Will Smith

Will Smith was voted 2008 top money making movie star by US theatre owners.

According to a survey of American movie exhibitors,Will Smith, star of Hancock and Seven Pounds, was voted the star who generated the most box office revenue for theatres in an annual survey by Quigley Publishing Co.

Will Smith is only the second black actor to be chosen in the Quigley poll, which since 1932 has asked movie exhibitors to vote on the 10 stars who brought in the most business. Sidney Poitier topped the poll in 1968.

Will Smith's superhero summer blockbuster, Hancock, grossed $US228 million ($320.13 million).

Seven Pounds, which opens in Australia on January 8, has pulled in a somewhat lacklustre $US39 million ($54.76 million) in two weeks.

Following Will Smith, in order, were Robert Downey Jr (Iron Man, Tropic Thunder), Christian Bale (The Dark Knight), Shia LaBeouf (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) and LaBeouf's Indiana Jones co-star Harrison Ford.

The top 10 were rounded out by Adam Sandler, Reese Witherspoon, George Clooney, Angelina Jolie and Daniel Craig.

Last year's winner, Johnny Depp, who didn't have a film released this year, didn't make this year's poll, nor did seven-time winner Tom Cruise.

Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada) was voted the top "star of tomorrow" along with Chris Pine of Bottle Shock.