“Zada Bing!” That’s the print headline on Rebecca Ford’s profile of rising star Joseph Zada, who anchors not one but two major projects this fall: East of Eden, where he plays a role made famous by James Dean (no pressure), and The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, where he plays the younger version of the character Woody Harrelson plays in the original film series. (So again, no presh.) Zada, who posed for VF wearing his Wolf of Wall Street best, seems fairly unfazed by his imminent fame—even though he had to fight like a scrappy kid from District 12 to get that Hunger Games role. “They put me through what felt like an unnecessary hell until I got there and I was shooting,” he says. “And then you understand that it is necessary to put someone through a long and hard process because that’s what the film is.”
Elsewhere, Maxwell Adler charts how AI-generated images have stoked rumors of a romance between Michael B. Jordan and Raye (who are not, in fact, dating); Dan Adler digs into the culture of secrecy behind You Can See Everything; and Rebecca Ford also details the balancing act Tom Cruise must strike as awards season unfolds: campaigning for an Oscar without looking like he wants it too badly. (I have seen Digger, and I’d say Cruise is in no danger of getting a nomination for it. But stranger things have happened.) More tomorrow! | 
