Ansel Elgort Is Augustus Waters in "The Fault in Our Stars" Opposite Shailene Woodley

From siblings to star-crossed lovers! EW reports rising star Ansel Elgort has been offered the male lead in "The Fault in Our Stars" opposite Shailene Woodley - who plays his sister in the currently-filming dystopian adaptation "Divergent." The two Read more

Dylan O'Brien Lands "The Maze Runner" Lead; Ki Hong Lee Also Joins

UPDATE: Director Wes Ball tweets that Ki Hong Lee has also joined the cast as Minho, a fellow Glader and ally to Thomas throughout the series. Lee is probably best known as a regular on short-lived ABC Family Read more

Shailene Woodley Confirmed for "The Fault in Our Stars"

I mean, duh, we called it. It has now been officially confirmed with glowing quotes from director, producer and author in tow that the increasingly in demand Shailene Woodley will play the lead role of Hazel Grace Lancaster Read more

Up and Comers Presents: 20 Faces to Watch in 2013

After a somewhat unpredictable year in which the stars we expected to break out largely didn't but fresh faces came out of nowhere to surprise us all, we are ready to look ahead to the new talent waiting to Read more

Up and Comers Presents: The Breakout Stars of 2012

Another year, another new crop of fresh talent. Just like last year, the hardest part is narrowing down which of the dozens of the year's rising stars shone the brightest. This year we heralded the arrival of the unlikeliest Read more
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josh schwartz

Watch: Victoria Justice, Jane Levy and Thomas Mann in first “Fun Size” trailer

June 28, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Videos Leave a comment

TV teen superstar Victoria Justice gets her first major leading film role and today we have our first look at her in action in the first trailer for Josh Schwartz’s feature directorial debut, “Fun Size.” The Halloween comedy sees Justice’s Ren ready to party but sacked with watching her little brother instead, much to the annoyance of her more outrageous best friend, played by Jane Levy (who proves she’s got some scene-stealing potential in her). When little bro is lost, they enlist the help of a nerdy classmate (Thomas Mann) to search for him, leading to, naturally, all kinds of teen-friendly shenanigans.

The comedy is skewing a bit younger than we had been anticipating, more “Sleepover” than “Mean Girls”, so it remains to be seen how it will do with audiences older than the ones that Justice already commands on the small screen in her Nickelodeon show “Victorious.” Given that Nick is proudly displayed as being behind this movie while Schwartz’s name is barely to be found, it’s with disappointment that we have to assume Justice not quite ready to take the torch from Emma Stone, as we had hoped, though Levy seems more up to the task.

Still, all judgment reserved until we see the whole thing, which we’ll get to do when it’s released on October 26th. See the first trailer below.

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Jane Levy to be Victoria Justice’s BFF in “Fun Size”

April 29, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Rising actress Jane Levy is in talks for a pivotal role in Paramount’s teen Halloween themed comedy “Fun Size”, according to THR. Josh Schwartz, creator of such seminal teen television series such as “The O.C.” and “Gossip Girl”, will be making his feature directorial debut on the project, which stars Victoria Justice as Wren, a sarcastic teen who takes her little brother trick-or-treating and loses him along the way.

Most recently, Thomas Mann signed on to play Justice’s love interest, a debate team member who has always had a secret crush on Wren and despite being a play-by-the-rules kind of guy, throws caution to the wind and helps her find her missing brother before her parents discover any mishap has taken place. Levy will be playing Wren’s best friend in a strong supporting role.

Levy recently landed the lead on ABC comedy pilot “Suburgatory” and was recently seen on Showtime’s new hit series “Shameless” starring William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum. THR also reports Levy will be making her feature debut alongside John Krasinski and Olivia Thirlby in “Nobody Walks”, which begins filming soon.

“Fun Size” will begin filming in May and will predictably aim for a Halloween release in October.

Thomas Mann joins “Fun Size” and “As Cool As I Am”

April 21, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Thomas Mann – the 20 year old up and coming actor, not to be confused with the famed German novelist – is gearing up for a busy 2011. Variety reports the young thesp is in final negotiations to star opposite Victoria Justice in “Fun Size”, and will also be taking on a strong supporting role in “As Cool As I Am” with James Marsden and Clarie Danes. The two films will both shoot next month so Mann’s scheduling is currently being hammered out, but he is expected to be able to do both.

“Fun Size”, “The O.C.” and “Gossip Girl” creator Josh Schwartz’s feature directorial debut, is a Halloween comedy caper about a sarcastic teenage girl named Wren (Justice) who takes her little brother trick-or-treating but loses him and must track him down before their parents find out. Mann will play Roosevelt, a member of the school’s debate team who harbors a secret crush on Wren. Though he’s a by-the-books kind of guy, he’s roped into joining her on her shenanigans to find her brother. Mann will play a similarly lovelorn teenager in “As Cool as I Am”, which revolves around a 16 year old Montana girl and her issues with her self-absorbed parents (Marsden and Danes). The girl has not yet been cast, but Mann will play her best friend who falls in love with her.

Mann seems to be gearing up as one to watch. With a few small guest-starring TV roles under his belt, he made his feature film debut just last year in Zack Galafianakis-Emma Roberts dramedy “It’s Kind of a Funny Story”. He’s currently filming “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters” opposite Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton and recently wrapped “Project X,” the Todd Phillips-produced teen comedy that releases on November 23.

Hailee Steinfeld to star in Paramount’s “Forgotten”

February 18, 2011 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Casting 3 Comments

She’s 14, she received critical acclaim for her first film ever in the Coen Brothers’ True Grit, and oh yeah, she got an Oscar nomination to go along with it!

So it’s no wonder that Paramount Pictures are keeping their young star Hailee Steinfeld close. And now Deadline have exclusively revealed that Paramount have just signed a deal for the screen rights to a new novel, just for Steinfeld.

“Forgotten”, by Cat Patrick, follows London Lane, “a 16-year old whose memory is erased at 4:33 every night. The following morning, all she can remember are events from her future. After meeting a new boy at school, London becomes frustrated that she can’t seem to find him in her memory of things to come.” The novel will be published in June by Little Brown, and there are no dates set for production yet. The film will be produced by Josh Scwartz (“The OC”) and Stephanie Savage (“Gossip Girl”).