'Neither producers nor audiences need stars anymore.' How far do you agree with this statement?

In article one (The Rise and Fall of Star Power) it talks about the amount of films that have been star driven films that haven't been successful. It states that films such as Saw and The Final Destination which are practically star less, however a big hit on the high-concept gore alone.  This proves that the audience are more interested on the genre of the film and the storyline rather then the actors within the film.  Also, this shows the producer that they don't need to splash out a large amount of money on big named stars.   According to this article there are three main reasons for falling star appeal.  One of which is 'celebrity overexposure in the media.'  I agree with this statement because If you see a star in the media you may get a negative opinion of them so therefore not want to see them in a film, however, if the stars that are used aren't well known you are less likely to have an opinion on them, therefore it won't put you off going to see the film that they are starring in. 

Item 2 states that you don't need stars to create a successful film. For example, Avatar is the most successful film of all time but it doesn't include many stars, the popularity of the film is due to the amazing CGI used throughout the film and the acting that takes places within the film.