'': Creator/LeeMarvin and Creator/CharlesBronson.
93* ''Film/TheDefiantOnes'' had Creator/SidneyPoitier and Creator/TonyCurtis.
94* ''Film/TheDeltaForce'': Creator/LeeMarvin and Creator/ChuckNorris.
95* ''Film/DemolitionMan'': Creator/SylvesterStallone vs. Creator/WesleySnipes. The film's [[http://www.impawards.com/1993/posters/demolition_man.jpg poster]] doesn't make any bones about this being the whole point of the movie; resembling the poster from a prize fight or pro wrestling match.
96* ''Film/TheDesperateHours'':
97** In the original, Creator/HumphreyBogart vs. Creator/FredricMarch.
98** In the remake, it was Creator/MickeyRourke vs. Creator/AnthonyHopkins.
99* ''Film/DesperateMeasures'': Creator/MichaelKeaton vs. Creator/AndyGarcia.
100* ''Film/TheDevilAndMaxDevlin'': Creator/ElliottGould and Creator/BillCosby.
101* ''Film/TheDevilsAdvocate'': Creator/KeanuReeves vs. Creator/AlPacino.
102* ''Film/TheDevilsOwn'' paired Creator/HarrisonFord and Creator/BradPitt. Didn't help the film, though.
103* ''Film/DirtyRottenScoundrels'' paired Creator/MichaelCaine and Creator/SteveMartin.
104** It's a remake of ''Film/BedtimeStory1964'', which starred Creator/MarlonBrando and Creator/DavidNiven.
105* ''Film/DontLookNow'': Creator/DonaldSutherland and Creator/JulieChristie.
106* ''Film/DownWithLove'' paired Creator/EwanMcGregor with Creator/ReneeZellweger.
107* ''Film/DueDate'', starring Creator/RobertDowneyJr and Creator/ZachGalifianakis.
108* ''Film/EasterParade'' paired Creator/FredAstaire and Creator/JudyGarland.
109* ''Film/ElDorado'': Creator/JohnWayne and Creator/RobertMitchum.
110* ''Film/{{Entrapment}}'' paired Creator/SeanConnery and Creator/CatherineZetaJones.
111%%* ''Film/TheExpendables'' is fueled by this and [[RatedMForManly pure]] [[TestosteronePoisoning manly awesome]].
112* ''Film/FaceOff'': Creator/JohnTravolta vs. Creator/NicolasCage. In fact, the plot of the movie is itself about them switching roles.
113** Originally envisioned as a DuelingStarsMovie for Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger and Creator/SylvesterStallone, who wouldn't appear in a film together until 2010's ''Film/TheExpendables'', and wouldn't ''co-star'' in a movie until 2013's ''Film/EscapePlan''
114* ''Film/FastFive'', starring Creator/VinDiesel and Creator/DwayneJohnson. Johnson's character was originally going to be an older guy, but awesomely enough the filmmakers took up a fan's suggestion on Website/{{Facebook}} that it would be great to see Diesel and Johnson in a movie together. And it ''was''.
115* ''Film/FathersDay1997'' teamed up Creator/BillyCrystal and Creator/RobinWilliams. It didn't help the film though.
116* ''Film/AFewGoodMen'' has Creator/JackNicholson and Creator/TomCruise.
117* ''Film/FightClub'': Creator/EdwardNorton and Creator/BradPitt.
118* ''Film/TheForbiddenKingdom'' is Creator/JetLi vs Creator/JackieChan. First time ever the two famed martial artists have been in a movie, with its SignatureScene being their fight.
119* ''Film/FordVFerrari'': Creator/MattDamon vs. Creator/ChristianBale.
120* ''Film/TheFugitive'': Creator/HarrisonFord vs. Creator/TommyLeeJones.
121* ''Film/FunWithDickAndJane'' paired Creator/GeorgeSegal and Creator/JaneFonda.
122** The remake sees Creator/JimCarrey and Creator/TeaLeoni teaming up.
123* ''Film/TheGhostAndTheDarkness'' paired Creator/MichaelDouglas and Creator/ValKilmer.
124* ''Film/TheGoodLiar'': Creator/IanMcKellen vs. Creator/HelenMirren.
125* ''Film/{{Gravity}}'': Creator/GeorgeClooney and Creator/SandraBullock.
126* ''Film/TheGreatGatsby1974'' unsuccessfully paired Creator/RobertRedford and Creator/MiaFarrow.
127* ''Film/GrudgeMatch'' stars Creator/RobertDeNiro and Creator/SylvesterStallone as rival boxers, clearly drawing inspiration from ''Film/RagingBull'' and ''Film/{{Rocky}}''.
128* ''Film/GuysAndDolls'' starring Creator/MarlonBrando and Creator/FrankSinatra.
129* ''Film/HardTimes'': Creator/CharlesBronson and Creator/JamesCoburn.
130* ''Film/TheHardWay'' paired Creator/MichaelJFox and Creator/JamesWoods.
131* ''Film/{{Heat}}'' was celebrated as the first film to finally star Creator/AlPacino and Creator/RobertDeNiro onscreen together. Later emulated by ''Film/RighteousKill'', which was made ''solely'' so the two would again star side-by-side. The first was both a critical and commercial success. The second was...not.
132* ''Film/TheHeat'' had Creator/MelissaMcCarthy and Creator/SandraBullock.
133* ''Film/HellInThePacific'': Creator/LeeMarvin vs. Creator/ToshiroMifune as American and Japanese soldiers stranded on an island together? Oh, ''hell'' yes.
134* Music/FrankSinatra and Music/BingCrosby were the two most popular singers of their day. ''Film/HighSociety'', a musical remake of ''Film/ThePhiladelphiaStory'', had them ''singing a duet together'' -- the only time the two of them ever did this on screen.
135* ''Film/HobbsAndShaw'': Creator/DwayneJohnson vs. Creator/JasonStatham.
136* ''Film/HolidayInn'' had Creator/BingCrosby and Creator/FredAstaire. The competitive aspect of having two leading men with contrasting musical talents was lampshaded in the number "I'll Capture Her Heart Singing(/Dancing)." Crosby and Astaire co-starred again in ''Film/BlueSkies'' four years later, although this was not the original plan.
137* Creator/JohnFord's western ''Film/TheHorseSoldiers'' paired Creator/JohnWayne and Creator/WilliamHolden.
138* Creator/AudreyHepburn and Creator/PeterOToole in ''Film/HowToStealAMillion''.
139* ''Film/TheHunted2003'': Creator/TommyLeeJones vs. Creator/BenicioDelToro.
140* ''Film/ILoveTrouble'' featured the disastrous pairing of Creator/NickNolte and Creator/JuliaRoberts.
141* ''Film/ILoveYouPhillipMorris'' paired Creator/JimCarrey with Creator/EwanMcGregor.
142* ''Film/InfernalAffairs'': Creator/AndyLau vs. Creator/TonyLeungChiuWai.
143* ''Film/InternalAffairs'': Creator/RichardGere vs. Creator/AndyGarcia.
144* ''Film/{{Intersection}}'' paired Creator/RichardGere and Creator/SharonStone.
145* ''Film/InterviewWithTheVampire'' starring Creator/TomCruise and Creator/BradPitt.
146* ''Film/IntolerableCruelty'': Creator/GeorgeClooney and Creator/CatherineZetaJones.
147* ''Film/TheIronPetticoat'' unsuccesfully paired Creator/KatharineHepburn and Creator/BobHope.
148* ''Film/{{Ishtar}}'' starring Creator/DustinHoffman and Creator/WarrenBeatty is a notoriously unsuccessful example.
149* ''Film/TheJackal'': Creator/BruceWillis vs. Creator/RichardGere.
150* ''Film/TheJuror'': Creator/DemiMoore vs. Creator/AlecBaldwin.
151* ''Film/KissKissBangBang'': Creator/RobertDowneyJr and Creator/ValKilmer.
152* ''Film/KramerVSKramer'' is pretty obvious from the title - Creator/DustinHoffman vs. Creator/MerylStreep.
153* ''Film/KnightAndDay'' starred Creator/TomCruise and Creator/CameronDiaz.
154* ''Film/TheLastLaugh'': Creator/ChevyChase and Creator/RichardDreyfuss.
155* ''Film/TheLastSunset'': Creator/KirkDouglas vs. Creator/RockHudson.
156* ''Film/TheLegendOfFrenchieKing'' - Creator/BrigitteBardot and Creator/ClaudiaCardinale.
157* ''Film/TheLegendOfBaggerVance'': Creator/MattDamon and Creator/WillSmith.
158* ''Film/Life1999'': Creator/EddieMurphy and Creator/MartinLawrence.
159* Even though they're only together for one hilarious scene, ''Film/{{Limelight}}'' was famous for finally putting two of the biggest stars of the silent film era, Creator/CharlieChaplin and Creator/BusterKeaton, on the same stage.
160* ''Film/TheLionInWinter'': Creator/PeterOToole vs. Creator/KatharineHepburn. Also the Creator/PatrickStewart vs. Creator/GlennClose remake.
161* ''Film/TheLongKissGoodnight'': Creator/GeenaDavis and Creator/SamuelLJackson.
162* ''Film/MadCity'': Creator/DustinHoffman and Creator/JohnTravolta.
163* ''Film/MadeInAmerica'': Creator/WhoopiGoldberg and Creator/TedDanson.
164* ''Film/{{Malice}}'': Creator/AlecBaldwin and Creator/NicoleKidman.
165* And let's be honest, people didn't go to see ''Film/MammaMia'' for the plot. They went to see Creator/MerylStreep and Creator/PierceBrosnan sing Music/{{ABBA}} songs.
166* Creator/JohnWayne and Creator/JamesStewart in ''Film/TheManWhoShotLibertyValance''.
167* ''Film/TheManWhoWouldBeKing'' starring Creator/SeanConnery and Creator/MichaelCaine. The movie itself is great but it also inspired these great impressions by Creator/SimonPegg as Caine and Creator/NickFrost as Connery, as seen in this [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTYnPW1ZM_E outtake]] from ''Film/ShaunOfTheDead'' and this [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_cPxXU2fOs one]] from ''Film/HotFuzz''.
168* ''Film/MercuryRising'': Creator/BruceWillis vs. Creator/AlecBaldwin.
169* ''Film/TheMillionairess'': Creator/PeterSellers and Creator/SophiaLoren.
170* ''Film/{{Misery}}'': Creator/JamesCaan and Creator/KathyBates.
171* ''Film/TheMissouriBreaks'' (1976) starring Creator/JackNicholson and Creator/MarlonBrando.
172* ''Film/MoneyTalks'': Creator/CharlieSheen and Creator/ChrisTucker.
173* ''Film/MoonChild'', starring Japanese VisualKei superstars Music/{{Gackt}} and Hyde (of L'Arc~en~Ciel fame). And the [[YaoiFangirl fangirls]] [[SlashFic rejoiced]].
174* ''Film/MoulinRouge'' paired Creator/EwanMcGregor and Creator/NicoleKidman.
175* ''Film/MrAndMrsSmith2005'', or ''Creator/BradPitt and Creator/AngelinaJolie Fight Each Other And Do Sexy Things''
176* ''Film/MurderByDecree'': Creator/ChristopherPlummer and Creator/JamesMason.
177* ''Film/MyLife'': Creator/MichaelKeaton and Creator/NicoleKidman.
178* Creator/MaeWest and Creator/WCFields in ''Film/MyLittleChickadee''.
179* ''Film/MyOwnPrivateIdaho'': Creator/RiverPhoenix and Creator/KeanuReeves.
180* ''Film/TheNiceGuys'': Creator/RyanGosling and Creator/RussellCrowe.
181* ''Film/NickOfTime'': Creator/JohnnyDepp vs. Creator/ChristopherWalken.
182* ''Film/NottingHill'': Creator/HughGrant and Creator/JuliaRoberts.
183* "A historical costume drama about UsefulNotes/AnneBoleyn and her sister fight over UsefulNotes/HenryVIII? Booorrrin- Wait, the sisters are played by Creator/NataliePortman and Creator/ScarlettJohansson? Well, I guess I'll give ''Film/TheOtherBoleynGirl'' a shot!"
184* ''Film/Oceans11'' and ''Film/OceansEleven'' blur this with AllStarCast.
185* ''Film/OldDogs'': Creator/JohnTravolta and Creator/RobinWilliams.
186* ''Film/OnceUponATimeInHollywood'' paired Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio and Creator/BradPitt.
187* ''Film/OneFineDay'' paired Creator/GeorgeClooney and Creator/MichellePfeiffer.
188* ''Film/Papillon1973'': Creator/SteveMcQueenActor vs. Creator/DustinHoffman.
189* ''Film/Passengers2016'': Creator/JenniferLawrence and Creator/ChrisPratt, meaning a lot of people still saw the film despite the poor reviews.
190* ''Film/Perfect1985'': Creator/JohnTravolta and Creator/JamieLeeCurtis.
191* ''Film/APerfectWorld'': Creator/KevinCostner vs. Creator/ClintEastwood.
192* ''Film/{{Philadelphia}}'' paired Creator/TomHanks and Creator/DenzelWashington.
193* ''Film/{{Philomena}}'': Creator/SteveCoogan and Creator/JudiDench.
194* ''Film/ThePinkPanther1963'': Creator/DavidNiven vs. Creator/PeterSellers.
195* ''Film/PointBreak1991'': Creator/KeanuReeves vs. Creator/PatrickSwayze.
196* ''Film/ThePrestige'': While it's adapted from a novel, its main attraction is seeing Creator/ChristianBale and Creator/HughJackman screw with each other. Having Music/DavidBowie and Creator/AndySerkis certainly didn't hurt, either.
197* ''Film/ThePrinceAndTheShowgirl'': Creator/LaurenceOlivier and Creator/MarilynMonroe.
198* ''Film/ThePrivateLivesOfElizabethAndEssex'': Creator/BetteDavis vs. Creator/ErrolFlynn.
199* There were, in fairness, a few good reasons to go see ''Film/PublicEnemies''. No-one cared about any of them, except to see [[Creator/ChristianBale Batman]] square off with [[Creator/JohnnyDepp Jack Sparrow]].
200* ''Film/RainMan'' paired Creator/TomCruise and Creator/DustinHoffman.
201* ''Film/TheRealMcCoy'': Creator/ValKilmer and Creator/KimBasinger.
202* ''Film/RedSun'' saw the onscreen pairing of Creator/ToshiroMifune and Creator/CharlesBronson.
203* ''Film/{{Rhinestone}}'': Creator/SylvesterStallone and Music/DollyParton.
204* ''Film/{{River of No Return}}'': Creator/MarilynMonroe and Creator/RobertMitchum.
205* Creator/BobHope and Music/BingCrosby in the ''Film/RoadTo...'' movies--you were either watching to see those two [[VitriolicBestBuds spark off each other]], or for Dorothy Lamour.
206* ''Film/RobinAndMarian'' paired Creator/SeanConnery and Creator/AudreyHepburn. And added Creator/RobertShaw to the mix.
207* ''Film/TheRookie1990'': Creator/ClintEastwood and Creator/CharlieSheen.
208* ''Film/RoosterCogburn'', the sequel to ''Film/TrueGrit'', paired Creator/JohnWayne and Creator/KatharineHepburn.
209* ''Film/RRR2022'': The film's very title is a reference to its stars, N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan, as well as its director, Creator/SSRajamouli. When WebVideo/PatrickHWillems did [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPU2D5Ftjbw a video]] on the film, he compared it to ''Film/ThePost'' being titled ''SHS'' after its stars Creator/MerylStreep and Creator/TomHanks and its director Creator/StevenSpielberg.
210* ''Film/SavingMrBanks'' starred Creator/TomHanks and Creator/EmmaThompson.
211* The 1973 drama ''Film/{{Scarecrow|1973}}'' saw the pairing of Creator/GeneHackman and Creator/AlPacino.
212* ''Film/{{Se7en}}'': Creator/MorganFreeman and Creator/BradPitt.
213* The main appeal of ''Film/SeraphimFalls'' is the showdown between Creator/PierceBrosnan and Creator/LiamNeeson, two greatly respected Irish actors.
214* ''Film/ShanghaiNoon'': Creator/JackieChan and Creator/OwenWilson.
215* ''Film/SherlockHolmes2009'': Creator/RobertDowneyJr and Creator/JudeLaw.
216* ''Film/ShoutAtTheDevil'': Creator/LeeMarvin and Creator/RogerMoore.
217* ''Film/{{Sleuth}}'' starring Creator/MichaelCaine and Creator/LaurenceOlivier. The remake paired Caine with Creator/JudeLaw.
218* ''Film/{{Sommersby}}'' paired Creator/RichardGere and Creator/JodieFoster.
219* ''Film/TheSpecialist'' starred Creator/SylvesterStallone and Creator/SharonStone.
220* ''Film/SpiesLikeUs'' paired Creator/ChevyChase and Creator/DanAykroyd.
221* ''Film/SpyGame'' starred Creator/RobertRedford and Creator/BradPitt.
222* Every version of ''Film/AStarIsBorn'':
223** ''Film/AStarIsBorn1937'': Creator/FredricMarch and Creator/JanetGaynor.
224** ''Film/AStarIsBorn1954'': Creator/JamesMason and Creator/JudyGarland.
225** ''Film/AStarIsBorn1976'': Creator/KrisKristofferson and Music/BarbraStreisand.
226** ''Film/AStarIsBorn2018'': Creator/BradleyCooper and Music/LadyGaga.
227* One of Hollywood's most famous examples is ''Film/TheSting'', where Creator/RobertRedford and Creator/PaulNewman get into dangerous situations and act manly together, following on from their huge success doing so in ''Film/ButchCassidyAndTheSundanceKid''.
228* ''Film/{{Sunset|1988}}'': Creator/BruceWillis and Creator/JamesGarner.
229* ''Film/{{Suspicion}}'': Creator/CaryGrant and Creator/JoanFontaine.
230* ''Film/SweetSmellOfSuccess'' paired Creator/BurtLancaster and Creator/TonyCurtis.
231* ''Film/TangoAndCash'': Creator/SylvesterStallone and Creator/KurtRussell team up to kick ass? Yes please.
232* ''Film/ThatTouchOfMink'' paired Creator/CaryGrant with Creator/DorisDay.
233* ''Film/ThelmaAndLouise'': Creator/SusanSarandon and Creator/GeenaDavis.
234* ''Film/TheThomasCrownAffair1968'': Creator/SteveMcQueenActor and Creator/FayeDunaway.
235** ''Film/TheThomasCrownAffair1999'': Creator/PierceBrosnan and Creator/ReneRusso.
236* ''Film/ThunderboltAndLightfoot'': Creator/ClintEastwood and Creator/JeffBridges.
237* ''Film/TimeAfterTime'': Creator/MalcolmMcDowell vs. Creator/DavidWarner.
238* ''Film/TornCurtain'': Creator/PaulNewman and Creator/JulieAndrews.
239* Creator/JohnnyDepp and Creator/AngelinaJolie in ''Film/TheTourist''.
240* ''Film/TheToweringInferno'' with Creator/PaulNewman and [[Creator/SteveMcQueenActor Steve McQueen]], for which {{diagonal billing}} (one person's name top right, the other's lower left) was invented. In fact, at [=McQueen's=] insistence, both men were paid exactly the same and had the same number of lines.
241* ''Film/TradingPlaces'' starring Creator/DanAykroyd and Creator/EddieMurphy.
242* ''Film/TrainingDay'': Creator/DenzelWashington vs. Creator/EthanHawke.
243* ''Film/{{Twins|1988}}'': Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger and Creator/DannyDeVito. This is another movie whose posters showed the starring actors under their last names alone.
244* ''Film/TwoMulesForSisterSara'' paired Creator/ClintEastwood with Creator/ShirleyMacLaine.
245* ''Film/TheUndefeated'': Creator/JohnWayne and Creator/RockHudson.
246* ''Film/UniversalSoldier1992'': Creator/JeanClaudeVanDamme vs. Creator/DolphLundgren.
247* ''Film/TheVikings'' saw Creator/KirkDouglas and Creator/TonyCurtis as rival viking brothers.
248* ''Film/VivaLasVegas'' starring Music/ElvisPresley and Ann Margaret. The former of whose rock star career cooled a little bit since joining the army and the latter who was white hot after ''Theatre/ByeByeBirdie''.
249* ''Film/VivaMaria'' - Creator/BrigitteBardot and Creator/JeanneMoreau.
250* ''Film/WalkTheLine'': Creator/JoaquinPhoenix and Creator/ReeseWitherspoon.
251* ''Film/War2007'' was basically an excuse to see Creator/JasonStatham and Creator/JetLi duke it out, mostly because we barely got to see it in ''Film/TheOne''. For those savvy enough, these two stars work well together and often get paired (see ''Film/TheExpendables'').
252* ''Film/TheWayWeWere'' starred Music/BarbraStreisand and Creator/RobertRedford when they were both at the height of their careers.
253* ''Film/WhatAboutBob'': Creator/RichardDreyfuss vs. Creator/BillMurray.
254* ''Film/WhateverHappenedToBabyJane'', with Creator/BetteDavis and Creator/JoanCrawford. The actresses hated each other, and went out of their way to make life as unpleasant for each other as possible during filming.
255** The film's spiritual successor ''Film/HushHushSweetCharlotte'' paired Davis with Creator/OliviaDeHavilland.
256* ''Film/WhatLiesBeneath'': Creator/HarrisonFord and Creator/MichellePfeiffer.
257* ''Film/WhereEaglesDare'': Creator/RichardBurton and Creator/ClintEastwood.
258* ''Film/WhiteMenCantJump'': Creator/WoodyHarrelson and Creator/WesleySnipes. This worked so well that they paired up again on FirstNameBasis in the less successful ''Film/MoneyTrain''.
259* ''Film/TheWistfulWidowOfWagonGap'' pitted Creator/AbbottAndCostello, whose star power had dimmed slightly since the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, against Creator/MarjorieMain, fresh off her StarMakingRole in ''Literature/TheEggAndI''.
260* ''Film/WithoutAClue'': Creator/MichaelCaine and Creator/BenKingsley.
261* ''Film/TheYearOfLivingDangerously'': Creator/MelGibson and Creator/SigourneyWeaver.
262* Who remembers ''Film/ZiegfeldFollies1945'' for anything other than Creator/FredAstaire and Creator/GeneKelly dancing together for the first time?
263
264!!TV examples:
265
266* ''Series/AbsolutelyFabulous'': Creator/JenniferSaunders and Creator/JoannaLumley.
267* ''Series/HatfieldsAndMcCoys'': Creator/KevinCostner vs. Creator/BillPaxton.
268* ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'': The first teaser posters for Season 2 have Creator/EmmaDArcy vs. Creator/OliviaCooke.
269* ''Series/TheNewPope'': Creator/JudeLaw vs. Creator/JohnMalkovich.
270* ''Series/ThePersuaders'': Creator/RogerMoore and Creator/TonyCurtis.
271* ''Series/{{See}}'': Season 2 has Creator/JasonMomoa vs. Creator/DaveBautista.
272* ''Series/TrueDetective'' (season one): Creator/MatthewMcConaughey and Creator/WoodyHarrelson.
273* ''Series/{{Vicious}}'': Creator/IanMcKellen and Creator/DerekJacobi.
274
275!!Theatre examples:
276
277* Practically the entire selling point of NYCC's limited-run revival of ''Theatre/{{Brigadoon}}'' was that it starred Broadway legends Kelli O'Hara and Creator/PatrickWilson as the romantic leads.
278* Mary Martin and Robert Preston in the 1966 Broadway musical ''I Do! I Do!''. Unusually for this trope, and even more unusually for a musical, [[MinimalistCast they were the entire cast]].
279* Creator/DavidTennant and Creator/CatherineTate as [[DeconfirmedBachelor Benedick]] [[SlapSlapKiss and]] [[{{Tsundere}} Beatrice]] starring together in the Creator/RoyalShakespeareCompany's 2011 production of ''Theatre/MuchAdoAboutNothing''. The play was basically advertised as "Tennant and Tate together [[Series/DoctorWho again]]!!"
280

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