The success of the Narnia, Harry Potter and Star Wars movies show a unknown cast can still clean up at the the box office.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Revenge of the Sith all made more money last year than any star-led movie.
War Of The Worlds, starring Tom Cruise, was fourth on the list of top-grossing films, taking £322million at the box office.
But £55million of that went to its star in salary and bonus payments.
Third-placed Narnia, made £402million, with no high-earning actors swiping a slice of the profits.
Record film writer Alan Morrison said the trend for films based on already popular books or comics eliminated the need for a star cast.
He explained: “The brands of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Narnia are bigger than the name of any star that could be in the films.
“So the studios know they can cast a bunch of unknowns and millions of people will go to see it anyway.”
