5 Biggest Breakout Box Office Stars Of 2024

2024 has offered some exciting new cinematic releases, demonstrating the up-and-coming stars who are bringing fans to the box office. 2024 was a shaky year for movie finances, with blockbusters like Borderlands, The Fall Guy, and Joker 2 performing well below expectations. Some of the year’s biggest box office success stories, however, resulted from the leadership of Hollywood’s rising stars.

Movie stars fluctuate in popularity faster than the eye can see, as an acclaimed hit can see an actor receiving roles to last them the next few years, while one flop can result in immediate devastation for their career. Though some young actors’ movies didn’t pan out as they’d hoped, others found success with multiple releases and will likely be returning for some of 2025’s most anticipated movies.

5

Emma Corrin

Deadpool & Wolverine, Nosferatu

Emma Corrin is sort of an exception, as they didn’t play the lead in either of their 2024 film releases. That being said, they were in the highest-grossing live-action movie of the year in Deadpool & Wolverine as the main villain, and also played a crucial role in Nosferatu, which is only just beginning to find success after its Christmas Day release.

Corrin is best known for their role in The Crown, where they played Princess Diana in the fourth season, earning an Emmy Nomination for the role. Their career has begun to take off since, with more high-profile gigs, including the leading role in the FX series A Murder at the End of the World. Following their two 2024 releases, they’ll likely continue to find success in supporting performances in major movies.

4

Maika Monroe

Longlegs

Horror is the genre that can most often yield impressive box office results while being made for cheap, and that was the case for Neon’s Longlegs. The budget for the film was reportedly less than $10 million, and it managed to gross over $120 million worldwide. This was in part due to the curiosity surrounding Nicolas Cage’s portrayal of the titular villain, but it was Maika Monroe who won the day as the breakout star.

She’s since earned another starring role in a Neon horror movie called Brides

Nicolas Cage is excellent in Longlegs, but it’s Maika Monroe’s movie. She’s unbelievable as the lead, Lee Harker, and though the movie wasn’t quite the terrifying phenomenon many had hoped for, she’ll still find notable career success in the aftermath. She’s since earned another starring role in a Neon horror movie called Brides, meaning she could find a niche as a box office scream queen in the 2020s.

3

Paul Mescal

Gladiator II

Paul Mescal first received worldwide recognition for his role in the miniseries Normal People before kicking off his movie stardom with an Oscar nomination for Aftersun. Since then, he’s become one of the world’s most coveted movie stars, landing multiple prominent roles. The first of those roles was the lead character in the cast of Gladiator II, picking up the mantle of Ridley Scott’s Best Picture-winning franchise over two decades after the original.

Gladiator II arrived just shy of its predecessor, earning $422 million at the worldwide box office. While it wasn’t as successful as the original, it solidifies Paul Mescal’s position as one of the most desirable leading men in Hollywood. His upcoming roles include Chloé Zhao’s next film, Richard Linklater’s adaptation of Merrily We Roll Along, and a movie called The History of Sound, where he’ll co-star alongside another rising star in Josh O’Connor.

2

Glen Powell

Anyone But You, Twisters

After playing a role in the ensemble of Top Gun: Maverick, Glen Powell’s career changed overnight, with him being offered a slew of roles in blockbuster films. 2024 is the first year to show the results of his rise to stardom. Though Anyone But You hit theaters in December 2023, the majority of its box office came in early 2024, seeing $220 million come in on a $25 million budget.

Glen Powell’s first 2024 movie didn’t come out in cinemas, but Hit Man found success streaming on Netflix, and it’s another example of a rising star working with a renowned filmmaker in Richard Linklater. Twisters was Glen Powell’s biggest hit of the year, with the reboot raking in over $370 million worldwide. None of these are Top Gun: Maverick-level hits, but they’re proof that Glen Powell is here to stay, and his lineup for 2025, including the remake of Stephen King’s The Running Man, should continue to pile on his success.

1

Cailee Spaeny

Civil War, Alien: Romulus

It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that Cailee Spaeney is the box office rising star champion of 2024. In the early 2020s, she appeared in prominent TV shows like Devs and Mare of Easttown, leading to roles in high-profile movies. Her award-nominated performance in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, where she played Priscilla Presley opposite Jacob Elordi, saw her earn praise, but 2024 was the year she began finding success in blockbusters.

She led the cast of A24’s $124 million-grossing film Civil War alongside Kirsten Dunst. Her biggest hit, however, was Alien: Romulus, which not only grossed $350 million worldwide but rejuvenated interest in a franchise that had been losing steam in recent iterations. Cailee Spaeny could return in an Alien: Romulus sequel, but first, she’ll be appearing in the next season of the award-winning Netflix anthology series Beef.