Gossip Girl

It took them a few years to do it, but the stars of Gossip Girl have officially made their way into the big leagues! 2011 was the year that gave us many a foray into film, AND the year that officially gave us hope that post-GG, this cast is going to make their way just fine in the film world!

Each of the principle stars invaded cineplexes this year in ways big (Action Star, Blake Lively!) and small (Bit Player, Ed Westwick!), so tell us: Which of their films was your favorite?

Though Green Lantern failed to rake in the big money that studios had hoped, it sparked a lovely little romance between its two stars that is still playing out... months after the box office dwindled. Sure, the computer-generated planet of Oa was a lil’ hokey, but the chemistry between Ryan Reynolds’ Hal Jordan and Blake Lively’s Carol Ferris? That was real! But Green Lantern wasn’t Blake’s only big screen turn in 2011. The GG star also also spent time opposite Chloe Grace Moretz in Hick.

Ed’s starring role this year came in the British comedy Chalet Girl, where he played an upper-cruster (sound familiar?) who falls for the title character. The film never got a wide release in the U.S., though it is available on DVD (surely somebody out there has seen it?). He finished off 2011 with a bit part in Leonardo DiCaprio’s J. Edgar, and while the film was an under-performer as well (curse of the GG?! Surely not!), we’re pretty impressed that Ed made his way into an Eastwood film... That might be a sign of good, good things to come!

Leighton took the road more-often travelled, doing horror early on in the year with The Roommate, and then hitting the teen-friendly circuit with Monte Carlo this summer (along with Selena Gomez and season four GG co-star Katie Cassidy [Juliet]). Neither film was very well received, but we’ll forever have a soft spot in our hearts for anything involving Blair Waldorf... even when she’s turning stalkerific psycho on us!

Penn’s big year will likely be 2012, when he hits the big screen as music legend Jeff Buckley (we think that explains the current hair situation... right???), but he made a bold step this year appearing in Margin Call, a huge ensemble film (Kevin Spacey! Zachary Quinto! Demi Moore! Simon Baker! The list goes on...) that got great reviews. It was a new direction for Penn, who last year went the Leighton Meester route with Easy A and The Stepfather.

Chace’s lone entry into film this year was the one that had "It Girl" Elizabeth Olsen singing his  praises in the kissin’ department... so maybe that’s all he needed to win you over as well! That film was Peace Love and Misunderstanding, alongside Olsen, Jane Fonda and Catherine Keener, which played the festival circuit and could, with any luck, hit more screens in 2012. If not, we also have Chace’s appearance in What to Expect When You’re Expecting to look forward to!

Want more Gossip Girl goodness? Like us on Facebook! You know you love us. XOXO