The stars who belong on your movie-going radar this summer

Brad Pitt is back in action mode, but watch out for up-and-comers including Keke Palmer and Daisy Edgar-Jones

By Jack Smart, Mark Keizer, Alison Foreman, Tomris Laffly, Todd Gilchrist, Brent Simon  |  May 4, 2022 | 7:00am
Film News Entertainment, Culture
The stars who belong on your movie-going radar this summer
From left: Brad Pitt (Getty Images), Joel Kim Booster (Courtesy Searchlight Pictures), Daisy Edgar-Jones (Courtesy Searchlight Pictures), Jennifer Lopez (Getty Images), Austin Butler (Warner Bros. Pictures/YouTube). Graphic: Rebecca Fassola Graphic: Rebecca Fassola

Part of the fun of summer movie season is watching stars do what they do best: shine on a big screen. The return of blockbuster entertainment this summer will bring to the cineplex a mix of famous faces as well as the promise of breakthrough turns from stars in the making. Toward that end, The A.V. Club has parsed through the many films that are scheduled to arrive this summer, and we’ve set our sights on the 14 performers who are most likely to leave their mark on movie-goers. All you have to do is keep reading to find out who they are.

previous arrowZac Efron, Firestarter (May 13) next arrow
Zac Efron, Firestarter (May 13)
Zac Efron in Image Ken Woroner/Universal Pictures

Future Hollywood historians will debate at which point Zac Efron: High School Musical Hunk became Zac Efron: Serious Actor. Some will argue the transition began with Lee Daniels’ 2012 drama The Paperboy, co-starring Nicole Kidman. Others will cite 2013’s Parkland, where he played the first doctor to treat the mortally wounded President Kennedy. Whatever history decides, there’s one thing we can all agree on right now: Efron is for real, even as he juggles more serious roles (including his revelatory performance as Ted Bundy in ) with lighter fare (see: Baywatch).Firestarter looks to be somewhere in the middle. In this second big-screen adaptation of Stephen King’s 1980 novel, helmed by Keith Thomas, the former teen idol takes his biggest risk yet, playing a father (gasp!) whose pyrokinetic daughter is being pursued by a shadowy government agency (is there any other kind?). As Efron proved earlier this year in the dystopian drama , he is not afraid to dirty himself up and play against his youthful good looks. So as long as he continues choosing quality projects (look for him in the next film from Green Book helmer Peter Farrelly) and avoiding the rom-com trap, Efron will further distance himself from the tyranny of Troy Bolton. [Mark Keizer]

9 Comments

  • teageegeepea-av says:
    May 4, 2022 at 11:36 am

    I only watched the first “Sinister” and was under the impression the one returning castmember in the sequel was James Ransome.For those of you, like me, who could not remember who Austin Butler played in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, it’s Tex. He was on a horsey!

    Reply
    • ruefulcountenance-av says:
      May 4, 2022 at 2:43 pm

      For those of you, like me, who could not remember who Austin Butler played in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, it’s Tex.Nah, it was dumber than that.

      Reply
  • well-lighted-av says:
    May 4, 2022 at 1:41 pm

    How is Keke Palmer an “up-and-comer?” She’s been working in film for almost 20 years at this point! She’s won an Emmy! She had her own talk show on BET! She’s only an up-and-comer if you’re completely unfamiliar with the world of Black entertainment… so I guess it’s fair enough, given the demographics of this site.

    Reply
  • igotsuped-av says:
    May 4, 2022 at 4:09 pm

    I haven’t heard of this Brad Pitt guy, but I suppose I can give him a try.

    Reply
    • frodo-batman-vader-av says:
      May 5, 2022 at 12:41 am

      I think that Tom Cruise dude might be too niche in his film subjects to make it in this biz, though.Say, what if the two were in a movie together?

      Reply
  • volunteerproofreader-av says:
    May 5, 2022 at 12:41 am

    Why was the Amish girl excommunicated?Too Mennonite

    Reply
  • kinjacaffeinespider-av says:
    May 27, 2022 at 5:54 pm

    Daisy, Daisy, be in a movie, do…

    Reply
  • thither-kinja-sucks-avclub-av says:
    June 5, 2022 at 1:38 am

    Cripes. Can we have fewer of these E! flavored celebrity clickbait articles, please?

    Reply
  • whorootbeerdatbe-av says:
    June 27, 2022 at 6:55 pm

    Yeah, dude, keep an eye on that Tom Cruise guy. He’s a real under-the-radar talent.

    Reply

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