Andrew Niccol Once Again Set to Direct THE HOST

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.

Here’s the synopsis for Stephanie Meyer’s The Host:

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading “soul” who has been given Melanie’s body, didn’t expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

As Melanie fills Wanderer’s thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she’s never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.

Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the essence of what it means to be human. [Amazon]

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