It is always hard to detect change when it’s in mid-stream, but given that sales of everything are off, I think the article’s author may have missed the mark. This is not so much a reflection of fading star power as of consumers that don’t have the spare $40 to spend on tickets and treats for 2 week after week.
The industry may help itself by doing what everyone else is doing, and slowing down production. Of course, they have schedules that were set long before the meltdown, so have little choice but to move foreword. The business model for the production houses probably depend primarily several films being produced concurrently, as well as hopes for the occasional big seller or block buster, which is a fairly rare gem in a down economy.