Another summer, another batch of new superheroes and action stars hit the big screen, and another wave of potential new movie stars in their wake.
From TV actors making the leap to the big screen, to indie actors starring in their first big movies to newcomers eyeing their first big break, the summer moviegoing season is chock full of future Oscar winners and A-listers.
Some of these faces have been around, like “Homeland” star Rupert Friend headlining his first action franchise, some are brand new, like Sundance breakout Shameik Moore in “Dope,” but all of them are headlining or starring in projects that could take them to the next level.
It can be easy to get lost amongst the explosions, car chases and wreckage of the most expensive movie season, so TheWrap curated a list of nine actors poised to have a very, very good summer.
BRITT ROBERTSON
How she’ll spend her summer: Traveling to Disney’s “Tomorrowland” with George Clooney in Brad Bird‘s highly anticipated sci-fi epic family film (May 22).
Upcoming: She’s currently shooting a DJ drama with Wes Bentley and Zac Efron called “We Are Your Friends.”
Why she’s about to break through: She’s proven herself on the small screen on shows like “Life Unexpected” and “Under the Dome,” but landing the female lead in a major Disney tentpole picture opposite George Clooney should elevate her to another level entirely: Movie stardom.
JASON MITCHELL
How he’ll spend his summer: Playing founding rap group N.W.A. member Eazy-E, alongside younger versions of Ice Cube (O’Shea Jackson, Jr) and Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins) in “Straight Outta Compton” (August 13).
Upcoming: He’s also filmed a role in indie love story “Vincent-N-Roxxy” opposite Emile Hirsch and Zoe Kravitz.
Why he’s about to break through: Any of the young stars in “Straight Outta Compton” could end up breaking through, but we are banking on Mitchell, who is taking on perhaps the most challenging role of the late rapper, who died a month after begin diagnosed with AIDS in 1995.
ALEXANDRA DADDARIO
How she’ll spend her summer: Trying to survive a monster earthquake and await rescue from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in “San Andreas” (May 29).
Upcoming: She’s one of the stars of the next Nicholas Sparks adaptation, “The Choice,” out in 2016.
Why he’s about to break through: She turned heads on HBO’s “True Detective,” so naturally the next step is to see how she does leading a movie. Playing opposite The Rock in a potential action franchise launcher isn’t a bad start.
NAT WOLFF
How he’ll spend his summer: Pining after Cara Delevinge while making teen girls swoon as the star of the next John Green adaptation, “Paper Towns” (July 24).
Upcoming: He’s part of the all-star cast of James Franco’s next film, “In Dubious Battle.”
Why he’s about to break through: Look at what “The Fault in Our Stars” did for Ansel Elgort. Wolff is graduating from playing the best friend to the leading man, and quite rightly, as he stole his share of scenes in that John Green tearjerker.
AMY SCHUMER
How she’ll spend her summer: Facing her commitment phobia when she meets and falls for the subject of a news article she is writing in “Trainwreck” (July 17).
Upcoming: She’ll still be writing and producing her sketch comedy show, “Inside Amy Schumer,” and wrapping her corresponding “Back Door” tour.
Why she’s about to break through: It’s her first movie coming off a big few months. She just hosted the MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles where she received praise (and backlash), as all popular comedians do, and her recently released parody, “Milk Milk Lemonade” for her comedy show has almost one million views on YouTube.
RUPERT FRIEND
How he’ll spend his summer: Being a badass in action flick, “Hitman: Agent 47,” as the head of a team helping a woman discover the mysteries of her ancestry.
Upcoming: Friend is going to be busy directing, writing, and starring alongside Emily Blunt in “Barton & Charlie.” He’s also continuing to play Quinn on Showtime’s “Homeland” opposite Claire Danes.
Why he’s about to break through: He’s already starred in a variety of different movies such as “Pride & Prejudice” and “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas,” but being the lead in an action movie at the height of the summer movie season should take him to a whole new level.
CARA DELEVIGNE
How she’ll spend her summer: Being the girl who loves mysteries but eventually becomes one as she goes missing unexpectedly in “Paper Towns” (July 24).
Upcoming: She has a role in Joe Wright’s “Pan” as a mermaid in Neverland, and will star as the Enchantress in the 2016 superhero flick “Suicide Squad.”
Why she’s about to break through: She’s already one of the most well-known models in the fashion industry, but “Paper Towns” is based on John Green’s same titled novel and is bound to get a lot of hype following “The Fault in our Stars.”
SHAMEIK MOORE
How he’ll spend his summer: Spending his senior year juggling college applications and the SAT test with underground parties in the upcoming flick, “Dope,” produced by Forest Whitaker.
Upcoming: Moore will start filming for the upcoming TV show, “The Get Down,” set to air in 2016. The show follows a group of teenagers living in the South Bronx in the ‘70s while the hip-hop scene is just starting to form.
Why he’s about to break through: This is Moore’s first lead role and “Dope” was one of the biggest buys at Sundance Film Festival, where he and cast joined TheWrap to talk about the breakout film. Moore himself was considered a hot commodity when ICM Partners acquired him shortly after the movie played for the first time.
STEFANIE SCOTT
How she’ll spend her summer: Being haunted by a supernatural entity in Blumhouse horror prequel “Insidious: Chapter 3” (Jun 5).
Upcoming: Scott will star in the upcoming movies, “Jem and the Holograms,” “Ellie” and “Caught,” which are all being released in and around the same time.
Why she’s about to break through: With Scott starring in four movies that are being released consecutively, she’s going to be on everyone’s radar. The blonde beauty has also been attending various red carpet events and award shows, and is already well established, having won her first Young Artist award in 2011 when she was just 14.
Read more of TheWrap’s Summer Movie Preview 2015:
9 Summer Movie Burning Questions: Can Marvel, Disney Survive Success? Where Are the Black Movies? Is ‘Terminator’ a Crazy Gamble?
