9 Breakout Movie Stars of Summer 2015: Navigating the Galaxy From 'Paper Towns' to 'Tomorrowland'

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.

Also Read: 43 Summer Movies On Our Radar: From ‘Avengers,’ ‘Jurassic World’ to ‘Magic Mike XXL’ (Photos)

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.

Also Read: George Clooney Tasks Britt Robertson With Saving ‘Tomorrowland’ in New Trailer (Video)

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.

Also Read: ‘Straight Outta Compton’ Trailer: Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Eazy-E Rap to Reflect Reality (Video)

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.

Also Read: Dwayne Johnson Watches California Crumble in New ‘San Andreas’ Trailer (Video)

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.

Also Read: Cara Delevingne and Nat Wolff Act Like Ninjas in First ‘Paper Towns’ Clip (Video)

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.

Also Read: Judd Apatow’s ‘Trainwreck’ Trailer Released Exclusively on Twitter

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.

Also Read: Claire Danes Bolts CIA as ‘Homeland’ Season 5 Heads to Europe

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.”

Also Read: ‘Paper Towns’ Trailer: First Look at ‘Fault in Our Stars’ Author John Green’s New Adaptation (Video)

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.

Also Read: ‘Dope’ Trailer: First Look at Psychedelic, Genre-Defying Sundance Breakout (Video)

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.

42 Summer Movies on Our Radar: From 'Avengers,' 'Jurassic World' to 'Magic Mike XXL' (Photos)

"Avengers: Age of Ultron" - May 1
The elite superhero team -- including Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans -- assembles again in this follow up to the 2012 blockbuster.
Marvel/Disney
"Welcome to Me" - May 1
Kristen Wiig stars in this indie drama about a woman with borderline personality disorder who buys herself a cable access talk show after winning the lottery. Will Ferrell and Adam McKay produced.
Alchemy
"The D-Train" - May 8
Jack Black plays the head of his high school reunion committee who must convince the most popular guy in his class (James Marsden) to attend the reunion in this Sundance pic.
IFC
"Maggie" - May 8
Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in this indie as a father who stays with his daughter (Abigail Breslin) as she transforms into a zombie.
Roadside Attractions
"Hot Pursuit" - May 8
Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara star in this buddy comedy about a straight-laced cop (Witherspoon) tasked with escorting a witness (Vergara) to her trial
Warner Bros
"The Connection" - May 15
Oscar-winner Jean Dujardin stars in this French crime thriller as a real-life policeman who dedicates his career to taking down a drug lord (Gilles Lellouche)
Relativity
"Mad Max: Fury Road" - May 15
Tom Hardy takes over the role that made Mel Gibson an international star in this reboot from the madcap mind of George Miller
Warner Bros.
"Pitch Perfect 2" - May 15
Anna Kendrick returns for the song-filled sequel to the 2012 musical smash hit.
Universal
"Poltergeist" - May 22
Sam Rockwell leads a remake of the 1982 horror classic that was originally written by Steven Spielberg.
Twentieth Century Fox
"Tomorrowland" - May 22
George Clooney and Britt Robertson star in a sci-fi fantasy about a man and woman who must discover the secrets of a strange land lost in time and space.
Disney
"Aloha" - May 29
Cameron Crowe directs Bradley Cooper and Emma Stone in a romantic comedy about a military contractor overseeing a satellite launch in Hawaii.
Columbia Pictures/Twentieth Century Fox
"San Andreas" - May 29

Dwayne Johnson stars in a disaster movie about a chopper pilot who must rescue his daughter (Alexandra Daddario) after a massive earthquake strikes California.
Warner Bros.
"Entourage" - June 5
Vince (Adrian Grenier) drives Ari (Jeremy Piven) up the wall when he decides to direct and star in his own movie in the big screen version of the HBO show.
HBO/Warner Bros.
"Spy" - June 5
Melissa McCarthy co-wrote and stars in a comedy about a CIA analyst who gets her chance to work in the field when an arms dealer (Rose Byrne) threatens to destabilize the world.
Twentieth Century Fox
"Insidious Chapter 3" - June 5
In this horror prequel, psychic Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) agrees to help teenager (Stefanie Scott) who is being targeted by a supernatural force.
Blumhouse
"Jurassic World" - June 12
Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas-Howard lead the latest installment in the Michael Crichton-inspired series. This time around, the park is terrorized by a genetically-engineered dinosaur that escapes its enclosure.
Legendary Pictures
"Me and Earl and The Dying Girl" - June 12
This 2015 Sundance Grand Jury winner follows an anti-social teen (Thomas Mann) who falls in love with a classmate (Olivia Cooke) who has leukemia.
Fox Searchlight
"Dope" - June 19
This Sundance breakout centers on a teen (Shameik Moore) trying to make his Ivy League dreams come true in his tough LA neighborhood.
Open Road Films
"Inside Out" - June 19
Pixar takes us inside the mind of a little girl as her emotions vie for control. Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling and Bill Hader all lend their voices.
Disney/Pixar
"Ted 2" - June 26
Seth MacFarlane's foul-mouthed teddy bear returns in the sequel that finds Ted (voiced by MacFarlane) and John (Mark Wahlberg) fighting in court to prove that Ted is human.
Universal Pictures
"Batkid Begins" June 26
This feel-good documentary tells the story of a five-year-old leukemia patient who inspired people from all over the world to help him live out his dream of being Batman for a day.
Warner Bros
"Max" - June 26
A Marine-trained German shepherd is sent to live with the family of his former handler (Robbie Amell), who was killed in Afghanistan
Warner Bros
"Big Game" - June 26
A teenage-boy (Onni Tommila) rescues the President of the United States (Samuel L. Jackson) when Air Force One crash lands near his campsite.
EuropaCorp
"Magic Mike XXL" - July 1
Channing Tatum gyrates his way into this sequel as stripper "Magic" Mike who decides to attend an annual stripper conference in Myrtle Beach.
Warner Bros.
"Terminator: Genisys" - July 1
Arnold Schwarzenegger is back as the unstoppable android as he fights to protect Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) with the help of Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney).
Paramount
"Minions" - July 2
The Minions are back in this "Despicable Me" spinoff. This time, they are recruited by a super-villainess (Sandra Bullock) in her plot to take over the world.
Universal Pictures
"The Bronze" - July 10
"Big Bang Theory" star Melissa Rauch co-wrote and stars in this comedy about a former Olympic athlete clinging to her last shreds of fame.
Relativity
"Self/Less" - July 10
Ryan Reynolds stars in this thriller about a wealthy, dying man who pays to have his consciousness transferred into a younger body. When he begins to investigate where the body came from, he discovers a terrifying mystery
Focus Features
"Ant-Man" - July 17
Paul Rudd leads this Marvel comic adaptation about a con man who is given a device that can shrink him in scale by Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas).
Marvel/Disney
"Trainwreck" - July 17
Amy Schumer and Bill Hader star in a Judd Apatow comedy about a magazine writer (Schumer) who refuses to commit, until her relationship with a doctor (Hader) challenges her notions of monogamy.
Universal Pictures
"Stanford Prison Experiment" - July 17
Based on the infamous 1971 psychological experiment, 24 male students volunteer to play prisoners or guards in a mock-prison, only for things to spiral completely out of control.
IFC
"Paper Towns" - July 24
Based on the novel by John Green, Nat Wolff plays a boy who convinces his friends to embark on a road trip to find the missing girl next door (Cara Delevingne).
Twentieth Century Fox
"Pixels" - July 24
Adam Sandler leads a team of gamers (Kevin James, Josh Gad, Peter Dinklage) who must fight aliens that invade Earth in the form of classic video games.
Columbia Pictures
"Southpaw" - July 24
Jake Gyllenhaal packed on the muscle for this drama about a troubled boxer fighting to regain custody of his daughter. Antoine Fuqua directed based on a script by Kurt Sutter.
The Weinstein Company
"Irrational Man" - July 24
Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone star in a Woody Allen film about a college philosophy professor (Phoenix) who enters into a relationship with his student (Stone).
Sony Classics
"Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" - July 31
Tom Cruise once again does the impossible as he leads his team against an international syndicate intent on destroying the Impossible Mission Force.
Paramount
"End of the Tour" - July 31
Jesse Eisenberg stars as Rolling Stone journalist David Lipsky as he conducts a series of interviews with author David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel). The film is based on Lipsky's book, "Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself."
A24
"Fantastic Four" - August 7
Miles Teller (Mr. Fantastic), Michael B. Jordan (Human Torch), Kate Mara (Invisible Girl), and Jamie Bell (The Thing) lead this comic adaptation about the superhero team that gained powers after an accident in space.
Twentieth Century Fox
"Masterminds" - August 7
Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudekis and Zach Galifianakis star in this heist comedy about a real 1997 armored car robbery in North Carolina
Relativity
"The Man From U.N.C.L.E." - August 14
Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer play an American and Russian agent forced to team up to stop an evil organization trying to steal nuclear weapons. The film is based on the 1964 TV series of the same name.
Warner Bros
"Straight Outta Compton" - August 14
O'Shea Jackson Jr., the son of Ice Cube, plays his father in this look at the impact of the revolutionary gangster rap group NWA.
Universal
"Hitman: Agent 47" - August 28
Rupert Friend stars in this video game adaptation about a genetically engineered assassin who teams up with a mysterious young woman to bring down an evil corporation.
Twentieth Century Fox