Christian Bale's unhinged acting in *The Dark Knight *and viral rant on the Terminator Salvation set have made the actor a household name. So why is some dude known by few people outside Australia on track to steal Bale's thunder in Hollywood?
The buzz in Hollyweird, and on the even weirder internet, is that Bale's Terminator Salvation co-star Sam Worthington is primed for a blockbuster breakout. After McG's *Terminator *sequel, Worthington will appear in James Cameron's Avatar before sliding into Perseus' sandals in a Clash of the Titans remake due in 2010.
Cameron reportedly called Worthington the breakout star of both *Terminator Salvation and **Avatar. *Fiery director McG touted the actor's *Terminator Salvation *performance during his recent promo push for the movie at San Francisco's WonderCon.
Rumors of other high-profile roles are floating as well: Worthington might steal Batman's cowl from Bale's face for a Dark Knight sequel, according to a report in Australia's Herald Sun, or don the ring of power in the live-action Green Lantern film, due in 2010.
If rumors come true, and production schedules hold, it seems logical that Worthington will be a well-known actor by the second decade of the 21st century.
So far, the rumors on Green Lantern and the next Batman movie remain just that. And as some have noted, casting for the Dark Knight follow-up haven't even begun, so it is beyond a stretch to think that Worthington will boot Bale. (Remember, though, that at one point it seemed like lunacy that Michael Keaton would star as Batman.)
For a similar rise to fame, you need look no further than Hugh Jackman, another Australian actor who made his bones in genre films. No one had ever heard of Jackman before he starred as Wolverine in Bryan Singer's otherwise tepid X-Men trilogy. Now he's hosting Oscars, starring in sci-fi brain-teasers like Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain and much more.
Is Worthington next? Until Terminator Salvation and Avatar hit, all bets are off. But smart bettors should onto their chips. You just never know who is going to hit the Hollywood jackpot.
Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures
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