Stephenie Meyer isn’t only known for Twilight, she’s also written another book called The Host – a sci-fi novel about an alien race known as the Souls which takes over the Earth and its inhabitants.
The book depicts one Soul’s predicament when the mind of its human host – Melanie ‘Mel’ Stryder – refuses to cooperate with her takeover (Wanderer).
The film’s about to start shooting, and casting has been moving forward at a fast pace for a planned March 29, 2013 release date.
Although I have little to no interest in the Twilight movies (the last one got dreadful reviews), I am interested in the fact that it was directed by Bill Condon, who made the amazing film Gods and Monsters, starring Ian McKellen as James Whale, the man who directed the original Frankenstein with Boris Karloff. (Condon also directed the acclaimed big screen adaptation of Dreamgirls).
I also have a flicker of interest in The Host because it’s being directed by the very talented Andrew Niccol who wrote the screenplay for The Truman Show, penned and directed Gattaca, and recently helmed the sci-fi action flick In Time.
Now Deadline reports that Diane Kruger, who also starred in Inglourious Basterds, is playing a character named The Seeker, and she’ll be starring along with Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones, Hanna), Max Irons (Red Riding Hood), William Hurt, and Jake Abel (I Am Number Four.)
The Host is only a single book, and it’s a sci-fi story that is basically about a girl being possessed by an alien. Ronan will play both the possessed and the possessor, but Deadline also tells us it’s being set up as a film trilogy, a la Twilight and The Hunger Games.
We’re of course going have to hold our heads in pain for one more Twilight movie, but does The Host have a shot at drawing more than pre-teen girls? We’ll find out soon enough next year.
