The Host

Anton Yelchin in Talks to Join Dakota Fanning and Elizabeth Olsen in VERY GOOD GIRLS; Chandler Canterbury and Boyd Holbrook Set to Join THE HOST

by Matt Currie    Posted: January 21st, 2012 at 5:01 pm

Most child actors fail to overcome the chronic, debilitating condition of becoming less and less child-like. Similarly, many siblings of more famous performers struggle to be taken even a little bit seriously. Fortunately, two shining exceptions to the rule are set to team up and show us that it’s not all marijuana-fuelled car crashes and uncomfortable SNL hoe-downs. Former pint-sized dynamo Dakota Fanning (War of the Worlds) and current indie it-girl Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene) were first linked to the drama Very Good Girls in May; Anton Yelchin (Star Trek) is now in talks to join them. The directorial debut of Naomi Foner (writer of Losing Isaiah) will spin the tale of two lifelong friends (Fanning and Olsen) who, following high-school graduation, vow to lose their virginity before the summer ends; naturally, both end up falling for Yelchin, which threatens to irreparably damage their friendship.

Hit the jump for more on Very Good Girls and casting news on the hotly anticipated adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s The Host.

Diane Kruger in Talks to Join Stephanie Meyer Sci-Fi Adaptation THE HOST

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 20th, 2012 at 2:00 pm

As production looms closer for Andrew Niccol’s (In Time) adaptation of the Stephanie Meyer sci-fi novel The Host, the director continues to fill out his cast. Saoirse Ronan is onboard as the protagonist Melanie, a young woman whose body is invaded by an alien name Wanderer. Diane Kruger (Inglorious Basterds) is now apparently in talks to play The Seeker. In the world of the film, a parasitic alien species is nearly finished wiping out the human population by taking over the consciousness of each person. A soul named Wanderer is attempting to take control of Melanie’s consciousness, but faces strong opposition by what remains of the girl. Hit the jump for more.

William Hurt in Talks to Join Stephanie Meyer Adaptation THE HOST

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 6th, 2011 at 12:53 pm

As production on director Andrew Niccol’s (In Time) adaptation of the Stephanie Meyer sci-fi novel The Host nears closer, casting continues and now it looks like William Hurt may be joining the project. The film stars Saoirse Ronan as Melanie, a young woman whose body is invaded by an alien name Wanderer. Max Irons plays a young man in love with Melanie and Jake Abel plays a young man in love with Wanderer (super creepy/strange love triangle!). EW reports that Hurt is in talks to play Melanie’s eccentric uncle Jeb, a man who serves as one of the leaders of the human survivalists who are battling the alien invasion.

Niccol wrote and will direct the pic, which sounds intriguing despite the Twilight-esque romantic angle. The cast is impressive, and Niccol never disappoints when it comes to unique storytelling (though the execution of that unique storytelling is sometimes uneven). Hit the jump to read a synopsis of the novel. The Host opens March 29th, 2013.

Max Irons Lands Other Male Lead in Andrew Niccol’s THE HOST Opposite Jake Abel and Saoirse Ronan

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: November 10th, 2011 at 2:40 pm

Just a couple of days ago we reported that Jake Abel (Percy Jackson & The Olympians) had landed one of two male leads in the feature film adaptation of Twilight author Stephanie Meyer’s sci-fi novel The Host. Now EW reports that Max Irons (Red Riding Hood) has landed the other male lead in the adaptation. Saoirse Ronan stars as Melanie, a young woman whose body is invaded by an alien name Wanderer. Abel plays Ian, a young man who is in love with Wanderer, while Irons will play Jared, a young man who is in love with Melanie (given that Wanderer and Melanie share the same body, the conflict is pretty apparent and more than a little bit disturbing).

In Time director Andrew Niccol wrote and will direct the sci-fi adaptation, which starts filming in February in Louisiana and New Mexico. Irons is the son of distinguished actor Jeremy, and will star in the upcoming feature Vivaldi, though Red Riding Hood is his most prominent credit to date. Hit the jump to read a synopsis of the novel. The Host opens March 29th, 2013.

Jake Abel Set as One of Two Male Leads in Adaptation of Stephanie Meyer’s Sci-Fi Novel THE HOST

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: November 8th, 2011 at 6:55 pm

One of two male leads has been found for director Andrew Niccol’s (In Time) adaptation of Twilight author Stephanie Meyer’s sci-fi novel The Host. Deadline reports that Jake Abel (Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief) is currently in negotiations to play the role of Ian. The film stars Saoirse Ronan as Melanie, a woman whose body is invaded by an alien named Wanderer. Ian is a young man who brutalizes Wanderer before falling in love with her. The other lead role, Melanie’s boyfriend Jared, has yet to be cast.

We recently reported on a shortlist of actors being considered for the roles of Ian and Jared, and Abel’s name was among them. Deadline’s report says that the role of Jared is now down to a few finalists including Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games), Max Irons (Red Riding Hood), Kit Harington (Game of Thrones), and Jai Courtney (Spartacus: Blood and Sand). The casting of Jared should be settled soon, as Niccol gears up for production. Hit the jump to read a synopsis of Meyer’s novel.

Liam Hemsworth, Kit Harington, Dane DeHaan and More Up for Sci-Fi Adaptation THE HOST

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: October 31st, 2011 at 2:57 pm

The adaptation of Twilight author Stephanie Meyer’s sci-fi novel The Host is gearing up now that writer-director Andrew Niccol has wrapped up duties on his latest feature In Time. The film takes place in the future, and Saoirse Ronan is set to star as Melanie, a woman whose body is invaded by an alien named Wanderer. Casting has now turned to the two male leads in the film: Jared, Melanie’s boyfriend, and Ian, “a menacing young man who brutalizes Wanderer before falling in love with her.” Hit the jump to find out what actors are in the running for the two roles.

Director Andrew Niccol IN TIME Interview; Talks About Adapting Stephenie Myer’s THE HOST

by Tommy Cook    Posted: October 25th, 2011 at 8:32 pm

In Time wears its satire on its sleeve. I don’t think I’m being particularly observant when I say that the whole “those-with-time vs. those-without-time” serves as a parallel to the growing wealth divide in the country. It’s pretty implicitly stated within the runtime. That a film about youth (surrogates: Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried) revolting against the wealthy upper class is coming out in the wake of the Occupy Wall Street movement(s) feels particularly timely or, if you’re cynical, opportune. It’s hard to look past that this film admonishing multi-billion dollar corporations is at the same time funded by the very beast it calls afoul.

In the following exclusive interview with writer/director Andrew Niccol (Gattaca), he speaks about the parallels between In Time and current events, discloses how he convinced a multi-billion dollar studio to fund a film highly critical of multi-billion dollar corporations and plays coy (sort of) on the fairly radical ideas the film advocates. Niccol’s also briefly touched on adapting the upcoming Stephenie Meyer’s novel The Host for the big-screen. For all this and more, hit the jump.

Open Road Films Releasing THE HOST on March 29th, 2013

by Jason Barr    Posted: June 27th, 2011 at 2:34 pm

Open Road Films has announced that it will release writer/director Andrew Niccol’s (The Truman Show) adaptation of the Stephanie Meyer novel, The Host, on March 29th, 2013. Per the press release, the film will begin principal photography in February 2012 and will shoot in Louisiana and New Mexico. Saoirse Ronan (Hanna) is attached to star in the pic which is set during a time in which Earth has been invaded by an unseen enemy that uses human bodies as “hosts.” Ronan will play Melanie, a young girl who refuses to give up possession of her mind to an “invading soul” named Wanderer.

Check out the official press release after the jump. Niccol’s sci-fi drama In Time stars Amanda Seyfried, Justin Timberlake, and Cillian Murphy. That pic is currently slated for a release later this year on October 28th.

Andrew Niccol Once Again Set to Direct THE HOST

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 12th, 2011 at 2:15 pm

Andrew Niccol (Gattaca) was once attached to write and direct the adaptation of Stephanie Meyer’s novel The Host.  However, while Niccol completed the screenplay, he decided to make his next directorial feature the sci-fi flick Next (formerly titled I’M.Mortal, then titled Now, and according to Deadline, now titled “Next“).  But with shooting on Next completed, Niccol has now returned to The Host and will direct from his original screenplay.  As we previously reported, Saoirse Ronan has signed on to star as Melanie Stryder, a young freedom fighter in a post-apocalyptic Earth who’s implanted with an alien life form known as a “Soul”.  The “Soul” (named “Wanderer”) wants the location of the woman’s compatriots, but instead begins to become overwhelmed with Melanie’s memories and emotions and starts to connect with her host’s old life, including a romantic entanglement with Melanie’s boyfriend.  I’ll leave it for you to decide if that counts as cheating on the boyfriend’s part.

Niccol’s Next or Now or whatever-the-hell-it’s-called stars Amanda Seyfried, Justin Timberlake, and Cillian Murphy and is set to open on October 28th.  The Host is currently picking up financing at Cannes.  Hit the jump for a synopsis of the novel.

Saoirse Ronan to Star in Adaptation of Stephanie Meyer’s THE HOST

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 3rd, 2011 at 11:11 am

Saoirse Ronan is one of the best young actors working today and she’s managed to give impressive performances regardless of whether she’s in a great film (Hanna) or an atrocious one (The Lovely Bones).  Here’s hoping that The Host is the former because Deadline is reporting that Ronan has landed the lead role.  Based on the novel by Twilight author Stephanie Meyer, The Host is about an alien species called “Souls” that latch on to human hosts, destroy their consciousness, and erase their personalities.  Ronan would play Melanie Stryder, one of the remaining free humans who is captured by the aliens and implanted with a Soul called “Wanderer”.  Wanderer intends to make Stryder give up the location of her cohorts, but instead becomes impressed by Melanie’s unwillingness to surrender her consciousness, and Wanderer becomes driven to connect the young woman to her former life.

Writer Andrew Niccol (The Truman Show) wrote the script and was set to direct before moving on to the sci-fi drama Now starring Amanda Seyfried and Justin Timberlake.  But since that film is now mostly finished, it’s possible that Niccol may return to The Host.  Hit the jump for a synopsis of the novel.

Susanna White to Direct Film Adaptation of Stephanie Meyer’s THE HOST

by Jason Barr    Posted: February 10th, 2011 at 2:38 pm

Susanna White (Nanny McPhee Returns) has been tapped to direct the adaptation of Stephanie Meyer’s sci-fi novel The Host.  Per Variety, White will helm a script by Oscar-nominee Andrew Niccol (The Truman Show) with Nick Wechsler set to co-produce alongside Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz of Chockstone Pictures.  Briefly, Meyer’s novel takes place during a time when “altruistic parasites” (which I didn’t know existed) have inhabited the bodies of most humans – one exception being the female protagonist Melanie Stryder.

Although McPhee was White’s feature debut, the UK native has a solid directorial track record having been nominated for two Primetime Emmy’s for helming an episode of HBO’s Generation Kill and PBS’ 2006 Jane Eyre mini-series.  While I can’t say that Meyer’s prior creative output has me over-the-top excited for The Host, Niccol’s presence behind the pen has me interested in the adaptation. For more on the project, hit the jump to check out a synopsis for Meyer’s novel.

Rumor: J.J. Abrams Planning Collaboration with Bong Joon-ho, Director of THE HOST and MOTHER

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: August 5th, 2010 at 11:01 pm

The rumor mill suggests that J.J. Abrams is planning a collaboration with Korean director Bong Joon-ho, the creative mind behind the 2007 creature feature The Host and the recent drama Mother.  /Film hears that Abrams met extensively with Bong during a trip to South Korea last year, where the pair discussed a project that has so far been kept under wraps.  According to the source, Abrams will produce, Bong will direct, and Hollywood will serve as production headquarters.  It is not specified whether or not this would be Bong’s first English-language film, though it would be the first he made in the U.S.  More after the jump:

Andrew Niccol’s Next Sci-Fi Flick I’M MORTAL Turns off Aging

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 12th, 2010 at 4:45 pm

Writer-Director Andrew Niccol (Gattaca) is in negotiations with new Regency to pick up his new script I’m Mortal.  According to Heat Vision, the film, which Niccol will also direct, “is set in the not-too-distant future where the aging gene has been switched off. To avoid overpopulation, time has become the currency and the way people pay for luxuries and necessities. The rich can live forever, while the rest try to negotiate for their immortality.  The protagonist is a poor young man who comes into a fortune of time, though too late to help his mother from dying. He ends up on the run from a corrupt police force known as “time keepers.”  Because time is the commodity, parents in the film can end up looking as young as their children.

Hit the jump for my thoughts on the premise as well a refresher on Niccol’s other projects.

Exclusive: Bong Joon-ho Video Interview MOTHER

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: October 25th, 2009 at 7:43 pm

At this year’s Toronto Film Festival, I managed to interview a ton of great filmmakers.  Unfortunately, it’s taken a long time to get them all edited and online.  But I’m happy to report the last interview is ready to be watched and it’s with a great filmmaker from South Korea, Bong Joon-ho. In case you don’t recognize his name, he directed a fantastic monster movie called “The Host”, and he also directed “Memories of Murder” and one of the films in “Tokyo!”. He’s a filmmaker whose work I really love and if you haven’t seen his movies, I cannot recommend them enough.

While some interviews are rushed, the one I did with Bong Joon-ho was awesome. We talked for a very long time and covered tons of subjects (listed after the jump). If you’re a fan of this great filmmaker or just curious about his new movie “Mother”, hit the jump and watch what he had to say.

Exclusive: Bong Joon-ho Talks About His Next Film SNOW PIERCER

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: October 12th, 2009 at 5:42 pm

At this year’s Toronto Film Festival, I managed to interview a ton of great filmmakers. Unfortunately, it’s taken a long time to get them all edited and online. But I am currently working on the last interview and it’s with a great filmmaker from South Korea named Bong Joon-ho. In case you don’t recognize his name, he directed a fantastic monster movie called “The Host”, and he also directed “Memories of Murder” and one of the films in “Tokyo!”. He’s a filmmaker whose work I really love and if you haven’t seen his movies, I cannot recommend them enough.

Anyway, while he was promoting his latest movie “Mother” (full interview online soon) I got some info on his next project “Snow Piercer”. According to the Joon-ho, he will be joining the ranks of filmmakers taking on the end of the world as his next film is based on a graphic novel named “Le Transperceneige” from France and it takes place in a new ice age. More after the jump:

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