Hollywood producer claims Glen Powell outshines Ryan Gosling, says Gosling only appeals to women

In Hollywood, it’s uncommon for stars to experience a consistent rise in their careers. 

A celebrity who dominated headlines just months ago can quickly lose popularity, while another might suddenly emerge. Last year, Ryan Gosling wowed audiences with a blockbuster that became a central part of the Barbenheimer phenomenon during awards season. At the same time, Glen Powell’s Anyone But You contributed to the resurgence of rom-coms. However, in a surprising turn, a Hollywood producer has placed Powell above the Academy’s favorite, Gosling.

Although both Gosling and Powell found success at the box office, Powell’s ability to surpass Gosling, despite Barbie’s dominance during awards season, naturally raises questions about this endorsement. In a recent analysis by TheWrap, which highlighted Powell as a rising star of the 21st century, an anonymous Hollywood producer weighed in following the success of Twisters—which earned over $335 million worldwide—and Anyone But You, which steadily climbed to $220 million in theaters before being acquired by Netflix in the spring. “Unlike an actor like Ryan Gosling, whose appeal is mostly limited to female audiences, Glen appeals to both females and males,” the producer noted.

The producer emphasized that Powell is undeniably a rising star, as audiences eagerly flock to theaters to see him. While his well-known collaboration with Sydney Sweeney on Anyone But You played a role in his rise, Powell’s journey to stardom has been akin to a high-stakes gamble, with each success being a bet on his talent. With producers now comparing him to stars like Gosling, it’s clear that Powell is poised for even greater achievements.

While Powell basks in the success of Anyone But You and Twisters, his upcoming project, The Running Man, is already generating considerable buzz.

In April, TheWrap reported that Glen Powell is set to star in a new adaptation of Stephen King’s The Running Man for Paramount Pictures. Edgar Wright will direct the film, with Michael Bacall co-writing the story and handling the scriptwriting. The project is scheduled to begin production in November. The Running Man is a futuristic sci-fi thriller set in a dystopian America in 2025, where a desperate man, Ben Richards, enters a brutal reality show to win money to save his critically ill daughter. The book was previously adapted into a film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1987, but an insider suggests that this upcoming adaptation will be a more faithful rendition of King’s novel. The big question now is whether Powell’s rising star power will enable him to do justice to the source material.