These days, it seems like a major role in a young adult franchise is pretty much a one-way ticket to stardom. Sure, Jennifer Lawrence and Shailene Woodley had respectable indie hits before they did The Hunger Games and Divergent, but instant recognition and movie star status came from their work in these massive blockbusters adapted from popular literary series. With that in mind, Dylan O'Brien seems poised to be one of the next big teen stars. Not only does he have a supporting role on the CW's underrated Teen Wolf, but he's also the lead character in The Maze Runner, the first film adaptation in a series of three (five, including the two prequels, one released in 2012 and the other due in 2016) by James Dashner. The movie opened to pretty solid numbers and generally good reviews, which is an accomplishment given the media's eagerness to dub any new young adult film adaptation as jumping on the bandwagon. The 23-year-old actor will look to ride his new-found success into next year, with the second Maze Runner film. And look, the fact that he only has four film credits and we already know his name is an incredibly impressive achievement, and one that speaks highly of his future potential.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
