Being an actor is a tough job, as being cast in one production doesn't mean a long-term career in the business. There are some actors who started really young and have been working consistently ever since. One example is the American actor Josh Hutcherson. Hutcherson's filmography has over 50 projects as an actor, and he is only 29 years old. But even being already established in the business does not mean that all deals go through, as in the case of Big Hero 6. The actor, alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Freddie Highmore, was originally supposed to be a part of the cast.
One of the things that are nice to notice in a resume as extensive as Hutcherson's is that he has a tendency to work on projects from specific genres, especially action, and adventure-orientated stories. His next project will diverge from that. It is the movie adaptation of the horror video game Five Nights at Freddy's. The movie's much-awaited trailer dropped a few days ago.
Here are his top 15 best-ranked movies according to the website Rotten Tomatoes.
15 Escobar: Paradise Lost – 55%
Escobar: Paradise Lost has Benicio Del Toro as one of the most famous drug lords in recent history, Pablo Escobar. Hutcherson plays a young surfer who gets involved with Escobar's niece, Maria (Claudia Traisac). The movie was Andrea Di Stefano's directorial debut and was based on a true story regarding a boyfriend to Escobar's real niece who got in trouble because of her uncle's business. The director was also inspired by a man that worked for Escobar and was murdered so that he couldn't snitch. Nevertheless, Hutcherson's character is fictional and not an actual representation of the boyfriend.
14 The Polar Express – 56%
The Polar Express is a 3D-animated adaptation of the children's novel of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg. Set during Christmas, the film focuses on none other than Santa Claus. The characters don't have normal names per se, as they are usually called by their description, as Father (Tom Hanks), for example. Hutcherson did additional motion capture for the main character, Hero Boy, voiced by Daryl Sabara.
13 Journey to the Center of the Earth – 61%
It is a common thread in Hutcherson's career that he enjoys making action movies and adaptations of novels. So, the 2008 adaptation of Julio Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth was right up his alley. Brendan Fraser plays Trevor Anderson, Sean Anderson (Hutcherson)'s uncle. They embark on an expedition in Iceland alongside their guide Hannah (Anita Briem) and get trapped inside a cave.
12 Epic – 64%
Epic is a 3D-animated movie produced by Blue Sky Studios. It's an adventure where a young girl, Mary (Amanda Seyfried), gets tired of her father's (Jason Sudeikis) fantastical stories of unseen people that live in the woods, only for her to accidentally be transported to their world. Hutcherson plays an important character called Nod, who is a part of the fantastical world. Also in the cast are Colin Firth, Beyoncé, Christopher Waltz, and Pitbull.
11 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 – 69%
The lowest movie ranked in the four films that compose The Hunger Games franchise is the penultimate part of this dystopian story. It has a slower pace than all the others, and that amongst other elements didn't make it so favorable. Nonetheless, Hutcherson has a difficult part to play; Peeta has been kidnapped and tortured by the Panem government. His acting was great, and many were left heartbroken at seeing the charming and introverted character in such a state.
10 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 – 70%
The Hunger Games' enticing story ended in 2015. The final movie, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 is a political war that was set in motion in the prior installments. The stakes have never been higher as the main characters make their journey to assassinate President Snow (Donald Sutherland). Peeta had a rough path to get here, and while he will never be the same, he, like the overall story, does get a chance to have a legitimate ending.
9 Zathura: A Space Adventure – 76%
The 2005 adaptation of the novel by Chris Van Allsburg, most known for his book Jumanji, is an adventure about two brothers, Walter (Josh Hutcherson) and Danny (Jonah Bobo), who play a game called Zathura that literally takes them to space. Walter is the middle sibling and tries to be responsible and bear to be in the same room as his younger brother. Zathura: A Space Adventure was directed by John Traveau. Kristen Stewart is also in the cast and plays Lisa, the boys' teenage sister.
8 Little Manhattan – 77%
The actor was 13 years old when he played Gabe, the lead of Little Manhattan. This is a story about young love, specifically, someone's first crush. Gabe falls in love with his karate partner Rosemary (Charlie Ray). It's also a narrative about the start of a relationship and the end of another as Gabe's parents are in the middle of a divorce.
7 Tragedy Girls – 84%
Tragedy Girls is a teen horror comedy that has a lot of twists and turns as two teenage crime reporters catch a serial killer and hold him hostage. However, they quickly realize that if no one commits the crime they won't maintain their status. So, they decide to take the matter into their own hands. Hutcherson plays a smaller role in the movie of the character named Toby Mitchell, who is McKayla (Alexandra Shipp)'s, one of the lead girls, ex-boyfriend.
6 The Hunger Games – 84%
The Hunger Games came out in 2012 and opened the door to other young adult dystopian adaptations. It entered the list of most successful franchises, now taking the 21st spot. It's a violent story that doesn't shy away from explicit death scenes. It was Jennifer Lawrence's big break, and while Hutcherson had been somewhat known in the industry for a while, this was also a big step in his career and is the movie he is most known for.
5 Bridge to Terabithia – 85%
Some movies mark the childhood of a specific generation because of how sad they are. Bridge to Terabithia, released in 2007, is definitely one of them. A fun and adventurous story that takes an impossibly sad twist is an adaptation of the novel by Katherine Paterson. Hutcherson was only 13 when he played one of the leading roles, Jess Aarons, alongside Anna Sophia Robb, who played the outgoing Leslie Burke.
4 Howl's Moving Castle – 87%
Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio that makes incredibly emotional 2D movies with die-hard fans worldwide. One of its most famous ones is Howl's Moving Castle. The story is an adaptation of the book of the same name by the late author Diana Wynne Jones. The movie is originally in Japanese, but Hutcherson voiced the character Markl in the English version of the film.
3 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire – 90%
The third highest score in Hutcherson's resume is the fan-favorite novel adaptation Catching Fire and the second entry to The Hunger Games franchise. Hutcherson dives back into Peeta Mellark's shoes as the Hunger Games winners are placed back into the arena and have to once again fight for their life. It is filled with action, emotional and life-threatening stakes as well as the start of a bigger political game. It is no surprise it got such a high score.
2 The Disaster Artist – 91%
The Disaster Artist is a movie about the creative process of a real movie by Tommy Wiseau, The Room, which now is considered a weird cult classic by some cinema fans. The movie was produced, directed, and acted by James Franco. Franco's brother, Dave Franco, was also a part of it, as well as his wife Alison Brie. Hutcherson plays Philip Haldeman, a student that knows Tommy.
1 The Kids Are All Right – 92%
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The Kids Are All Right is a family drama starring Julianne Moore and Annette Being as a couple. They have two kids, played by Hutcherson and Mia Wasikowska, who were convinced through IVF. The parents go after their child's donor, played by Mark Ruffalo. Complications start when the kids want their father to be a part of their lives.