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
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