On the Vanity Fair "Hollywood" Cover
Thursday, January 26, 2017 at 12:30PM One of the greatest awards seasons traditions is upon us the Vanity Fair "Hollywood" Issue. Last year we had a superstar cover and the year before that a mix of rising stars both male and female but VF likes to alter the mix each year and so we're back to where they began this tradition 22 years ago with a group of youngish female stars of the now. The covergirls this year are: Emma Stone, Lupita Nyong'o, Amy Adams, Natalie Portman, Ruth Negga, Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning, Aja Naomi King, Dakota Johnson, Greta Gerwig, and Janelle Monáe.
Let's take a closer look after the jump...
Average Age: 30½
Oldest to Youngest: Adams (42), Negga (35), Portman (35), Nyong'o (33), Gerwig (33), King (32), Monáe (31), Stone (28), Johnson (27), Dakota Fanning (22), Elle Fanning (18)
Most Obviously Missing: This might've been a good place to include any of the Certain Women: Stewart, Gladstone, or Williams. Or do a little foreign outreach for Kim Min Hee. Any other ideas?
Cumulative Oscar Tally: 12 nominations and 2 wins -- Amy Adams provides nearly half of the nomination count but doesn't help with the win total. Does she win one in the next couple of years or wait for an honorary in 2057?
Not Virgins: Portman (1998), Adams (2008, 2015), Stone (2013), and Nyong'o (2014) have been on the "Hollywood" cover before.
EMMA STONE, LUPITA NYONGO, AMY ADAMS, and NATALIE PORTMAN
Love the color scheme of this cover, so earthy but glamorous. And a little solemn because that's how the world is right now. Bonus points for putting Emma in a color she doesn't wear much in La La Land.
One day future Natalie or Nat Jr. will point to this and say "I was on the Vanity Fair cover as a fetus!"
Lupita Nyong'o continues to be one of the most talented and most beautiful and most media friendly early 30something actresses that never gets any work. STILL. Insanity. She has only one upcoming film on her schedule (Black Panther) after another Star Wars cameo.
RUTH NEGGA AND THE FANNINGS
Negga looks absolutely smashing in dark gold / bronze. But then what doesn't she look awesome in?
It's kind of nice to see Dakota Fanning pop up again, isn't it? Her career has been so quiet of late with no successful films in ages. Next up is the title role in Viena and the Fantomes (from the director of Mexico's critical darling Miss Bala), the lead role in Please Stand By... from Ben Lewis (who directed Helen Hunt to an Oscar nomination for The Sessions), Kirsten Dunst's adaption of The Bell Jar (2018), and the ensemble of Ocean's Eight (2018). Maybe she'll catch back up with her little sister who's really risen in the past few years
DAKOTA JOHNSON, AJA NAOMI KING, GRETA GERWIG, and JANELLE MONAE
Dakota & Aja need to have words with the stylist because they're the ones that got stuck with unflattering gowns. It's true that Monáe is wearing something that Joan Collins would have worn on Dynasty (minus the transparency) but it kind of works because she is one electric lady. Do you think Aja made the cover because they planned it before Birth of a Nation flopped or is she on here because of TV fame via How to Get Away With Murder?
Dakota's mom Melanie Griffith was never on one of these covers but only because they didn't exist before 1995. That's right after Melanie went out of fashion in Hollywood. But you can bet she would have been in the lineup if they'd been around in the late 80s. Do you ever fantasize about what Hollywood Issue covers would have been like from past decades? I only ask because I do. Which stars would have hogged the cover? Which faces would modern audiences look at and be all "who dat?"
Someone please tell me that Greta and Janelle danced together during the shoot because they can both move.
Do you like this cover? If you could switch things up who would be present and would you leave it as is for front cover, and gatefold?
Reader Comments (41)
Why does everyone look so exhausted? Like this was the last shot of a 10 hour day.
Lol @ Lupita wearing Nicole's GG Alexander McQueen. Also I love Lupita dearly but I would put Ruth there instead of her. Lupita really had a soft year so it's a bit of a push to have her on the front and not have it reek of "see, look, diversity!"
This is my favorite Hollywood cover in ages, despite the fact that a) no women over 45, b) no legends, c) no hot guys. Why? Look at all that fierceness! Lupita, Ruth, Janelle, ANK, two Fannings, plus four actresses I don't hate and one whose work I look forward to appreciating. I don't think there's a single person on here who we will be embarrassed about a few years down the road.
I don't hate it, but the lighting is off (kind of dingy) and they do all look kind of tired. I wonder if Amy is flipping off the Academy behind her back. JANELLE MONAE is the breakout movie star from 2016, so I would have put her on the front.
The placement of these are always off and are usually just a publicist's pissing contest.
Janelle's inclusion is pretty fab and inspired. I hope this whole acting thing continues to be a surprising new path for her and not just a blip on her way to her next album. Or whatever, I just want more of her in the world.
I didn't recognize Dakota Fanning whatsoever.
Meanwhile, the appeal of the OTHER Dakota continues to allude me. I've seen all her major movies and I think she's a dead fish. Zero charisma even tho A Bigger Splash tried so hard to make her ~mysterious. Industry nepotism is alive and well.
May Ruth Negga's star continue to soar. Ditto Elle Fanning.
It's... fine. I mean they all look very pretty but like Derreck said, it's like they're exhausted.
Plus the backdrop is kinda meh.
Ruth Negga is beautiful, but here they've made her look ROUGH.
3 of these covers for Amy, another HR Roundtable, Walk of Fame. I'll give to her publicists, they earn their keep (even with the missed Oscar nod this year).
Can we please refer to Dakota Fanning and Dakota Johnson as North Dakota and South Dakota?
Let’s see.. If the cover was issued in 1989 and you had 11 actresses to choose form it would look something like this:
Sigourney Weaver, Cher, Winona Ryder and Michelle Pfeiffer in the front
Melanie Griffith, Rebecca De Mornay, Jennifer Grey, in the middle
Sally Kirkland, Julia Roberts, Valeria Golino, Joan Cusack at the end
Why is Amy Adams always on the cover of everything? She's never heard of the term "overexposure," I take it.
Rebecca Hall should be here.
I *live* for VF's Hollywood issue covers, however, this one ain't quite it. Aside from the flashback original, my all-time favorite is still the one from 2001 with its sublime cross-section of actresses, young and old(er), superstar and up-and-coming, foreign and domestic, etc. Why is it that VF (and, I suppose, Hollywood in general) show "diversity" as though it's binary (black and white)? Where are actresses of *other* colors? Besides the ageism, that's what strikes me more and more about these covers.
Annie Leibovitz just manages to suck the life out of even the youngest, and most beautiful. Such a listless photo spread. Vanity Fair needs to switch things up and give us a photographer who still cares, and has some creativity.
Wonderful to see Lupita here - I'm still pissed Queen of Katwe didn't land on more Top 10 lists, because it was great. Very good choices and lovely dresses except for yeah, those two pink eye sores. I guess those are the "be happy we chose you" dresses.
My god they look miserable - compare this to the POW! of last year's and this lot look like this was a 5am photocall the morning after the Golden Globes.
For the Vanity Fair Hollywood issue 1955 with the sexy young female stars that made 1954: Grace Kelly, Dorothy Dandridge, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Doris Day, Marilyn Monroe, Jean Simmons, June Allyson, Eva Marie Saint, Jane Powell and Jean Peters.
I'm not a huge fan - although Negga is emerging as a singular beauty. Amy on the front just twists the knife that she wasn't nominated for my favourite performance of hers. I guess the obvious omission is Naomie Harris (or was she on last year?). I can only think of Jena Malone & Anya Taylor-Joy as other interesting inclusions.
Not a huge fan of the cover I mean
I used to love the Hollywood issues of Vanity Fair as well as the Music issues. They were the only ones I would buy. I loved all the big portfolios with all the different actors and genres. Then after a while, the portfolios shrinked, the Music ones stuck to one genre and then disappeared, and then so did the film portfolio. Now, it's not like it used to be. It doesn't fulfill me as much as it used to.
Still, I enjoy seeing the covers. I just wish they would mix up the genders a bit more and not too many repeats.
Dakota > Elle Fanning
Mary Elizabeth Winstead had quite a year
Ready for the Thelma & Louise reboot starring Greta and Janelle.
Aesthetically, my favorite is still the Legends of Hollywood Vanity Fair cover by Annie Leibovitz in April 2001: Nicole Kidman, Catherine Deneuve, Meryl Streep, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet, Vanessa Redgrave, Chloe Sevigny, Sophia Loren, and Penélope Cruz. That was a great cover and the photograph (even if composite, like all of them) is still iconic.
You'd think they'd want the women to look...pretty?
Naomie Harris should be there.
Did anyone proof read this? Lazy, lazy journalism.
Totally dated.
Most of these are great but lacking that something that makes you more than a good/great Actress,This does not include the wonderful Amy Adams.
Seeing Lupita on the cover reminds me that I'm still surprised she didn't get a Best Supporting Actress push for Queen of Katwe.
Yeah, they probably look exhausted because that's how anyone with some sort of good conscience feels right now in this country.
They probably planned to include Aja when she was still in the supporting actress mix earlier in the year, but I guess also having a hit tv show helps. Idk.
I also am a little perturbed with the placement of women on these each year, and the choices as well. Why Dakota Fanning??? She's been fading in recent years.
Other than that, the choices are pretty inspired/justified, but Janelle Monae should be in the center, not on the end and Idk about Lupita on the cover when the ones around her had bigger years.
Also lol @ whoever complained about Amy Adams and overexposure. I'm not even an Amy fan, but geez give the girl a break. If you were in her position and offered to be on the cover or do a roundtable I doubt you'd turn it down either. If you have a problem, it should be with the people who organize these things, not her.
I also prefer Dakota to Elle. Not sure why Lupita is on the cover they could've put Monae on the cover.
What the hell is Dakota Johnson doing there? I don't think she's a bad actress but just mediocre. What has she done to be in a magazine with these talented women?
who do we think would feature on the male version of the cover this year? i'm guessing:
alden ehrenreich, dev patel, mahershala ali and/or trevante rhodes, lucas hedges, that guy from 'billy lynn..' [before it flopped], ryan gosling, andrew garfield, aaron taylor-johnson, jovan adepo and probably ryan reynolds to be annoying
This just sent me down a rabbit hole of the former Hollywood Issues (What the heck were they thinking in 2013? That is just atrocious!) And I found myself back at your old blogspot site. I would love if you did a series revisiting the Hollywood covers. This year will mark 10 years since you played film historian with the first Hollywood cover. I love the way you broke things down, but it is badly in need of an update. In 2007, the 1995 girls had earned 2 Oscars, now they are up to 5! And the covers from 2006-2011 (which I don't think you've ever written about) really have so much to mull. What has happened to Alice Braga and Garret Hedlund? How did Jessica Biel and Abbie Cornish land on their covers? There was once a time where Jennifer Lawrence had to slum it in the middle section?
I feel like Gina Rodriguez would have been a savvy choice for the cover: she's on a critically-acclaimed series, made her first major film this year, would have been a further nod to diversity, and seems poised for stardom in the next couple of years.
Yeah, I'm disappointed not to see Kristen Stewart on the cover. Would probably boot Dakota Fanning for her. Although, The Runaways connection might have made for a nice chemistry. Also, I'm disappointed that they've gone for a young cover again. Where the hell is Isabelle Huppert?! And I agree with whoever mentioned Gina Rodriguez, my first thought was I would have added her.
Can they pick a worse place to take a bloody picture?
We barely can see Emma lol
This is probably young-centric. So of course Huppert is not here.
But yeah, Kristen Stewart should have been there, replacing Aja.
I think the cover should be from movie actors, but they put Viola Davis last year for HTGAWM.
For what it's worth, it's inspired to put both Fanning sisters on the cover!
Girl, I even want to be more exposed to Amy Adams. Looks gorgeous in everything..
what ladyedith said
even though i like this cover more than most i do think a new photographer would be interesting. like what would they change while still using working with the same basic premise? I'd love to see one of these covers with the stars laughing or something. They're always quite serious.I know it might not sell as well but it'd be cool to have a cover that was all older legends. just for a shocking change of pace. because as it is now they just go back and forth between these 5 modes
all young rising actresses
all young rising actors
mix of young rising actresses and actors
mix of young and older legendary actresses
mix of young and older legendary actors
Another thing I think would be cool is to have a cover that was all Director + Muse. like 6 or 7 pairs or them.
The 1972 version: Liza, Cicely, Diana, Liv, Blythe, Ali, Maggie, Kahn, Keaton, Diahann, Goldie.
I love these covers but the straight on look by Annie is kinda tiring. whatever happened to staging and set decoration. These last four covers have all been so bare.
The last cover I remember thinking was really great had Hathaway and Franco on the cover.
My dream would be to have an actual staged cover like so:
http://artout.ro/reviste/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/image036.jpg
It'll never happen though.
Migs -- i love it.
Paul -- now i want to do them for like every year. or at least every few years.
1990 cover would be julia roberts, demi moore, winona ryder, annette bening, penelope ann miller, meg ryan, melanie griffith, andie macdowell, laura san giacomo, jennifer jason leigh
not a fan of the cover. too black and white. but it's not really vanity fair's fault. it's the lack of material for people of other colors. sad. but it has to start somewhere, right?