Sam Worthington Keeps Pursuing 'Next Big Thing' Status With Comic Adaptation

[devincf]

http://chud.com/articles/articles/21...ION/Page1.html

[Tati]

He's already gotten way more success and bigger profile roles than Gretchen Mole.
And i like the guy, i enjoyed his Marcus on T4 and am very much looking forward to Clash of the Titans.

The idea of the film sounds gimmicky, yet fun.

[EdHocken]

Never heard of this book, it almost seems Chaykin-esque. As for Worthington being Gretchen Mol? I figure that's already been picked up by Channing Tatum.

[LazerRanger]

I thought he and Anton Yelchin came out of T4 the best with pretty decent compelling performances and like what I've seen of his work in Avatar so far (Avatar day 20 minute preview). I've even seen the Australian gangster Macbeth he did, which while a bit messy was a good performance.

I think he has the potential to be the next big thing (or the next Colin Farrell) but I think we'll know after Clash of the Titans as it will either solidfy his ascent to the A-List if Avatar does well or give him another bite at the blockbuster apple if it tanks.

Edit: Think he has more natural charisma than Channing Tatum has been able to communicate so far in the movies I've seen of his.

[Hundred]

So, is this guy any good? I haven't seen him in anything.

[The Rain Dog]

Originally Posted by Hundred

So, is this guy any good? I haven't seen him in anything.

I do keep repeating myself but you guys haven't really seen what Worthington can do yet - as someone who's been following his career for the last 7 years or so, I can really say that he has absolute talent and charisma to burn. Whether the whole Hollywood pushing him onto the viewing public will circumvent that and just end up pissing people off is yet to be seen, but by this time next year we'll all know if the Worthington experiment has been a success or not I reckon.

Watch the guys aussie stuff for a real sense of his talent if you non-aussies can get your hands on it. Dirty Deeds (with Bryan Brown and John Goodman) is one of his earliest flicks, Gettin' Square (with an utterly hilarious turn by David Wenhem) is probably my favorite of his and Sommersault (the film that really alerted Hollywood to both him and Abbie Cornish) is a pretty great drama.

Point being tho, I think Worthington would have eneded up in this position regardless of whether he became Hollywoods darling or not. The guy honestly is a great actor and has real honest-to-goodness potential to end up our next great export in the dramatic/action star, Russell Crowe mould.

[mcnooj82]

Liked him a lot in T4, and what I've seen of him so far in Avatar. So I'm rooting for him.

[Jeb]

Remender's a pretty sharp writer, and if the book's up to his usual standard, could make for a fun movie. About Worthington, I have no real opinion yet, as I think that T:S (Eliot?) is all I've seen him in.

[BrundleFlyboy]

Anyone else see him in Greg McLean's Wolf Creek follow up Rogue? He's not the lead in it but he didn't half bring the charisma...damn good Jaws style film too.

[E.T.C.]

What is it about this guy that people are seeing that I'm not seeing?

He has no charisma, no charm and no apparent ability to emote or actually act.
And granted, I've only seen him in the Terminator Salvation film, but Robert Patrick had far more of an impact on me with just a few scenes and with his barely speaking only a few lines in T2 than Worthington did in the entirety of Salvation.


I just don't see anything from Worthington other than being a fratboy who wandered into a casting call and got hired 'cause McG was chugging from a keg while doing handstands.

[Bradito]

I'd like to get paid by some actor to go to Comic Con and find his next project.

[The Rain Dog]

Originally Posted by E.T.C.

I just don't see anything from Worthington other than being a fratboy who wandered into a casting call and got hired 'cause McG was chugging from a keg while doing handstands.

Refer to my post above. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

[Princess Kate]

1) I like Gretchen Mol. I think her name did her no favors though..

2) From Today's article:

In a near-future America, news has broken that, in a matter of weeks, the government is set to roll out mind-control technology that will kill the criminal impulse in all citizens. Chaos descends on America's cities as the country braces for the new order. Career criminal Graham Brick is forced to accelerate the heist of his career with an untested new crew in order to beat the deadline. What could possibly go wrong?

"It's really motivated by Mamet's 'Heist' film and James Ellroy's [novel] 'American Tabloid'," [creator Rick] Remender explained. "Ellroy being an example of the kind of hard-boiled crime that has a socio-political backdrop and Mamet's 'Heist' a very well-thought out film that focuses on the heist

I feel sick reading that. I love Ellroy, and it's clear that whoever said that has never read a page of Ellroy in their life. Goddamnit

[Jake]

Originally Posted by BrundleFlyboy

Anyone else see him in Greg McLean's Wolf Creek follow up Rogue? He's not the lead in it but he didn't half bring the charisma...damn good Jaws style film too.

I don't remember seeing much fanfare about this one when it hit despite Wolf Creek being talked up quite a bit when it came out. I'll check it out - I still really haven't seen ANYTHING with Worthington in it (haven't brought myself to watch Salvation, but that's mostly because of the Bale factor), but with all the Avatardation, I'm sort of intrigued.

[Ryan S~]

I'm gonna give the Oz movies a try, Rain Dog, but I have yet to be impressed by him. I thought Terminator was bad for all involved. Avatar won't be his fault if the acting is poor. It's kinda to pull off Cameron's dialogue without seeming like a douchebag. Maybe he'll be the real thing but I think it'll take a Lethal Weapon or Die Hard style role to see what he really brings as an action hero.

[The Rain Dog]

Yeah but Ryan, Hollywood doesn't really do Lethal Weapon or Die Hard style roles anymore does it. I reckon the closest we'll get is going to be Titans.

[Ryan S~]

Originally Posted by The Rain Dog

Yeah but Ryan, Hollywood doesn't really do Lethal Weapon or Die Hard style roles anymore does it. I reckon the closest we'll get is going to be Titans.

Yeah, I know, and don't think that doesn't depress the hell out of me. How about something like Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang? Wait, they'll never do that kinda movie again, either.

[Whirlybird]

Originally Posted by Ryan S~

Yeah, I know, and don't think that doesn't depress the hell out of me. How about something like Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang? Wait, they'll never do that kinda movie again, either.

They never did that movie in the first place, it was more an indie effort.

[Greg Clark]

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang was bankrolled by Warner. It got dumped, but it wasn't even close to being an indie.

[Holistic]

I don't think the Worthington experiment will work. Not saying he isn't a talented actor (I haven't seen his Aussie films, so I can't pass full judgement), but there has been a rash of "re-heated Russell Crowe's" pushed onto the public in recent years, and none of them really seem likely to be the "next great leading man/actor".

Eric Bana is a really talented actor (and to be honest, if Worthington had given an Australian performance that made as much of an impact as Bana in CHOPPER or Crowe in ROMPER STOMPER, I think he would have been able to create a buzz with movie fans on his own, without being picked up by studios to be touted as the latest Hollywood "it boy") but Hollywood's attempts to turn him into "Russell Crowe, mark 2" have really taken the wind out of Bana's sails. Stuff like TROY, HULK and THE OTHER BOELYN GIRL, just made Bana seem like a poor man's Crowe, without the Oscar nominations and Best Picture wins to back him up. All the things that made Bana seem like such an interesting and unique prospect in CHOPPER, have been very much stripped away from him in Hollywood's failed attempts to turn him into the next big leading man. I think Bana's turn as Nero in the new STAR TREK may possibly suggest a future as a character actor.

Gerad Butler is the same.He's playing all these gruff, or gruff and sensitive tough guys in roles that you imagined Crowe probably turned down, and he's looking like a cut-price version as well. 300, LAW ABIDING CITZEN ect.

These guys can all act. But they are bringing nothing different to the table. When I see Worthington, all I see is yet another decent actor being promoted in Hollywood and told to regurgitate Crowe's Mr Masculinity schtick, because it worked so well in LA CONFIDENTIAL and GLADIATOR (among others).

I really have no idea who the next great leading man/actor will be, but I suspect it'll be someone more interesting than Worthington appears to be at present.

[MightyWorm]

I've only seen Worthington in T4 and ROGUE. I found him fun (though not amazing) in ROGUE and fairly dull in T4. Thus far I'm getting kind of a Colin Farrell vibe. I don't mean personality-wise. Just that he's been cast in a zillion things right off the bat, and like Farrel he might prove to lack star power. Stars need to grow organically. Orlando Bloom may have lucked into two of the biggest trilogies of the past decade, but he can't sell a movie for shit. Because people aren't seeing his movies for him.

I'll wait to for CLASH OF THE TITANS to officially cast my vote on Worthington, but thus far I'm not impressed.

[Abbott & Prospero]

Originally Posted by Holistic

I think Bana's turn as Nero in the new STAR TREK may possibly suggest a future as a character actor.

Heh. What?

[JacknifeJohnny]

I recall an article where some casting agent or studio suit or went on about how Australia is Hollywood's current go to place for masculine, potential leading men (the "play butch", but ultimately fey Hugh Jackman being an exception). All that previous imported merchandise is either broken or outmoded, so Worthington is next in line. However, if I were a betting man, I wouldn't put a dime on him, and this is irrespective of talent.

[The Rain Dog]

Originally Posted by Holistic

I don't think the Worthington experiment will work. Not saying he isn't a talented actor (I haven't seen his Aussie films, so I can't pass full judgement), but there has been a rash of "re-heated Russell Crowe's" pushed onto the public in recent years, and none of them really seem likely to be the "next great leading man/actor".

Eric Bana is a really talented actor (and to be honest, if Worthington had given an Australian performance that made as much of an impact as Bana in CHOPPER or Crowe in ROMPER STOMPER, I think he would have been able to create a buzz with movie fans on his own, without being picked up by studios to be touted as the latest Hollywood "it boy") but Hollywood's attempts to turn him into "Russell Crowe, mark 2" have really taken the wind out of Bana's sails. Stuff like TROY, HULK and THE OTHER BOELYN GIRL, just made Bana seem like a poor man's Crowe, without the Oscar nominations and Best Picture wins to back him up. All the things that made Bana seem like such an interesting and unique prospect in CHOPPER, have been very much stripped away from him in Hollywood's failed attempts to turn him into the next big leading man. I think Bana's turn as Nero in the new STAR TREK may possibly suggest a future as a character actor.

Gerad Butler is the same.He's playing all these gruff, or gruff and sensitive tough guys in roles that you imagined Crowe probably turned down, and he's looking like a cut-price version as well. 300, LAW ABIDING CITZEN ect.

These guys can all act. But they are bringing nothing different to the table. When I see Worthington, all I see is yet another decent actor being promoted in Hollywood and told to regurgitate Crowe's Mr Masculinity schtick, because it worked so well in LA CONFIDENTIAL and GLADIATOR (among others).

I really have no idea who the next great leading man/actor will be, but I suspect it'll be someone more interesting than Worthington appears to be at present.

While I don't disagree, I'd argue that what you're describing is a failure of mainstream Hollywood rather than the actors in question.