Good fortune likely awaits these 10 stars in 2006:
Matt Damon
The Good Shepherd (Dec. 22); The Departed (TBA); Margaret (TBA)
How best to bounce back from a Brothers Grimm 2005? By hooking up with two GoodFellas. Martin Scorsese presides over the cat-and-mouse game that is The Departed, an Americanized Infernal Affairs. And The Good Shepherd–with Damon playing real-life CIA agent James Wilson–finds Robert De Niro behind the cameras for the first time since 1993’s A Bronx Tale and going for Oscar gold.
Tim Allen
The Shaggy Dog (March 10); Zoom (Aug. 8); The Santa Clause 3 (Nov. 3)
The former Home Improvement guru couldn’t build audience for his adult comedies, so he’s back to cracking up the entire family. Luckily for Allen, The Santa Clause is the Christmas gift that keeps on giving. And kids who love Allen as a hairy, plump Santa will probably love him as The Shaggy Dog. And Zoom could fly high if it’s the superhero equivalent of Galaxy Quest.
Daniel Craig
The Visiting (Aug. 11); Infamous (Oct. 13); Casino Royale (Nov. 17)
The new James Bond isn’t a familiar face like his predecessor, Pierce Brosnan. That’s certainly something of a risk for a franchise notorious for its conservative handling of 007. And the tightly wound Craig might evoke memories of Timothy Dalton, who failed to win over Bond aficionados with his seriousness and intensity. But if he’s as dashing and deadly as Brosnan, Craig will walk out of Casino Royale a household name.
Robert Downey Jr.
Game 6 (March 3); The Shaggy Dog (March 10); A Scanner Darkly (March 31); Lucky You (April 6); Fur (TBA); A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (TBA); Zodiac (TBA)
Guess Downey’s taking one day at a time by maintaining a Will Ferrell-ish work pace. Yes, he’s walking The Shaggy Dog for a paycheck. But Fur, with Nicole Kidman as photographer Diane Arbus, and Zodiac could make fine companion pieces to Good Night, and Good Luck. OK, so we’ll probably be sick of Downey by Easter, but it’s good to see him back on his feet.
Sarah Michelle Gellar
The Return (Sept. 8); The Grudge 2 (Oct. 20); Southland Tales (TBA)
Finally, Gellar takes a break from thwarting evil spirits. In Southland Tales, her porn star uses sex as a weapon to achieve mainstream acceptance. No, this isn’t another Boogie Nights, but the newest enigma from Donnie Darko’s Richard Kelly. And it’s Gellar’s best opportunity to put Buffy behind her. If she fails, she’ll try to dethrone Scream Queen Naomi Watts with The Grudge 2 and The Return.
Hugh Jackman
X-Men 3 (May 26); Flushed Away (Nov. 3); Happy Feet (Nov. 17); The Fountain (TBA); Scoop (TBA)
Jackman’s the heart and soul of the X-Men franchise, which can survive the hiring of Rush Hour director Brett Ratner if he lets Wolverine go berserk. But Jackman’s wisely moving forward as though a Wolverine spinoff isn’t inevitable. The Fountain could be the coolest head trip of the year, and, with Scoop, Woody Allen should be the first director to take full advantage of Jackman’s comic flair.
Beyonce Knowles
The Pink Panther(Feb. 10); Dreamgirls (Dec. 22)
With Destiny’s Child now history, Beyonce can turn her attention back to her acting career. Forget The Pink Panther, with Steve Martin seemingly miscast as Inspector Clouseau. It’s Dreamgirls that may leave audiences singing Beyonce’s praises. With Chicago screenwriter Bill Condon directing, and Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy costarring, this Motown-ish musical could do for Beyoncé what The Bodyguard did for Whitney Houston.
Scarlett Johansson
A Good Woman (Feb. 3); The Black Dahlia (TBA); Scoop (TBA)
Has Woody Allen found a new muse? As an encore to Match Point, Johansson’s Scooped the competition by landing the lead in Allen’s latest comedy. Better a reunion with Allen than with Michael Bay. Perhaps Johansson also can work her charms on Brian De Palma. He’s trying to break out of his creative slump with The Black Dahlia, a fictionalized look at the 1947 murder of actress Elizabeth Short.
Lindsay Lohan
Just My Luck (May 12); A Prairie Home Companion (June 9); Bobby (TBA)
What with the recent revelations about her personal life, Lohan’s picked the perfect time to prove there’s more to her than Disney remakes. Sure, Just My Luck sounds like a Kate Hudson hand-me-down, but A Prairie Home Companion could make or break Lohan. If she can keep pace with Meryl Streep, and thrive under the demanding Robert Altman, then she’ll never need to take Herbie for another spin.
Brandon Routh
Superman Returns (June 30)
The no-name soap hunk fighting for truth, justice and the American way could have been Matthew Bomer. But that was when Brett Ratner tried to resurrect Superman. Then the task fell on X-Men’s Bryan Singer, who cast this no-name soap hunk as the Man of Steel. Singer made Hugh Jackman a star. Odds are he’ll do the same with Routh if this Superman soars.
