For the fifth year Screen International has put out their annual list of the next big things in UK Cinema. The UK Stars of Tomorrow is considered a major launching pad for fresh talent both in front and behind the camera. Past honorees include the wanted James McAvoy, the irresistible Emily Blunt, and the prince himself Ben Barnes. Unfortunately the only equivalent we have here in the states is the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, but I digress. This year’s list features some 40 actors, directors, animators, writers and producers vying for industry glory. Four names I think you should keep an eye on:
Carey Mulligan
After making her debut in Joe Wright’s Pride & Prejudice, she will be seen in both Jim Sheridan’s upcoming Brothers and alongside Christian Bale and Johnny Depp in Michael Mann’s gangster flick Public Enemies – not bad!
Christian McKay
He’ll be playing a young Orson Welles for Richard Linklater… need I say more?
Georgia Groome
Can Gurinder Chadha’s golden touch strike again? After making stars out of relative unknowns Keira Knightley and Parminder Nagra in Bend it Like Beckham she’s going with another unknown in Groome to carry her latest Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.
Dev Patel
The young man is already making big moves starring alongside the great Irfan Khan in Danny Boyle’s next Slumdog Millionaire (which our fearless leader Eric tells me is shaping up to be something special).
The 2008 Stars Of Tomorrow are:
Actors
- Ben Aldridge
- Claire Foy
- Olly Alexander
- Scarlett Johnson
- Michelle Dockery
- Tom Hiddleston
- Aaron Johnson
- Jack O’Connell
- Charles Mnene
- Gugu Mbatha-Raw
- Georgia Groome
- Christian McKay
- Carey Mulligan
- Olivia Hallinan
- Edward Hogg
- Kaya Scodelario
- Dev Patel
- Charlotte Riley
- Colin Morgan
Film-Makers
- Andrew Haigh (writer-director)
- Esther May Campbell (writer-director)
- Daisy Donovan (writer)
- Tom Marshall (writer-director)
- Laura Rees (producer)
- China Moo-Young (director)
- Virginia Gilbert (writer-director)
- Sebastian Godwin (writer-director)
- Hugo Godwin (producer)
- Michael Lesslie (writer)
- Janis Pugh (writer-director)
- Joseph Pierce (writer-director-animator)
- Jeremy Lovering (writer-director)
- Justin Trefgarne (writer-director)
- Polly Stenham (writer)
- Matthew Walker (writer-director-animator)
- Jane Linfoot (writer-director)
