Anton Yelchin, in love with acting

Anton Yelchin in V Man magazine - Summer 2009.
Source: community.livejournal.com

Anton Yelchin in "Alpha Dog".Anton Yelchin with Kat Dennings in "Charlie Bartlett".

The next big male star

Emile Hirsch (23)
"his star rose quickly in 2007 when Sean Penn cast him in Into the Wild and it was on Hirsch's shoulders to carry the majority of the film in-between fantastic supporting roles by Hal Holbrook and Catherine Keener. His ability to "act" was proven. However, if you want to be a big star you need to put asses in the seats. This is where Hirsch's star drops slightly as his first major box-office bid was Speed Racer and it failed miserably. Hirsch is still young and he has a supporting role in the upcoming Oscar candy Milk and I would say his potential remains undecided, but he wouldn't be my first pick for "Next Big Thing".Joseph Gordon-Levitt (27)
"Remember this kid when he was playing Tommy on "3rd Rock from the Sun"? Well, he is slowly building himself a little filmography and is starting to gain some attention. People liked him in Brick and The Lookout. He had a small role in Spike Lee's The Miracle at St. Anna and he will next be seen in Killshot and, of course, the biggie, G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra in which he plays the Cobra Commander. He has proven he has acting chops, they aren't exactly Oscar caliber as of yet, but he is getting there and the G.I. Joe flick really could up his profile as villains are always remembered above the heroes. Will he be able to pull a Heath Ledger type performance out of his hat or is that way too much to expect?
James Franco (30)
At 30-years-old I almost didn't add Franco to the list, but in the 2008 he has transformed himself from being known for his awful role as Harry Osborn in the Spider-Man films to a funny-man and he will be joining Sean Penn as well as Emile Hirsch in Milk. Franco plays Scott Smith, Harvey Milk's lover and partner in a camera shop business. Franco is setting out to prove he can make folks laugh as well as tackle serious drama, a complete reinvention if you ask me and he is already gaining some minor Oscar buzz. 30-years-old may seem old, but George Clooney was 33 when he sky-rocketed to stardom with "ER" in 1994 so I think there is still a chance for Franco.Shia LaBeouf (22)
"I've already discussed Shia at some length in my intro, but I think we can all agree his ability to attract Oscar caliber films is yet to be proven. Personally I am a big fan of LaBeouf. I think he can deliver dialogue with the best of them and I have yet to see him in a role I didn't think he was decent in. Sure, swinging with the monkeys in Indy 4 was silly, but I am not going to judge his acting in a film that itself didn't deserve to be made. Shia has managed to make the films people go and see, but it is still up in the air as to whether he is attracting the attention or just the films he is in".Anton Yelchin (19)
"I talked ill of Alpha Dog already, but one positive thing that came out of Alpha Dog was Anton Yelchin. Yelchin surprised the hell out of me as he and Justin Timberlake actually made Alpha Dog worth watching and unfortunately I missed Charlie Bartlett as Columbia Pictures basically pushed it under the rug Yelchin has a few major films up and coming. He will star as Sulu in Star Trek and as Kyle Reese in Terminator Salvation. Sure he won't be carrying either picture, but it is certain to bring him some attention and after Alpha Dog I already know the kid can act, it now remains to be seen if he can capture the attention of audiences".James McAvoy (29)
"James McAvoy doesn't come off as a major movie star. I have always thought of him as that guy in the smaller film I liked. However, he has recently proved to be something of a powerhouse in a pair of smaller flicks as well as a 2008 blockbuster. McAvoy, I felt, was robbed when it came to The Last King of Scotland as all the attention went to Forest Whitaker even though McAvoy carried the entire film. He was also fantastic opposite Keira Knightley in Atonement. The boy can act, no denying".
Jake Gyllenhaal (27)
"Jake G starred in the wildly popular cult classic Donnie Darko was nominated for an Oscar for Brokeback Mountain and is now set to topline Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time for a summer 2010 release. People know who he is, he's already earned some Oscar attention and he has a major blockbuster on the way. Sounds like he is testing the boundaries of stardom, but I can't help but wonder if audiences will bite".
Michael Cera (20)
"If there is one thing going against Michael Cera it is that he seems to play the exact same person in every single movie. He is certainly funny in all of his films, including the upcoming Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, but to say he is playing a character that is any different from his role on "Arrested Development", in Juno or even in Superbad is really going to hurt Cera unless he can break the cycle. Actors don't get too much time to be on top and Cera needs a role that will get him out of that timid, yet lovable, every man. Of course, maybe he doesn't want to be a star, as he certainly makes clear in a recent New York Times interview when he said, 'I don't really want to be famous, and I'm kind of scared that might be happening'.

Other actors I considered included Ryan Gosling, Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Hayden Christensen, Jay Baruchel, Ben Barnes, Michael Pitt, Jay Hernandez, Josh Hutcherson, Robert Pattinson, Zac Ephron, Rupert Grint and Kal Penn.
Source: www.ropeofsilicon.com

Candidates for the next Spiderman

"Peter Parker is going back to high school when the next Spider-Man hits theaters in the summer of 2012.

Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios announced today they are moving forward with a film based on a script by James Vanderbilt that focuses on a teenager dealing with both contemporary human problems and amazing super-human crises. Kirsten Dunst, director Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire.

“Working on the Spider-Man movies was the experience of a lifetime for me. While we were looking forward to doing a fourth one together, the studio and Marvel have a unique opportunity to take the franchise in a new direction, and I know they will do a terrific job,” said Sam Raimi."I am so proud of what we accomplished with the Spider-Man franchise over the last decade", Maguire said in a statement.
"Beyond the films themselves, I have formed some deep and lasting friendships. I am excited to see the next chapter unfold in this incredible story." Source: news.bbc.co.uk

I'm sorry for Tobey Maguire, who certainly worked his butt off as Spider-Man, but he's benefited enormously from his starring role in the mega-franchise, and I suspect he'll be just fine in a post-"Spider-Man" world. The real question now is who they hire to direct and who's going to be suiting up as the Webhead this time around.
Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal at 'Brothers' Q&A At The Arclight Theater on 3rd December, 2009, in Los Angeles.

Sony Pictures played contractual games with Maguire and floated having other actors such as Jake Gyllenhaal take over the role of Peter Parker, but in the end Maguire always returned. Now, the studio plans on returning Parker and Spidey to his teenage years which means the 29-year-old Gyllenhaal is most likely too old to play the part. However, Sony is going to want some sort of name to relaunch Marvel's biggest super hero whether he's an indie up and comer or a supporting studio player ready to break out.

HitFix's top candidates to become the new big screen Web-slinger:
Anton Yelchin
Birthdate: March 11, 1989 - 20
Best Known For: Playing Checkov in "Star Trek."
Qualifications: Has the dorky thing down, age appropriate, skinny and great acting chops.
We Say: Go for it. Iron out that naturally curly hair and Yelchin could be a Peter Parker for a different generation. Just like the "Star Trek" cast reinvented some classic characters, Yelchin could do the same for Parker. Anton Yelchin. He's been groomed for stardom the last few years, and in 2009, he was in both the "Terminator" and "Star Trek" reboots. He's the right age, he's great in a room, he's a real actor, and he's got charm to spare.Taylor Lautner
Birthdate: Feb. 11, 1992 - 17
Best Known For: "The Twilight Saga", heard of it?Qualifications: Pretty much a superstar after two movies, huge fanbase, young enough to play the role for years, has made karate/fighting skills and when not bulked up actually has the Peter Parker skinny frame.
We Say: It's hard to imagine this happening because the core fanbase would be outraged to have a "Twilight" fixture as Spider-Man, but we guarantee Sony and even Marvel are considering it. (Assuming of course shooting doesn't conflict with "Breaking Dawn.")James McAvoy
Birthdate: April 21, 1979 - 30
Best Known For: Gunplay with Angelina Jolie in "Wanted" and the Oscar-nominated "Atonement."Qualifications: Fantastic actor, huge onscreen charisma, has action flick experience and looks way younger than his years.
We Say: It would certainly take Parker in more of a New York City Scottish/Irish direction, but with the movie going in a "teenage" direction he's just too old. No matter how young he looks.Jesse Eisenberg
Birthdate: Oct. 5, 1983 - 26
Best Known For: "Zombieland"
Qualifications: Growing recognition coming off "Zombieland" and "Adventureland" definitely had the nerdy/dorky/"I don't know how to talk to girls" thing down and is a Queens native to boot. We Say: In theory, Eisenberg would be high on Sony's list, but he might be a little too "Michael Cera"-esque to really pull Parker off. Spider-Man's wisecracks are usually handed out with a lot more confidence than Eisenberg's signature style. He might be a mistake.
Shia LaBeouf
Birthdate: June 11, 1986 - 23
Best Known For: Hanging out with Autobots in "Transformers" and as the young buck in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."
Qualifications: Star power, substantial fan base, on screen charisma, quick wit, won't back down from anybody, franchise experience, Spielberg stamp of approval and can still probably pass for a teenager.We Say: Sony and Marvel would be interested, but we bet LaBeouf would probably say no even if he could do it. He's already committed to "Transformers 3" and that could lead to huge schedule conflicts considering both films are now set for 2012 releases. If there was or is still a way to make it work? Don't discount the possibility. Patrick Fugit
Birthdate: Oct. 27, 1982 - 27
Best Known For: "Almost Famous"Qualifications: Looks younger than his years, has the dorky thing down and resembles Maguire significantly more than some other candidates.
We Say: Rumored to be considered to replace Maguire before the actor eventually committed to "Spider-Man 4", Fugit seems like he'd be a last ditch and -- to say it bluntly -- economical choice as the next Peter Parker". Souce: www.hitfix.com

MICHAEL WELCH
This young "Twilight" actor has a boyish enough face to pass for Parker at the right age, just so long as he can deliver with the character's awkward mannerisms. Since he's already been in two "Twilight" installments and a Star Trek film ("Insurrection"), he's probably well-adjusted to starring in front of geek fandom.JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT
It might be strange seeing the same actor who once played Cobra Commander take on Marvel's webslinger, but his name was once floated as a possible Tobey Maguire successor if Maguire walked. This is another case where an older cast might need to be installed around him to make him look young, but he definitely has the nerdy demeanor to do the character. Source: splashpage.mtv.com
"Robert Pattinson Age: 23 Why our Spidey sense is tingling: Okay, he’s British, pasty, and he’s got a pretty busy schedule, what with all these Twilight movies you may have heard about. But if I were a Sony bean counter, I’d be stuffing the ballot box for this guy. After all, this could be the ultimate parasite blockbuster. Think about it: First, you cast Kristen Stewart as Mary Jane Watson, then you cast Taylor Lautner as Harry Osborn (i.e., James Franco’s role), then boom!…just sit back and watch the greenbacks pile up. If I ran Sony and wanted to retire to a private island, this would be my choice". Source: popwatch.ew.com

Angarano, Yelchin and Hirsch

Kate Beckinsale with Michael Angarano in "Snow Angels" (2007).Michael Angarano with Mike White ("The Good Girl" producer).Michael Angarano taking a walk with Nikki Reed.
Kristen Stewart with Michael Angarano when they still dated.Michael Angarano and Evan Rachel Wood in "Little Secrets" (2001).
Kristen Stewart with Michael in "Speak" (2004).Michael Angarano and Olivia Thirlby in "Snow Angels" (2007).Michael Angarano played Sid in "Lords of Dogtown" (2005).
Michael Angarano with Heath Ledger (both worked together in "Lords of Dogtown").

Michael Angarano in Nylon magazine.

From Jared Hess, the director of Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre comes Gentlemen Broncos! Benjamin (Michael Angarano), home-schooled by his eccentric mother (Jennifer Coolidge), is a loveable loner whose passion for writing leads him on an offbeat and hilarious journey as his story first gets ripped off by the legendary fantasy novelist, Ronald Chevalier (Jemaine Clement) and then is adapted into a disastrous movie by the small towns most prolific homespun filmmaker.

Anton Yelchin with Michael Angarano in Elle magazine photoshoot. Anton wears a leather jacket by Diesel and Vintage T-shirt, from Scout, L.A. Michael wears a Vintage V-neck from What Comes Around Goes Around, NYC.Anton Yelchin in a photoshoot that reminds me of the film "Into the Wild" (2007) directed by Sean Penn and starred by Emile Hirsch playing Christopher McCandless: