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With Priscilla in theaters and Saltburn on the horizon, it's a good time to be Jacob Elordi. Or, alternatively, one of his fans. After terrorizing the characters of Euphoria and skating by the Kissing Booth movies without much effort, the Australian actor is proving to be a force to be reckoned with and an auteur magnet to boot. For Sofia Coppola, he's Elvis perceived through a prism of domestic nightmare, proposing a take on the legend that should be antithetical to last year's Luhrmann-directed biopic. In Emerald Fennell's sophomore feature, his statuesque figure is framed as an object of perilous desire cum obsession, like a British twist on Highsmith's Dickie Greenleaf. It's fair to say that the erstwhile HBO hunk is on his way to becoming a movie star…
It seems unlikely that the actor's efforts will result in the Academy's golden plaudits, one must admit. As far as teen heartthrobs turned serious actors, Charles Melton seems likelier to make an impression in the season with his acclaimed turn in May December. In any case, the Oscars aren't everything, even if we sometimes make them out to be the center of the universe. Elordi has the industry's attention alright. Moreover, being one of the few entertainers able to promote his movie during the strike gives him enormous visibility with the broader public. So much so that even folks who were heretofore unaffected by his charms seem to be falling for the giant's spell.
Beyond Priscilla and Saltburn, Elordi also stars in The Sweet East, which premiered at Cannes and is scheduled for a December 1st limited release. That film boasts a screenplay by renowned film critic Nick Pinkerton, and a cast full of up-and-comers. After 2023, he has a slew of other projects mapped out, of which Paul Schrader's Oh, Canada is the most exciting. He's on the rise, unstoppable and brilliant bright, to the point it seems fair to say we'll be seeing a lot more of Jacob Elordi in the coming years. Funnily enough, his biggest obstacle may be Euphoria, whose third season looms large with the promise of contractual obligations and Sam Levinson's dubious vision.
Are you excited about Jacob Elordi's ascendancy to stardom, or would you rather see this attention fall on another promising actor?