About
Sarah Thomas is Senior Lecturer in Communication and Media at the University of Liverpool. Sarah’s research examines stardom and screen performance, and she is currently exploring use of celebrity identity in immersive and synthetic media. This research examines the intersections between celebrity and advanced digital technologies that produce new modes of digital identity, and the asset value and cultural power of this interactive virtual stardom. This sits alongside other work on the franchising of Hollywood entertainment. She is author of the books Peter Lorre – Face Maker: Constructing Stardom in Hollywood and Europe (Berghahn 2012) and James Mason (BFI Bloomsbury 2018). She has also published journal articles and book chapters, including ‘Keanu Reeves, John Wick, and the myths and tensions between star brands and franchise properties’ (Celebrity Studies 2022), ‘A Match Made in Heaven (or Hell)’: Franchise Experiments Between the Horror Film Genre and Virtual Reality Media (2014-2020)’ in McKenna and Proctor (eds.) Horror Franchise Cinema (Routledge 2021) and ‘The Star in VR’ (Celebrity Studies 2019).