Future of Movie Stars: Who Will Shine? Who Will Fade Away?

[pancake bacon]

On 6/11/2022 at 9:23 AM, Ms Blue Jay said:

People seem to really like Rogue One but I feel like I'm missing something because I didn't love it.  Then I had the opposite experience with Solo, I thought it was great and was so confused by the lukewarm reviews.

Are you me? I've expressed the same position: Solo was great for me; all the grumbling about how Star Wars needed to tell an adventure, to have fun again without the weight of heavy consequences for the galaxy, and Solo was a great response to that. It's one of the funniest entries of the Disney/Star Wars era. I'm not so attached to Harrison Ford as Han Solo that Alden would seem to be a pale comparison… Alden had his own charms and spark in the role. Even Favreau's brief role of Rio was endearing. 

[methodwriter85]

17 hours ago, absnow54 said:

I agree that Cole Sprouse will probably find success on another TV show. I could see him following a similar career path to Joshua Jackson, where he works steadily, without ever being a HUGE star.

I think Camila Mendes will also get steady work too. She has excellent chemistry with all the actors she's worked with, and she's able to deliver the most bonkers of dialogue in a believable way. I'm not sure that she has IT, but I can see her finding a niche in Shonda-land like dramas.

Lili Reinhart probably has the best chance as a Michelle Williams trajectory, but I think that's a longshot. Even during her DC days, the writers obviously weren't interested in writing for the character of Jen, but Michelle still managed to deliver. Lili has picked the most interesting projects, and doesn't mind taking supporting roles, which will help her make industry connections.

KJ Apa was born in the wrong era. He's probably the weakest actor on the show, and the heart throb hunk isn't really in demand these days. Watch him become a super star, after I've made this claim. 

Cole Sprouse is lucky in the sense that he and his brother made serious bank on Disney, and by all accounts, his parents didn't pull a Mr. and Mrs. Cole and drain them dry. (Joshua Jackson is also another former child star who transitioned to a teen drama so there are similarities there, although the Sprouse twins had a much bigger child star career than he did.) I think that like his brother Cole Sprouse will continue to do whatever he finds interesting and will continue to act here and there depending on what else is going on in his life. He might land on another hit movie or t.v. show again, or he might not. I can totally see him in quirky indie movies directed by Greta Gerwig or something. 

Camilla Mendes has her toes in the Netflix pool, and I can totally see her having a Shondaland type of t.v./streamer movie career. Assuming that Netflix doesn't implode, I can see her being employed by them for a long time. She's absolutely perfect for Netflix romcoms and "woman in peril" Netflix dramas.

Lili Reinhart is the question mark. I could see her having a Michelle Williams kind of career, especially if she does an acclaimed performance in a drama that gets her attention. The fact that she's willing to take small supporting roles in movies like Hustlers bodes well for her. (She also had a blink and miss it cameo in the Charlie's Angels movie.) 

KJ Apa just doesn't seem like someone who's going to do much when he ages out of his type as the earnest, handsome boy next door. I do feel bad for him that his Wonder Twins project failed, although that might be for the best because it frankly sounded like a horrible idea. KJ/Archie seems really into the idea of playing a comic book hero and I hope that happens for him. It did happen for Brenton Thwaites, who I also dismissed as a "teen" pretty boy and who has found steady work on the D.C. streamer Titans.

[scarynikki12]

Unless he lands a main role in the MCU or other big time moneymaking movie my guess is that KJ may just go back home and work there. 

[methodwriter85]

On 6/16/2022 at 8:03 PM, scarynikki12 said:

Unless he lands a main role in the MCU or other big time moneymaking movie my guess is that KJ may just go back home and work there. 

Kind of like Jonathan LaPaglia, an Aussie actor who had some success in the US during the 90's and 2000's but ultimately went back home. He hosts Australian Survivor now. His older brother Anthony has managed to find more work and I don't think he went back.

I do think it's likely KJ Apa will probably go back home unless he manages to get into an MCU/DCU/SonyU/WhateverComicBookU movie. He does have a child with his French girlfriend, so that could complicate him going back, however. I do think KJ will probably stick it out here in North America for a few more years but if he doesn't land himself in a hit by age 30 I think he'll be back home.

Edited June 18, 2022 by methodwriter85

[pancake bacon]

17 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

Kind of like Jonathan LaPaglia, an Aussie actor who had some success in the US during the 90's and 2000's but ultimately went back home. He hosts Australian Survivor now.

I remember him! He looks just like his brother Anthony, who had major feature film success, television success, and even on Broadway. He won a Tony for A View From the Bridge (side note: this play is such awards bait – Scarlett Johansson won a Tony for it too, for a later staging), and err, 27 years ago (!!), I saw in The Rose Tattoo in New York. I waited for him at the stage door, and he kindly signed my Playbill. (He specifically said, "happy to sign anything. Just no pictures, please. And even as Anthony repeated no pictures, there were still tried!)

Back to Jonathan, I noticed him right away because he was the brother of Anthony, but I also remembered him because he's a qualified physician, but went into entertainment. Guess your future can really take different paths…

[methodwriter85]

When Nope came out, someone on Twitter decided to do a comparison of Keke Palmer and Zendaya to call out colorism. Keke clapped back, and then decided to talk more about it as well as her general career.

I loved this quote:

“You believe I’m not doing enough, not because I’m not but because you don’t believe that I can be enough. And that is colorism.”

It just felt like whoever decided to start that little conversation thought that they would diminish Keke's accomplishments (who's objectively had a pretty damn long and wonderful career as someone who isn't even 30 years old yet) in order to point out the "truth" about colorism in Hollywood. Like they think someone like Keke would look at Zendaya in envy and want her career, which...seriously? They don't even play the same type of characters! Keke's characters are in general comedic extroverts, while Zendaya leans more towards sarcastic sullen loners.

[Mabinogia]

17 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

Like they think someone like Keke would look at Zendaya in envy and want her career, which...seriously? They don't even play the same type of characters! Keke's characters are in general comedic extroverts, while Zendaya leans more towards sarcastic sullen loners.

I've always gotten the impression that Keke wants to be an actress while Zendaya wants to be a star. Those, to me, are different things, and neither is a right or wrong goal, but if those are the two women's goals, they are both incredibly successful. 

I think there is a believe that if an actor doesn't star in some mega blockbuster zillion dollar movie they aren't successful but that is just one version of being a successful actor. It is not the version I would want and I've not seen evidence that it is the version Keke wants. Hell, it might not have been what Zendaya wanted either, but she seems to have flourished in it, so good on her. 

I hate the idea that two young women with very different career paths are being compared to one another by some outsider just to make a point about race that isn't even accurate. Unless there is prove that Keke and Zendaya have both auditioned for every role Zendaya got, then maybe you could argue a point. But just because they are both young, black and female doesn't mean they are going after all the same roles.

[methodwriter85]

Dayshift just reminded me that Dave Franco is still alive. 

Man, I remember him being just everywhere for a good span from about 2009 to 2017, and then he kinda just quieted down. Still working, just not at the pace he did. Of course, I think Dave's probably tired of the "young man" roles he's always being given, and I think the bad press surrounding his brother probably factored into taking a lower profile for the past couple of years.

Now that Dave's older I can see him having fun with character parts. Then again, I'm not sure how wide his range is. Even his character in Dayshift felt like a variation of something else I've seen him play before.

Edited August 23, 2022 by methodwriter85

[Ms.Moon]

Zendaya has won her second Emmy for Euphoria, she is going to be back at work for Dune soon I believe I have heard about the casting for many of the other characters that will be playing more prominent roles in the next movie.  I am happy to see that her work is getting acknowledged because she is an amazing actress.  Also she’s very tall.  I saw her interview with the commentators at ET and she I am guessing was in heels but she towered over the female interviewer and was as tall as the male interviewer.  

[ShadowHunter]

On 6/15/2022 at 11:18 AM, Ambrosefolly said:

I feel bad for Brandon Routh because like Andrew Garfield with Spiderman, David Tennet & Peter Capaldi with Doctor Who, he was a fan of the character as a child. 

I remember when Brandon Routh was let go from One life to Live and he blasted the show on his blog or something. 

[methodwriter85]

7 hours ago, ShadowHunter said:

I remember when Brandon Routh was let go from One life to Live and he blasted the show on his blog or something. 

I remember his blog and how excited he was when he was able to get a new computer. Lol It was rumoured that he was fired because they were trying to put him in a gay storyline with Rex and he refused. However, he later played Gay at least twice so I don't know how true that is.

[methodwriter85]

Jake Lacy seems to have found his niche in villainous creep roles. Good for him. I remember for years after his break in The Office he was doing a lot of blandly handsome love interest roles that were pretty forgettable.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I'm watching "Home Again" again because it aired on Slice. This movie was obviously intended to launch Pico Alexander. He's adorable here. Too bad his career isn't much so far.

[methodwriter85]

1 hour ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I'm watching "Home Again" again because it aired on Slice. This movie was obviously intended to launch Pico Alexander. He's adorable here. Too bad his career isn't much so far.

Nico's a guy, though, so he'll get at least another 10 years to book that hit role. With Netflix and all those streamers, his chances are higher that he'll find a role that gets him a lot of attention. Men usually don't get the leading roles that get buzz until they're in their mid/late 30's. Hell, Cole Hauser has been in "Hey, It's That Guy" status since he was a teenager and finally became a household name in his 40's because of Yellowstone.

Like I said earlier, Jake Lacy was ambling along in the years since his break in The Office with some pretty forgettable roles, and now he's find his niche.

[absnow54]

10 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

Jake Lacy seems to have found his niche in villainous creep roles. Good for him. I remember for years after his break in The Office he was doing a lot of blandly handsome love interest roles that were pretty forgettable.

Not to say he wasn't still a bland love interest, but he was great in Obvious Child. I've been rooting for him since he was in that bland Joanna Garcia sitcom, and was really worried about his career when he did a Netflix Christmas movie a few years ago.

[methodwriter85]

12 hours ago, absnow54 said:

Not to say he wasn't still a bland love interest, but he was great in Obvious Child. I've been rooting for him since he was in that bland Joanna Garcia sitcom, and was really worried about his career when he did a Netflix Christmas movie a few years ago.

Yeah, I was, too. Especially because they made him look as unappealing as possible in that movie.

I'm really glad that "White Lotus" gave him a solid base to build on. His follow up seems to be going in his vein of playing creeps, and I think he's found his niche just like Jessica Biel did in edgy streamer dramas.

Anyway, Austin Stowell. He's my "Hey, it's that tall hot guy with auburn hair."

[Avabelle]

On 9/28/2022 at 3:57 AM, methodwriter85 said:

Jake Lacy seems to have found his niche in villainous creep roles. Good for him. I remember for years after his break in The Office he was doing a lot of blandly handsome love interest roles that were pretty forgettable.

He’s just forever Plop from the office to me.

[methodwriter85]

Just saw Kyle Gallner in Smile...still just as cute as ever! 

Kyle Gallner is more likely to stay a "Hey, It's That Guy" (I get the vibe that's what he wants) but he seems to be working a lot more recently and I'm glad he is. I was happy to see him pop up in Smile. The horror genre has been good to him- he finally seems to have gotten over his awkward stage where he was too young-looking to play adults but too old to keep playing teenagers.

It'd be funny if he could wind up in one of the Conjuring Universe films, given that his horror movie The Haunting in Connecticut was one of the Warren cases.

Edited November 2, 2022 by methodwriter85

[Anduin]

I just want to deconstruct an argument I saw on twitter. That Daniel Radcliffe would have been nothing without JKR. That he owes his whole career to her and Harry Potter. No. It's my bet that if he didn't get the Potter role, he would have gone for something else. There have been plenty of blockbusters since then.

Hell, he's the same age as Nicholas Hoult. Given they both seem to like very transformative roles, maybe that's whose career he would have had, at least until he was established enough to go do quirky indie movies the rest of his career. Or maybe he would have been indie from the start. Something like the actor equivalent of Wes Anderson or similar.

[Irlandesa]

11 hours ago, Anduin said:

That Daniel Radcliffe would have been nothing without JKR.

JKR didn't cast him.  So that's pretty silly.  It's hard to know where he would have ended up but I think there's an element of luck is involved in all types of major success.  If not for HP, would he have found something else?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  But he has managed to continue acting as an adult and that transition isn't easy.

But if they're arguing that he shouldn't criticize JKR because he starred in Harry Poter, then that's especially ridiculous.

[Kel Varnsen]

12 hours ago, Anduin said:

just want to deconstruct an argument I saw on twitter. That Daniel Radcliffe would have been nothing without JKR. That he owes his whole career to her and Harry Potter. No. It's my bet that if he didn't get the Potter role, he would have gone for something else. There have been plenty of blockbusters since then.

Not only that but the Harry Potter movies made Rowling a crapload of money. And you could probably argue that the casting if those 3 kids played a huge part in the movies success. So if he owed her anything he more than paid it back. 

Plus it's not like his only options in life were playing Harry Potter or future bus driver or something. My feeling is that actor is a more respected profession in the UK so maybe he would just end up being a dude making a living doing live theatre over there, who the hell knows.

[JustHereForFood]

Children fantasy movies are very hit and miss, regardless of how good the books are. Rowling got lucky with the adaptations (and I didn't even like some of the changes, but compared to some others, they were good), not to mention how much creative control she was able to keep. 

And Radcliffe was acting before HP, it was actually Maggie Smith who suggested him, I believe, after they starred together in David Copperfield.

Regardless of that, even if he owed her his whole career or anything else, he is entitled to express his opinions.

[Kel Varnsen]

On 11/3/2022 at 6:32 PM, JustHereForFood said:

Children fantasy movies are very hit and miss, regardless of how good the books are. Rowling got lucky with the adaptations (and I didn't even like some of the changes, but compared to some others, they were good), not to mention how much creative control she was able to keep. 

And Radcliffe was acting before HP, it was actually Maggie Smith who suggested him, I believe, after they starred together in David Copperfield.

Regardless of that, even if he owed her his whole career or anything else, he is entitled to express his opinions.

Plus it is not like being a kid actor starring in a well known franchise is a guaranteed path to a successful career. Just ask Edward Furlong or Jake Lloyd. So I don't think you can say all of the success of Daniel Radcliffe's career is because he was in Harry Potter.

[methodwriter85]

On 11/4/2022 at 6:54 PM, Kel Varnsen said:

Plus it is not like being a kid actor starring in a well known franchise is a guaranteed path to a successful career. Just ask Edward Furlong or Jake Lloyd. So I don't think you can say all of the success of Daniel Radcliffe's career is because he was in Harry Potter.

You notice how there aren't any tragic child actor tales in the Harry Potter franchise, at least in terms of the main actors? Supposedly these kids were vetted hard. Not just them, but their parents as well. They didn't want any monstrous stage parents. All of these kids came from good, supportive families.

[Trini]

On 11/4/2022 at 6:54 PM, Kel Varnsen said:

Plus it is not like being a kid actor starring in a well known franchise is a guaranteed path to a successful career. Just ask Edward Furlong or Jake Lloyd. So I don't think you can say all of the success of Daniel Radcliffe's career is because he was in Harry Potter.

I agree with your point; but I don't think it's a fair comparison with Furlong and Lloyd. Radcliffe was the title star in eight Potter movies. I'm not sure if there's anyone else comparable for child stars in a franchise.

[Popples]

11 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

You notice how there aren't any tragic child actor tales in the Harry Potter franchise, at least in terms of the main actors? Supposedly these kids were vetted hard. Not just them, but their parents as well. They didn't want any monstrous stage parents. All of these kids came from good, supportive families.

Chris Columbus who directed the first two films didn't want a repeat experience of what happened with Macaulay Culkin's horrible father.

[absnow54]

Watching this season of The White Lotus, and Haley Lu Richardson and Zoey Deutch need to play sisters.

[andromeda331]

On 11/5/2022 at 10:13 PM, Trini said:

I agree with your point; but I don't think it's a fair comparison with Furlong and Lloyd. Radcliffe was the title star in eight Potter movies. I'm not sure if there's anyone else comparable for child stars in a franchise.

Also poor Lloyd got bullied by people and the media over how he portrayed Anakin Skywalker which nearly destroyed Lloyd and lead him to quit acting. Radcliffe thankfully didn't. He might have quit if the same thing happen to him. People really suck sometimes.

Edited November 8, 2022 by andromeda331

[Danny Franks]

On 11/8/2022 at 5:26 AM, andromeda331 said:

Also poor Lloyd got bullied by people and the media over how he portrayed Anakin Skywalker which nearly destroyed Lloyd and lead him to quit acting. Radcliffe thankfully didn't. He might have quit if the same thing happen to him. People really suck sometimes.

All the blame for everything that was wrong with the prequels falls on the shoulders of one person, and it's not either of the kids who played Anakin. 

George Lucas completely cocked those movies up, from start to finish. I think one of the only good decisions he made was hiring Ewan McGregor to play Obi Wan.

[Kel Varnsen]

On 11/6/2022 at 12:13 AM, Trini said:

I agree with your point; but I don't think it's a fair comparison with Furlong and Lloyd. Radcliffe was the title star in eight Potter movies. I'm not sure if there's anyone else comparable for child stars in a franchise.

It's not exactly the same but I think it is as close as you can get. Since if all it took was a great role in a popular franchise those guys would be way more famous (but not as much so as a guy who starred in 8 movies in the same franchise).

20 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

All the blame for everything that was wrong with the prequels falls on the shoulders of one person, and it's not either of the kids who played Anakin. 

Based on my above comment I was thinking about Jake Lloyd and Edward Furlong, because I watched T2 back in the summer and even on a little tablet on a plane it is still an awesome movie. It is also proof that even with a child star who isn't great you can still make a really good movie, especially in the sci-fi/action world). So yeah to put the blame on Jake Lloyd for how bad phantom menace is, is stupid, even if he wasn't a strong actor.

[ellenr33]

I truly feel bad for Jake Lloyd because he was a little boy and if you watch the behind the scenes they cast him more for his resemblance than acting talent. After the movie came out he had to live with people constantly asking him about it and deal with constant criticism. Unfortunately he also had mental health issues. There is also something online about the little boy who was almost Anakin. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

I thought Jake was fantastic in Jingle all the Way and I honestly don't find him annoying at all in Star Wars.  I guess.......... you had to be there.  i was, but I was too young to care about any of this passionate hate/frenzy.

Speaking of, I don't dislike Hayden or Natalie in any of the movies either.  I just watched all the first 6 Star Wars movies over the past month or so because they were airing on the Sci Fi channel.  I think that the original Star Wars fans just had very heavy expectations of what it would be - which I understand - and Natalie/Jake/Hayden were caught in it.  It's too bad, because I think if you watch the movies free of that drama, they aren't bad at all.  Except for Attack of the Clones.   Which is bad.  

Edited November 18, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[andromeda331]

On 11/17/2022 at 6:08 PM, Ms Blue Jay said:

I thought Jake was fantastic in Jingle all the Way and I honestly don't find him annoying at all in Star Wars.  I guess.......... you had to be there.  i was, but I was too young to care about any of this passionate hate/frenzy.

Speaking of, I don't dislike Hayden or Natalie in any of the movies either.  I just watched all the first 6 Star Wars movies over the past month or so because they were airing on the Sci Fi channel.  I think that the original Star Wars fans just had very heavy expectations of what it would be - which I understand - and Natalie/Jake/Hayden were caught in it.  It's too bad, because I think if you watch the movies free of that drama, they aren't bad at all.  Except for Attack of the Clones.   Which is bad.  

I agree I like all three actors. I agree about Attack of the Clones there was just too much to pack into one movie. You had Anakin now as a Jedi, his relationship with Obi Wan, bodyguard to Padme, romance with Padme, dreams about his mother, Obi Wan searching for the bounty hunter, Anakin's first massacre, the Clone army, the Separtists, Dooku, and I'm probably forgetting a few things. I'm not sure anyone could have pulled that off. They should have either put some of it in the first movie or their needed to be another movie. The Clone Wars did a great job balancing the Jedi, Sith, Anakin and everything because it had time to do so. Attack of the Clones didn't have enough time for everything it needed to accomplish.

[Ms Blue Jay]

On 9/27/2022 at 11:44 PM, Ms Blue Jay said:

I'm watching "Home Again" again because it aired on Slice. This movie was obviously intended to launch Pico Alexander. He's adorable here. Too bad his career isn't much so far.

Oh my dear lord.  He just showed up in the rebooted Gossip Girl Season 2 premiere.

[methodwriter85]

Saw Babylon and thought Diego Calva was a really good find. The movie isn't doing great but I hope the exposure and connections made help him. I thought he was pretty sexy and kept thinking he reminded me of a Mexican Ethan Peck. Lol He commanded the screen pretty well and I'm rooting for him. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

I haven't seen it yet but I was happy to see that Jovan Adepo is in the cast.  I thought he was soooooo good in "Fences".

[Browncoat]

I'm going to see Babylon this week, but damn, it's three hours long!  It's going to be extra hard to get up for work the next day.

[Danny Franks]

I've heard the name Noah Centineo for a while now, and I think he made his name in teen heartthrob roles. I'm watching him in The Recruit at the moment and he's very good as the charming, plucky but out-of-his-depth hero.

Certainly better at the espionage stuff than John Krasinsky in the Jack Ryan series.

[andromeda331]

7 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

I've heard the name Noah Centineo for a while now, and I think he made his name in teen heartthrob roles. I'm watching him in The Recruit at the moment and he's very good as the charming, plucky but out-of-his-depth hero.

Certainly better at the espionage stuff than John Krasinsky in the Jack Ryan series.

Yeah he's all over Netflix as the boyfriend in teen movies.

[JustHereForFood]

23 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

I've heard the name Noah Centineo for a while now, and I think he made his name in teen heartthrob roles. I'm watching him in The Recruit at the moment and he's very good as the charming, plucky but out-of-his-depth hero.

Certainly better at the espionage stuff than John Krasinsky in the Jack Ryan series.

I knew him first from the TV series The Fosters. I would never have guessed that of all the young actors there, he would be the one with the most successful career.

[methodwriter85]

On 2/26/2023 at 5:13 PM, JustHereForFood said:

I knew him first from the TV series The Fosters. I would never have guessed that of all the young actors there, he would be the one with the most successful career.

I seriously thought Maia Mitchell was going to have a huge career. There's still time (she's still under 30 and still acting in the spin-off) but I really thought she'd be like Emma Stone big.

[methodwriter85]

I just had a mutual rant with my manager about how bad of an actress Melissa Barrera is and neither of us are getting why she's being pushed. I wondered if she was a nepo baby but it doesn't look like she is. However the Tisch school name does seem to help a lot of people get in.

[absnow54]

7 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

I just had a mutual rant with my manager about how bad of an actress Melissa Barrera is and neither of us are getting why she's being pushed.

I liked her in In the Heights, but I haven't watched her Scream movies.

I'm bitter that Leslie Grace's career stalled after the whole Batgirl debacle. She was a real highlight in In the Heights too. 

[methodwriter85]

I didn't see In The Heights so I'm assuming Melissa is better at expressing human emotions when she's singing. Her acting in Scream V was atrocious. 

[proserpina65]

On 11/17/2022 at 8:08 PM, Ms Blue Jay said:

I thought Jake was fantastic in Jingle all the Way and I honestly don't find him annoying at all in Star Wars.

I found him annoying as hell in the abomination that was the first prequel, but I put that mostly on the writing and directing.  Lloyd wasn't a particularly good actor in the role, but given something decent to work with, he wouldn't have been too bad either.

[Danny Franks]

3 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I found him annoying as hell in the abomination that was the first prequel, but I put that mostly on the writing and directing.  Lloyd wasn't a particularly good actor in the role, but given something decent to work with, he wouldn't have been too bad either.

I didn't like him at all in The Phantom Menace but, let's be honest, none of the acting in that movie was good. Because the director was terrible and controlling and forcing people to stick to his vision and dreadful script, which even he later saw the flaws in.

People love to hate on the sequel trilogy, and I will admit the lack of a coherent vision and the apparent need to redeem the handsome white guy really hurt them, but they're still infinitely better movies than the prequels.

Unfortunately, it seems like Daisy Ridley's career, in particular, has been hit by the backlash against those movies. That's a shame, because I found her incredibly likeable and engaging.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

6 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

didn't like him at all in The Phantom Menace but, let's be honest, none of the acting in that movie was good. Because the director was terrible and controlling and forcing people to stick to his vision and dreadful script, which even he later saw the flaws in.

I didn't think he was good either, but he was a kid so that is kind of to be expected. Plus he could have been the best child actor ever, he could have been Marlon Brando reincarnated as an 8 year old, and it still wouldn't have done much to improve that movie.

6 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

People love to hate on the sequel trilogy, and I will admit the lack of a coherent vision and the apparent need to redeem the handsome white guy really hurt them,

To be fair it seems like what little overall vision for that story that they had was kind of screwed when Carrie Fisher died before they had even started shooting Rise of Skywalker. Since my understanding was that Leia would have had a much bigger part of she was alive.

[Anduin]

1 hour ago, Kel Varnsen said:

I didn't think he was good either, but he was a kid so that is kind of to be expected. Plus he could have been the best child actor ever, he could have been Marlon Brando reincarnated as an 8 year old, and it still wouldn't have done much to improve that movie.

Here's some trivia. Both Jake Lloyd and Haley Joel Osment guest starred in a couple of episodes of an old show called The Pretender. Could Osment have done a better job as Anakin? Maybe. But neither the writing or directing were up to scratch. No one came out of that movie looking awesome.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Something random.  Mena Massoud now has his own show in Canada called "Evolving Vegan", based on his own cookbook.

https://www.ctv.ca/shows/evolving-vegan

[methodwriter85]

You know, I'm really hopeful for Sam Claflin's career. He's getting a lot of good press for Daisy Jones & The 6 and I'm hoping he can parlay some good parts out of this. 

He's so good at romantic drama but unfortunately that doesn't really get the kind of box office it used to so the past couple of years he's seemed to have been pretty low-key. Playing the one-note villain in Charlie's Angels disastrous reboot was a low-point.