Five testing for male lead opposite Shailene Woodley in 'The Fault in Our Stars'

The adaptation of John Green's best-selling novel The Fault in Our Stars has potential to be huge, which is why Fox is playing it smart in casting the two crucial lead roles. A number of actresses fought hard for the part of cancer patient Hazel Lancaster, but the author seemed to get his wish when the the highly sought-after Shailene Woodley won out. Now it looks as if the competition for the role of Augustus "Gus" Waters is going to be just as fierce.

Woodley's star power is definitely on the rise, especially with her upcoming appearances in The Amazing Spider-Man sequel and Divergent, but fox doesn't look to be aiming for someone of equal stature to play love her love interest. Nat Wolff (Admission), Nick Robinson (The Kings of Summer), Brenton Thwaites (Maleficent), Noah Silver (The Borgias), and Ansel Elgort (Carrie) are all testing to play Augustus. The film follows the funny and heartbreaking relationship between Hazel, a teen stricken with thyroid cancer, and August, a charming boy she meets in a cancer support group.

The chemistry between the two leads is paramount, so it's likely that Woodley will be there when testing takes place. Most of the contenders are unknowns, hoping that a slew of upcoming projects will help change that. Wolff recently co-starred with Tina Fey in Admission, while Robinson has the Sundance hit The Kings of Summer under his belt. Elgort may have a leg up as he's already starring with Woodley in Divergent. Thwaites was rumored for Transformers 4 until Michael Bay ultimately chose Jack Reynor. Silver has three indie films slated for this year, but it's unlikely any of them are going to make him a household name.

(500) Days of Summer and The Spectacular Now duo Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber will adapt the script, with Josh Boone (Stuck in Love) directing. [Variety]