Adam Fogelson | No 28

Studio executive: Chairman of Universal Pictures Adam Fogelson, 42, was appointed head of Universal Studios' worldwide motion picture group in 2009, after expensive flops such as Land of the Lost scuppered the previous regime. A week later, as one of our observant panel members pointed out, they had a big hit with the not-especially-brilliant Couples Retreat . A good omen? Universal is still running sixth out of six in the major studios' mini-competition, with Despicable Me being its biggest film so far this year; Ridley Scott's Robin Hood has also performed strongly. Universal is short, however, on major hits: films such as The Green Zone and Scott Pilgrim Vs the World have earned critical kudos, but that doesn't necessarily translate into box-office receipts. Its big Christmas hope is Little Fockers , the third Meet the Parents film; next summer's putative biggie is Cowboys and Aliens , with Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford. You get the impression that Universal's reliance on classy names and (relatively) sophisticated subject matter may make for impressive films, but also make it a struggle to rise up the money charts. Fogelson has his work cut out for him.