Which Departing Glee Star Will Have the Best Film Career?

For those of you who follow the television news beat, Glee creator Ryan Murphy telling The Hollywood Reporter that Lea Michele, Chris Colfer and Cory Monteith would not return to the Emmy-nominated Fox comedy ("comedy") following the upcoming third season shouldn't have been that surprising. After all, Murphy has been saying for months that the McKinley High School seniors would graduate at the close of season three. What that means for the future of Glee is certainly up for debate -- one that Movieline sister site TVLine will keep you abreast on; what that means for the three biggest Glee stars, however, is firmly in Movieline territory. Where do they go from here? Let's discuss!

Television stars transitioning away from television is always a dicey proposition; for every George Clooney, there's a David Caruso. It's unlikely that any of the Glee three will have Clooney's career, of course, but that doesn't mean they can't prosper -- especially Chris Colfer.

The two-time Emmy nominee (he received number two earlier this morning) might seem ill-suited for movie stardom, until you realize that he's written his own ticket with Struck By Lightning. The ambitious-sounding teen coming-of-age dramedy is apparently in the vein of John Hughes, and that Colfer is getting it produced (Allison Janney co-stars) shows that he's capable of more than just singing, dancing and perfectly placed one-liners. He's not going to be an A-lister, but it kinda seems possible that he could be making movies for a long time; keep in mind that he's only 21 years old.

What of Lea Michele? Well, she certainly currently ranks as the most famous Glee star; the endless magazine covers and online controversies see to that. Yet will she have a great film career? Michele appears in New Year's Eve, the follow-up to Valentine's Day that no one really wanted, and will voice Dorothy in Dorothy of Oz -- neither of which will allow her to stand out away from Glee in any meaningful way. She's playing a heightened version of herself on Glee -- Funny Girl mixed with Tracy Flick -- but does she have enough to rank with the other highly sought young actresses in her generational Google+ Circle? Perhaps the best thing Michele can do for her career is to head back to Broadway to lead that revival of Funny Girl everyone thinks she's perfect for -- then star in the inevitable film adaptation a few years later.

As for Cory Monteith, two words: Chris Klein.

What do you think, esteemed Movieline commenters? Which Glee star will make the most of this opportunity? Who will have the best film career? Gaze into your crystal balls and leave some thoughts in the comments section below.

[Photo: Getty Images]