The 'Euphoria' actress, who is likened to '90s-era Julia Roberts, is among the top 10 most in-demand young movie stars in Hollywood right now along with her 'Dune: Part Two' co-stars Timothee Chalamet and Austin Butler.
- May 25, 2024
AceShowbiz - It doesn't need more explanation to introduce Zendaya Coleman these days. With her hit projects and eye-catching outfits, the Emmy-winning actress has solidified her status as one of the most-sought actors in Hollywood these days.
The Hollywood Reporter has unveiled the list of Hollywood's 10 most in-demand young movie stars right now, with Zendaya making into the cut. In the survey conducted by speaking to executives, managers and agents, the outlet named ten stars who are "anointed by auteur directors," instead of "being pulled up to the A-list with a call from Marvel or DC."
According to THR, execs compared Zendaya to " '90s-era Julia Roberts, who was pulling down awards nominations for 'Steel Magnolias' while releasing crowd-pleasers like 'Pretty Woman'." The 27-year-old achieved that after starring in the "Spider-Man" film series, "The Greatest Showman", "Euphoria" and "Dune". Her most recent project "Challengers" also once again proved that she's open to exploring roles outside her comfort zone, which in turn earned her praises from critics.
While Zendaya's boyfriend and "Spider-Man" co-star Tom Holland didn't make the cut, her "Dune: Part Two" co-stars Timothee Chalamet, Austin Butler and Florence Pugh were among the top 10 stars. Timothee led two live-action films that were box office successes in the past year, "Wonka" and the "Dune" sequel.
"Drawing industry comparisons to Leonardo DiCaprio, the 28-year-old has had a similar trajectory - working with top filmmakers while still in his teens (Christopher Nolan's 2014 film 'Interstellar) then breaking out in a role that netted him an Oscar nom (Luca Guadagnino's 'Call Me by Your Name')," the article stated of Timothee.
Though Zendaya and Timothee are considered by most to top any list of young talent, it's noted that "they haven't yet reached the professional level of predecessors like Margot Robbie, Emma Stone or Michael B. Jordan, who not only can greenlight movies for themselves, but as producers are breaking new talent and reviving long dormant franchises."
As for Austin Butler, one agency partner said of the "Elvis" actor, "Everybody wants him to be the lead of everything." His "all-too-rare movie-star mystique" has "insiders wondering whether he could follow in the footsteps of Brad Pitt."
Up next on the list was Anya Taylor-Joy, who "has established herself as a sharp actress since breaking out in Robert Eggers' cerebral horror film 'The Witch', becoming a filmmaker favorite for elevated female-led genre fair, from M. Night Shyamalan's 'Split' (2017) to the high-concept culinary thriller 'The Menu' (2022)." While she's most likely known for her role on popular Netflix series "The Queen's Gambit", she reportedly has since turned down big TV projects in favor of a theatrical career.
With her unabashed commercial ambition, Sydney Sweeney has drawn comparisons to Scarlett Johansson. She has over 50 professional credits, more than nearly everyone else on this list, ranging from her roles on the critically-acclaimed series "Euphoria" and "The White Lotus" to rom-com hit "Anyone But You", in which she stars alongside Glen Powell.
Glen, who also makes into the list, is not afraid of competition. "Are we going to find ourselves going after the same roles? Absolutely," the "Top Gun: Maverick" star told the site. "But are we ever in competition? No. We do different things."
Other names in the top 10 were Jenna Ortega ("Wednesday", "Scream"), Paul Mescal ("Normal People", the "Gladiator" sequel) and Jacob Elordi ("Euphoria", "Saltburn"). THR noted that the mostly white names exemplify how studios have failed to radically change the paradigm despite pushes toward inclusion. However, the outlet also revealed that Ayo Edebiri, Kingsley Ben-Adir and Damson Idris just missed the top 10, "so there's still hope."
An exec admitted, "Hollywood spent too long making franchises the star rather than building up the next generation of talent," but executives are looking for star vehicles again. The top exec added, "We haven't incentivized writers to create star-creating vehicles."
