This has 100% to do with pre-sales, at least in indie film. There are lists of actors in separate tiers (A, B, C, etc) related to “value.” It’s not the value of their work, but rather what $$ value can they garner in Latin America sales or Asia sales or France or Germany, etc. You would be very surprised who is and isn’t on these lists.
So, your film financing is “cast contingent,” like Rogan references. Not enough people from these lists, and no “green light.” Because few new stars are made now, this list gets smaller every year. And the reason fewer new stars are made very year is because we have to cast from this list primarily, disallowing us from breaking in new stars, or even reviving established ones.
ALSO, every indie film is using some version of this list. So, just a few actors are getting offered everything. The actors can’t do more than one at once, so a lot of films get stuck in “casting mode” for a long time. With a limited casting pool, fewer films (that actually have financing firms behind them already) are getting made at all.
It’s a bummer. For you and for us.
Interesting quote/view point from Seth Rogan about how risk adverse studios are in Hollywood today. And how they are particularly hung up on casting but not in a good way.
From his June 13 ‘26 interview in the NYT. Good read.