While the young actor of the moment is currently Oscar nominee Quvenzhané Wallis, a couple of other talents in the past few years have earned attention while not being legally able to drink. Shailene Woodley impressed with her breakout turn in "The Descendants" in 2011, while just the year before, Hailee Steinfeld nabbed an Oscar nod for her performance in "True Grit." It's no surprise Hollywood wants to tap that talent, and they're both being sought for the lead in a new project.
Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, the screenwriting duo behind “(500) Days of Summer” and Sundance darling “The Spectacular Now” (featuring Woodley) penned the script for the adaptation of John Green’s “The Fault in Our Stars.” Josh Boone — the man behind the soon-to-be-released “Stuck In Love,” formerly known as “Writers” — is set to direct, and producers have apparently narrowed down their lead to either Woodley or Steinfeld.
Critically acclaimed screenwriters, check. Rising star as your lead, check. As for the source material? Well, it was one of the most critically acclaimed novels from last year and it follows “a teenage girl stricken with terminal cancer who falls for a boy in her support group. The two form a bond as they deal with their illnesses.” It seems the studio is moving fast on the project, with plans to shoot this summer. Woodley is likely the busiest of the pair with both "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" and "Divergent" on her slate, so it could be down to scheduling. Meanwhile, Steinfeld's calendar seems a bit more flexible. [THR]
