Summer 2012's Hottest Stars

Summer 2012's Hottest Stars!

The summer movie season is here and things are heating up! Here are some of the hot stars set to burn up screens over the next few months.

By Sean O'Connell and Derrick Deane

Andrew Garfield

It seems like only yesterday (or at least 2010) when we were watching The Social Network and wondering who that guy playing Eduardo Saverin was. Garfield suits up as Spider-Man in Marc Webb's reboot, taking a fresh angle on high school genius Peter Parker and rising to the challenge of stopping The Lizard (Rhys Ifans).

Anne Hathaway

IHow do you steal the spotlight away from Christian Bale’s brooding Batman? If you are Anne Hathaway, you pour yourself into a skin-tight Catwoman suit and purr about the frustrations of the 99%. In Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, she seduces Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne...and what wealthy, philanthropic bachelor could resist Hathaway's charm?

Brooklyn Decker

You can thank Adam Sandler for launching Brooklyn Decker's movie career with last year's Just Go With It that Decker made her film debut, seducing the comedian away from Jennifer Aniston. This summer she stars in the baby comedy What to Expect When You’re Expecting and Battleship. Her famous tennis-playing husband Andy Roddick might call that a Grand Slam.

Channing Tatum

This has been the year of Channing Tatum. He romanced Rachel McAdams in The Vow, fought Gina Carano in Haywire, and earned huge laughs alongside Jonah Hill in 21 Jump Street. This summer he cameos in G.I. Joe: Retaliation and strips down in Magic Mike.

Charlize Theron

Only someone as drop-dead gorgeous as Charlize Theron can win an Oscar by going “ugly” for a dramatic role. Now Theron will compete for the title “Universe’s Hottest Astronaut” in Ridley Scott's Prometheus, then tries to kill Kristen Stewart in Snow White and the Huntsman. What's not to love about this woman?!

Chloe Grace Moretz

Admittedly it's a bit creepy to call the 15-year-old Moretz "hot" and in the interest of avoiding an interrogation by Chris Hansen, we'll refer to her career as being hot. She's got six films lined up for 2013, but first up are summer movies with Johnny Depp (Dark Shadows) and an indie flick, Hick with Blake Lively and Alec Baldwin. If 2012 is hot, 2013 is going to be five-alarm blazing.

Chris Evans

How hot is Chris Evans? How about $207 million on opening weekend hot. Evans, who stars as Captain America in Marvel's The Avengers led the group of superheroes to a record-shattering beginning to the summer movie season. He’ll put the shield down long enough to star in The Iceman in 2013.

Chris Hemsworth

Hemsworth.rode a wave of positive critical buzz into summer with Cabin in the Woods, and hammers home his status as busiest hunk with roles in the mega-blockbuster The Avengers and and Snow White and the Huntsman.

Christian Bale

Next to The Avengers, is there a bigger movie due out this summer than Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises? Christian Bale hangs up the batsuit for good after donning the cape and cowl to stop Bane (Tom Hardy) and Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) from destroying Gotham. But he looks best as Bruce Wayne, billionaire playboy with a secret.

Colin Farrell

Colin Farrell seems to be getting better with age. The 35-year-old Irish heartthrob went through his wild-child days, but has settled into some excellent performances in Horrible Bosses, Crazy Heart, Ondine and In Bruges. This summer, he takes over the lead in Total Recall, Underworld director Len Wiseman's reboot with Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel in tow. This film may set a new level of hotness in one summer movie.

Dwayne Johnson

The body-slammin' Samoan sensation plays Roadblock, a tough guy who can fire off some heavy artillery and whip up a killer omelette, in this summer's rebooted sequel, G.I. Joe: Retaliation. As well as his action films perform, it's kind of stunning he hasn't been summoned for Expendables duty yet.

Eva Green

She was a Bond girl (in Casino Royale) and the female leg of a steamy love triangle in The Dreamers. This summer, though, Eva Green will sink her claws into Johnny Depp – literally – by playing a vengeful witch in Tim Burton’s Gothic comedy Dark Shadows. Hottest witch we’ve ever seen.

Emma Stone

In a short amount of time the versatile actress has showcased her skill, charm, beauty and class in films ranging from Zombieland and Superbad to Crazy, Stupid, Love and Oscar-winner The Help. Believe it or not, 2012 could be even bigger for Stone, who’ll romance Spider-Man in the July 3 blockbuster and charm a team of criminals in The Gangster Squad, with Ryan Gosling and Sean Penn.

Jeremy Renner

Jeremy Renner plans on bookending the summer season with a pair of hunky performances. First, the Hurt Locker star hones his bow-and-arrow skills as Hawkeye in The Avengers and then takes over the Bourne franchise in The Bourne Legacy. And the actor’s own legacy grows.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

For years, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has managed to balance blockbusters (Inception, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra) with thoughtful indies (Brick, 500 Days of Summer). With The Dark Knight Rises, Looper, Premium Rush, JGL certainly has an action-packed summer ahead of him. All of this, of course, leads up to his role in Spielberg's Lincoln at the end of the year. Is his career hot? How about scorching?

Jordin Sparks

People might flock to Sparkle to see the final big-screen performance of the late Whitney Houston. But they could leave talking about Jordin Sparks, the "American Idol" winner who has been growing as a big-screen presence. Is she the next Jennifer Hudson, who landed the right role and rode it all the way to the Academy Awards?

Josh Brolin

Who would have thought mimicking Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black 3 would land Josh Brolin on our hot summer stars list? When all is said and done, Josh Brolin’s performance as a young Tommy Lee Jones in MIB3 could end up being our favorite turn of summer 2012. Consider it a warm-up for The Gangster Squad and Oldboy. But Josh? You’ll always be a Goonie to us.

Julianne Hough

Her dancing skills aside, Julianne Hough serves the role of eye candy better than most actresses in Hollywood. She didcut loose in Craig Brewer’s updated Footloose reboot and this summer kicks off her Sunday shoes and perfects her rock scream for Adam Shankman’s big-screen adaptation of the Broadway smash Rock of Ages. If anyone can make the music of Bon Jovi, Poison and Twisted Sister sexy, it’s Hough.

Kate Beckinsale

The sexiest vampire you ever laid eyes on trades in her fangs to hunt down Colin Farrell in Total Recall. She'll have to contend with Jessica Biel as well in an all-out catfight and we're not complaining one bit.

Katrina Bowden

If you're going to represent an actress who appears in a bikini at some point in almost every one of her films, then she better look like Katrina Bowden. After American Reunion and Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, Bowden dives into Piranha 3DD. Let's hope she makes it out alive.

Katy Perry

Katy Perry + 3D. The possibilities are seemingly endless. You may groan at the thought of another fan friendly concert doc taking over theaters, but deep down you know there's a part of you that wants to see newly single Perry's antics--and eye-popping bras. At least she not voicing a Smurf this time around.

Keira Knightley

If it feels like we've watched Keira Knightley grow up before our eyes, it's because we have. She began acting at the age of 8 and since then has starred in three Pirates movies, earned an Oscar nomination and starred in a string of indies. She returns this summer opposite Steve Carell in the dramedy Seeking a Friend for the End of the World before making another Oscar run with Anna Karenina.

Kristen Stewart

Love her or not so much, she's still one to watch. For those who love her, you get to see her in the indie film On the Road before watching her play Snow White in Snow White and the Huntsman. If you hate her, well, root for Charlize Theron.

Mila Kunis

You have to be a little bit crazy to fall in love with a guy who still holds on to his childhood teddy bear. Then again, when the bear talks like Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane, it explains why she's into Mark Wahlberg in this teddy-bear-come-to-life comedy out in July.

Rihanna

Rihanna is a major star. She’s just not a major MOVIE star. She's conquered the music industry, and now RiRi makes the jump to the big screen in a big way playing a Naval weapons specialist in Peter Berg's Battleship.

Taylor Kitsch

We'll brush aside that John Who? movie and focus on Kitsch's next big flick Battleship to keep his big-screen career afloat. And if it tanks, he's still got Oliver Stone's marijuana themed crime thriller Savages--and his good looks--to fall back on.

Aaron Johnson

You may be thinking, "The Kick-Ass guy?! Really?" Yes, really. Johnson, who stars in Oliver Stone's marijuana crime-drama Savages, was voted into our Brit Pack photo gallery by our Fandango fans last year!

Adrianne Palicki

The long-legged turquoise-eyed beauty kicks butt alongside Bruce Willis and fellow hottie Dwayne Johnson as Lady Jaye in G.I. Joe: Retaliation. The one-time Wonder Woman will return later this year for the long-delayed release of Red Dawn as well.

Bradley Cooper

How did Bradley Cooper make this gallery? He's fluent in French, graduated with honors from college and he stars in two summer movies - indie drama The Words with Olivia Wilde and action-comedy Hit and Run with Kristen Bell. Plus he's Bradley freakin' Cooper!

Chris Pine

The future Jack Ryan and on-going younger version of Capt. Kirk from Star Trek walks the indie route this summer with People Like Us. No, not people like you and me, we're not worthy. But with fellow hotties Elizabeth Banks and Olivia Wilde.

Elizabeth Banks

Speaking of Banks, she's had a pretty OK year, so far. That Hunger Games movie did all right. She'll join Chris Pine in People Like Us, but before then, she'll star in the pregnancy ensemble comedy What To Expect When You're Expecting.

Freida Pinto

Easily the hottest thing to come out of India since a plate of Madras curry, Pinto stars in Michael Winterbottom's critically acclaimed indie drama Trishna. Take a good look now because Pinto doesn't have any other projects lined up for the foreseeable future.

Guy Pearce

He withstood a hellish amount of punishment in Luc Besson's space jail action comedy Lockout earlier this year. Now Pearce heads into the summer with one of the most anticipated movies of the year - Ridley Scott's Prometheus. No pressure.

Jamie Chung

True 7500 got bumped to next year, but have no fear--Jamie Chung will still appear with Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the bicycle action movie Premium Rush. That may be the only time you'll ever read the term "bicycle action movie."

Kristen Bell

It's pretty tough to forget about the onetime Sarah Marshall. While Kristen pops up for a brief cameo in Safety Not Guaranteed, she'll share a starring role opposite Bradley Cooper in Hit and Run, written, starring and directed by fiancee Dax Shepard.

Olivia Wilde

You'll be seeing a lot of Olivia Wilde in the next few years. Aside from the five movies she has lined up for 2013, the actress will appear in People Like Us with Chris Pine and The Words with Bradley Cooper.

Salma Hayek

This gallery wouldn't be complete without Salma. Let's face it, she's one of the reasons these kind of galleries even exist. This summer, she stars in Oliver Stone's Savages and caps the year with the action comedy Here Comes the Boom.

Scarlett Johansson

The hottest superheroine since Famke Janssen played Jean Grey and Jessica Alba was Sue Storm, Johansson kicks butt as Black Widow in The Avengers, you know, that movie that's struggling to make money at the box office. She'll be back later this year for the sci-fi flick Under the Skin.

Tom Felton

Not many people can play a meaner (and hotter) villain than Tom Felton. From Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter franchise to the chimp-abusing caretaker in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Felton has certainly shown us all his mean streak. This summer, he turns a new leaf, this time as a hero in horror-thriller The Apparition with co-star Ashley Greene.