Elle Fanning Wasn't Cool Enough To Hang With This Movie Franchise

Elle Fanning revealed that she missed something “big”because her social media following wasn’t up to par.

There is no question about the actress getting a lot of work, but there was a time when she wasn’t cool enough to get a significant role in a franchise film series. Out of respect for the film, she didn’t name it, but she did tell Josh Horowitz on his “Happy Sad Confused” podcast that it was an odd situation.

“I didn’t get a part once for something big because – it might not have just been this reason, but this was the feedback that I heard – was because I didn’t have enough Instagram followers at the time.”

Now, Fanning has 6.2 million followers. That is a dramatic 3.6 million more than her older sister Dakota Fanning who paved the way for her younger sister to work in the industry. The weird choice confused Fanning.

“That’s something I firmly don’t believe in, for not getting a part.”

Currently, The Great Star is in a position where she doesn’t have to push for social media followers. “I don’t feel that way. I don’t,” she said. “It does something for people, you know, but you also don’t know if they’re gonna work sometimes, which is also scary,” reveals the actress.

Fanning is happy not to feel that pressure and is okay with not getting roles in films like Marvel, Star Wars, Or DC franchises. Of course, it “does something” for people’s careers, but that isn’t for everyone.

She elaborated that she did try to get into big franchises, as many actors do. “I did try out for…I’m not going to say what it was, but I didn’t get a part once for something big because – it might not have just been this reason, but this was the feedback that I heard – was because I didn’t have enough Instagram followers at the time.”

She understood that her not getting the role was part of a more significant thing. “So that was a little like…I firmly don’t believe in not getting a part [for that]. It was for a bigger thing, a franchise thing.”

Fanning stars in The Great with Hoult, and he too has had problems securing franchises, but his reason isn’t because of followers. Hoult has been in Marvel’s X-Men franchise for some time but admits it could have been more.

He was up for the roles in Top Gun: Maverick and The Batman, where Hoult lost the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman to fellow Brit Robert Pattinson.

Elle Joked that she had it much easier than Hoult, it seemed. “I didn’t have to go through what Nick did…they made him try the [Batman] suit. It would be best if you had a balance. If you want to do your indie work, especially in producing now…[having a big franchise] does make you breathe better.”

Hoult does say, never say, never. “I would never say no to those things, but I would have to meet and talk to see what it is.”