Studio executives say Lindsay Lohan's career is over

[hotncmom]

For one brilliant, flickering moment, she was poised to become a star. By the age of 17, Lindsay Lohan had played lead roles in four major films, two of them significant hits. In 2004, her first album had gone platinum. Mean Girls had opened at $24 million and had transported her from cute kid to budding sex symbol and style icon. Hollywood wanted to mold her into the next Julia Roberts. By last week, at the age of 21, she had blown it all away. ''She had the world at her feet,'' says the head of a major studio. ''And right now, she'd have to pay a studio to get herself into a movie.''

On July 24, just 11 days after leaving rehab, Lohan was arrested for cocaine possession and suspicion of drunk driving. Whether she does time or not, she's built her own prison in Hollywood. Her latest film, I Know Who Killed Me, premiered last week to an abysmal $3.5 million. ''The rate at which she has fallen, and gotten back up, and fallen again, does not inspire confidence,'' says one producer. ''It's always challenging for a young actor to mature into an adult star. It takes great planning, sophistication, and judgment. She hasn't shown any of those things.'' Lohan has not had a hit since Mean Girls, and her grosses have been declining. She hasn't opened a movie above $10 million since 2005's Herbie: Fully Loaded. Of the producers and high-ranking execs who spoke to Entertainment Weekly — some of whom have worked with Lohan, and most of whom insisted on anonymity so they could speak frankly — almost none would hire her now. ''Her career was over long before she had these troubles,'' says the studio head. ''The media treat her like she's Will Smith or Tom Cruise, like she's some big star, but she simply isn't.''

If Lohan wanted to blame somebody other than herself, she wouldn't have to look far. There's her mother, who seems to want to be a best friend rather than a parent. There's her ex-con father. There's the L.A. bar scene that serves underage stars and Hollywood's compulsion to turn child actors into products, plus a frenzied 21st-century media culture that has made Lohan and other celebs into exotic prey in flashbulb cages. ''It's ridiculous how different things are than they were 10 years ago,'' says Robert Downey Jr., who declined to speak about Lohan specifically, but waged his own public battle with addiction. ''Nowadays, the leap from instant stardom to instant bad boy or girl is so quick. It's a real challenge to reconcile your own process of becoming an adult with the temptation of celebrity.''

Lohan's young, but to say she's a victim of the blogarazzi misses the point. She was, after all, created by that very same culture. And she didn't exactly object. Without all the tabloid covers and red carpets and cell-phone photos and mug shots, Lohan would not be a household name; she would simply be a talented ingenue with a substance-abuse problem, a messed-up family, and a mediocre box office record. Harsh? Maybe so, but that's the cold calculus of Hollywood. ''Her troubles are what made her famous,'' says one studio exec. ''Her films don't open. She's a pain to work with. I think she's done.'' Others go so far as to worry that career death may be the least of Lohan's concerns. Says another exec: ''I think she has to stay alive.''

The industry also views her recent stint at Promises in Malibu with skepticism. The celeb-friendly rehab has a reputation, deserved or not, for being indulgent. ''It's so luxurious and the celebrities are so coddled, it's like a four-star hotel,'' says an industry source who knows one person who has sought treatment there twice. Kathy Griffin makes a joke about it in her stand-up act, calling it ''total fake bulls--- celebrity rehab.'' But Ken Seeley, who conducts interventions on addicts for the A&E series Intervention, says Lohan's relapse represents her own failure, not the facility's. ''She had some of the best doctors in the world,'' he says. ''I know a lot of people in the sober community who went through Promises.'' The problem, he says, is that Lohan has not taken responsibility for her actions. ''I predict it's only going to get worse,'' he adds. ''There's a pattern to the disease of addiction, and she's just following the pattern. The only thing that's going to save her is when she hits rock bottom.''

The light on the horizon is that if Lohan does recover, she has a chance at resurrection. ''Is she hireable again?'' asks the studio head. ''I can't imagine under what circumstances, but I never say never. Lots of people have second acts.'' Lohan's may come from a very unlikely source. James Robinson, the producer of Georgia Rule, famously wrote her a letter scolding her for her lack of professionalism on the set. Now, he says, he would hire her again ''in a heartbeat.'' ''She's a good person who's making some bad choices. She needs time to get the proper medical care, [but] when she's in the right emotional state, I'd put her in a movie right away.... She's probably one of the most talented young women in the movie business today.'' Or was. What happens next is up to her. (Additional reporting by Nisha Gopalan, Shirley Halperin, and Nicole Sperling)

Film exec on Lohan: ''I think she's done'' | Lindsay Lohan | Movie News | Movies | Entertainment Weekly | 2

[Born In A Brothel]

*trying to find sympathy*

[Fabularosa]

^ *failing*

[Rianam]

I kinda do feel badly for her. She is a talented kid with fucked up parents who gave her zero guidance when she needed it most.

[Sweetie]

Did we really need the exec's to tell us this? I think common sense would pretty much lead you to this conclusion.

[RandomlyCrazy]

She's had five flops in a row. Who would hire someone with that record?

[Laurent]

If Blowhan ever gets a second chance, it probably won't be anytime soon. It'll probably be years down the line when the novelty of a "comeback" will make everyone more forgiving.

[pacific breeze]

As long as she makes money for the suits, she'll continue to have a movie career. Just because films don't do well at the North American box office doesn't mean they don't make money in rentals and overseas. Now that that's in jeopardy, so is her film career. She could still do well overseas and on TV if she cleans up her act. I'd say her career is far from over. She's still young.

[litupgirl]

She can't blame her parents. I'm sorry but that's a cop out. We each make our own destiny. It's her damn fault and hers alone.

[curlysem]

Originally Posted by litupgirl

She can't blame her parents. I'm sorry but that's a cop out. We each make our own destiny. It's her damn fault and hers alone.

i agree with you. she's a all grown up and she knows what's right and wrong. she's not a kid.

[mamaste]

Originally Posted by RandomlyCrazy

She's had five flops in a row. Who would hire someone with that record?

True that. If she was bringing in a billion per picture, they'd still hire her ass -- drugs or no drugs.

[Bellatheball]

Tom Cruise is still considered a major movie star. Funny, that isn't the first thing most of us think of when we hear his name.

Linds may not have had a great family or great guidance but she did have great opportunity. I find it really hard to feel badly for someone who pi$ses that away.

[TheFarSide]

[Mel1973]

Originally Posted by pacific breeze

As long as she makes money for the suits, she'll continue to have a movie career. Just because films don't do well at the North American box office doesn't mean they don't make money in rentals and overseas. Now that that's in jeopardy, so is her film career. She could still do well overseas and on TV if she cleans up her act. I'd say her career is far from over. She's still young.

*sniggers* Yeah, Tori Spelling better watch her skanky ass over at Lifetime. They's fixing to be a new kid on the block....

[lavi]

Originally Posted by pacific breeze

As long as she makes money for the suits, she'll continue to have a movie career. Just because films don't do well at the North American box office doesn't mean they don't make money in rentals and overseas. Now that that's in jeopardy, so is her film career. She could still do well overseas and on TV if she cleans up her act. I'd say her career is far from over. She's still young.

I don't like her but I agree with you. As long as she's making some type of money. Even if it's very little money. Plus getting this much attention and press. There will always been somebody willing to take a shot. Even if it's some independent film looking to get a big name for some press.

Think about it. Even if she gets drunk and drops kicks her co-star on set. At least people will be talking about the movie