Sure Shots: Zac Efron; S.H.I.E.L.D.; Samantha Barks

 * Ok, so this was a weird year for Zac Efron. He played the most unlikely war veteran ever in The Lucky One; had Nicole Kidman take a whizz on his face in The Paperboy; and pretty much saw his turn in Ramin Bahrani's At Any Price get soundly ignored. So much for trying to grow up and do more mature stuff. He's not done, though, and next year he'll be joining the cast of Parkland, the Tom Hanks-produced film based on the aftermath of the JFK assassination. Directed and adapted by Peter Landesman, the story centers on the events taking place in the Parkland Hospital in Dallas after Kennedy was shot. Efron will play Dr. Charles Carrico, one of the first surgeons to see the President after he was admitted. He'll be joined by the Paul Giamatti, Jacki Weaver, Billy Bob Thornton, and the newly added Marcia Gay Harden.

* With production set to begin shortly on Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot, the sixth and final primary cast member has been brought aboard. Nashville's Chloe Bennett will play Skye, “a confident woman who is slightly obsessed with superhero culture and the shadow organizations that exist within it. She’s edgy and can out-talk anyone with her unflappable nature.” She'll join Ming-Na Wen, Clark Gregg, Brett Dalton, Elizabeth Henstridge, and Ian De Caestecker in the series that expands the cinematic universe of Marvel's The Avengers. Joss Whedon will write and direct the pilot for a potential slot on the ABC fall schedule.

* I guess when you're as vocally gifted as Les Miserables' Samantha Barks, you don't stray too far from your strengths. She's now set to star in Walking On Sunshine, a musical comedy starring Kylie Minogue and set to 1980s pop tunes. Did they not see Rock of Ages? More importantly, did they not see Rock of Ages' box office? Anyway, the film is directed by Max Giwa and Dania Pasquini(Street Dance 3D) and follows a mother and daughter who fall in love with the same man in Spain. Ugh this sounds brutal, but at least it will feature choreography from John O'Connell, best known for the work he's done with Baz Luhrmann. [The Wrap]