Rueben's Ramblings

Much like the New Faces of 2011, there are always entertainers of note to be on the look-out for in the new year. With the help of some online research, here are my predictions for the faces of 2012 (in no particular order):

Chris Zylka

1. Chris Zylka – Chris first got noticed for his role on the short-lived TV adaptation of the box office film 10 Things I Hate About You, but it’s been his recent (which has now been turned into a series regular) role on the new CW series The Secret Circle, as witch (warlock) Jake Armstrong that has turned heads. But it will be his role of Flash Thompson in the Spiderman reboot – The Amazing Spider-Man – that is slated for release next July that will get him even more attention.

Bella Heathcote

2. Bella Heathcote – Bella got her start on the Australian soap Neighbours and appeared in the Justin Timberlake film In Time; but it will be her turn in the much anticipated box office film Dark Shadows – alongside the likes of Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Johnny Lee Miller and Michelle Pfeiffer – that will garner her a lot of attention. She is also set to star in the David Chase (the man behind The Sopranos) film Twylight Zones and Cogan’s Trade that will star Brad Pitt.

Lily Collins

3. Lily Collins – Lily got her big break in the Sandra Bullock film The Blind Side then starred alongside Peter Bettany and Maggie Q in the thriller Priest as well as with Taylor Lautner in the action film Abduction. However, it will be her role as Snow White in the upcoming box office film Mirror Mirror that will put her on the map. She will also star in the lead role in the film adaptation of the best-selling novel The Mortal Instruments with Jamie Campbell Bower as well as the film The English Teacher, which stars Julianne Moore and Greg Kinnear.

Henry Cavill

4. Henry Cavill – Unless you’ve been living under a rock, Henry should be on the top of the list for movie goers because of his recent role in Immortals and the fact that he landed the plum role of Clark Kent aka Superman in the latest reboot of that popular franchise – The Man of Steel. He will also appear in the film The Cold Light of Day alongside Bruce Willis and Sigourney Weaver. TV viewers will remember Henry from his days on The Tudors and movie fans will recognize him from his role in The Count of Monte Cristo.

Nicholas Hoult

5. Nicholas Hoult – As a child, Nicholas starred alongside Hugh Grant in the acclaimed film About a Boy and then had a role in the scandal-riddled British series Skins. He also appeared in the films The Single Man with Colin Firth and Clash of the Titans. As a young adult, he appeared in the hot summer blockbuster X-Men: First Class alongside James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. Next year, he will have the lead role in the box office film Jack the Giant Killer alongside Stanley Tucci, Ewan McGregor and Ian McShane as well as the lead role in the film adaptation of the zombie-filled novel Warm Bodies.

Juno Temple

6. Juno Temple – Juno has appeared in a number of films such as Atonement, Year One, Greenberg and The Other Boleyn Girl. She also had a role in the latest film adaptation of The Three Musketeers alongside Logan Lerman and Matthew Macfayden and the buzzed-about independent film Dirty Girl. She has five films coming up next year, including The Dark Knights Rises and the drama Lovelace about erotic superstar Linda Lovelace.

Brit Marling

7. Brit Marling – Brit was the movie festival darling this year for the independent film Another Earth where she starred alongside Lost alum William Mapother; but it is the three big movies coming next year for which she will be starring that will assuredly get her noticed. They include Arbitrage with Richard Gere; The East with Alexander Skarsgard, Ellen Page and Patricia Clarkson and The Company You Keep with Robert Redford, Anna Kendrick and Shia LaBeouf.

Jeremy Irvine

8. Jeremy Irvine – Jeremy is a relative newcomer, but he is hitting the ground big with the lead role in the Steven Spielberg film War Horse that opens on Christmas Day. He will also appear as Pip in the new film adaptation of Great Expectations that will open next year as well as starring in the film Now Is Good with Dakota Fanning and Olivia Williams as well as the anticipated 2013 film The Railway Man with Rachel Weisz and Colin Firth.

Benjamin Walker

9. Benjamin Walker – Benjamin made his mark in the Broadway play Inherit the Wind (as well as marrying Mamie Gummer, Meryl Streep’s daughter) and starred in the films Kinsey and Flags of Our Fathers. But it will be his upcoming lead role in the film Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and the film adaptation of John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost, playing archangel Michael fighting against Bradley Cooper as Lucifer.

India Eisley

10. India Eisley – India got her big break on TV via the ABC Family Channel series The Secret Life of the American Teenager, but it will be her role as the daughter of Selene and Michael in the January 2012 release of Underworld: Awakening with Kate Beckinsale that will put her on the map.

Callan McAuliffe

11. Callan McAuliffe – Callan made his first big splash on the big screen via the 2010 Rob Reiner family film Flipped and then appeared in the sci-fi thriller I Am Number Four. Next up he will appear as young Jay Gatsby (to be played by Leonardo di Caprio as an adult) in the new film adaptation of The Great Gatsby and he will also have a role in the film Paradise Lost.

Thomas Horn

12. Thomas Horn – The young newcomer whose one claim to fame is being the Teen Jeopardy champ will star in the upcoming film Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, based on the 2005 novel by Jonathan S. Foer, alongside Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock. The film opens on Christmas Day and will assuredly be considered as an Oscar contender.

Sarah Gadon

13. Sarah Gadon – Sarah has a long resume of work on TV including the popular Canadian series Being Erica as well as the short-lived series Happy Town. She has also appeared in the films Charlie Bartlett, Dream House (with Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz) and A Dangerous Method (with Kiera Knightley). But it will be her role in the upcoming film Cosmopolis alongside Robert Pattinson, the film Antiviral with Malcolm McDowell and the mini-series World Without End (the sequel to the mini-series The Pillars of the Earth) alongside Cynthia Nixon and Miranda Richardson.

Asa Butterfield

14. Asa Butterfield – Asa has appeared in the box office films The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The Wolfman and Nanny McPhee Returns as well as the recurring role of Mordred in the UK series Merlin; but it is his lead role in the Martin Scorsese film Hugo that has gotten him attention. Next up he will appear in the film adaptation of Ender’s Game based on the popular novel by Orson Scott Card.

There will also be two very interesting groups of actors/actresses for which movie goers should keep an eye out for in the new year, including the following:

The Hunger Game

1. The cast members of the upcoming film adaptation of the Hunger Games novel by Suzanne Collins: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Willow Shields, Alexander Ludwig, Isabelle Fuhrman, Jacqueline Emerson, Jack Quaid, Leven Rambin, Dayo Okeniyi and Amandla Stenberg.

The Hobbitt

2. The cast of the much anticipated box office prequel to The Lord of the Rings franchise The Hobbit includes Luke Evans, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Aidan Turner, Benedict Cumberbatch, Lee Pace, Stephen Fry, Evangeline Lilly, Dean O’Gorman, James Nesbitt and Graham McTavish as well as Stephen Hunter, Peter Hambleton, John Callen, Mark Hadlow, Ken Stott, Adam Brown, William Kircher and Jed Brophy.

Are there any actors or actresses who you think are the faces to watch in 2012? Please share.

NOTE: I apologize in advance for any omissions, spelling errors or oversights I may have made, but I don’t apologize for any of the choices I made.

TOMORROW: Closing Out 2011

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