In 1994, all top 10 films at the box office used a narrator in their trailers. However, this trend started to decline after that, dropping to nine and then hovering around six to seven for the next few years. The peak of the voice-over artist in the movie trailer industry was arguably in 1994, and it was also the last time that all top 10 films at the box office used a narrator in their trailers.
The decline in movie trailer narration can be attributed to the changing landscape of movie marketing and the rise of built-in fan bases for movies. With the success of massive series like Harry Potter and comic book adaptations like Iron Man, audiences are already familiar with the characters, and a narrator isn't necessary to communicate details about the film.
Additionally, the shift in marketing tactics towards social media and the internet has also contributed to the decline of movie trailer narration. Trailers are now viewed tons of times and are available all over social media, making the need for a voiceover less necessary.
The death of Don Lafontaine, known as the "King" of movie trailer narrators, in 2008 also had a significant impact on the industry. Lafontaine had a huge monopoly on the industry and was the single busiest actor in the history of the Screen Actors Guild. Without their go-to guy, Hollywood executives didn't have trailer narrations, and the industry slumped.
Modern trailers now rely on dialogue from the film or new scripts read by the actors, which can hit all the same points as a voiceover. The industry was on the edge in 2008, and Lafontaine's death pushed it over the edge into the unknown.
While some may think that the movie trailer as we know it is going to disappear and get replaced with shorter forms like social media clips, there is still a huge audience for traditional trailers. New trailers set records all the time with views, and the industry might be on the cusp of another innovation.
The progression of trailer narration has advanced from title cards to long transatlantic explanations to Lafontaine's drama to actor dialogue. The industry was on the edge in 2008, and Lafontaine's death pushed it over the edge into the unknown. However, the traditional trailer format might still linger a bit more, and there is still a huge audience for it. The future of movie trailer narration is uncertain, but it will be interesting to see how it evolves in the coming years.