We live in an age of constant YA Film Adaptations. Chances are if there’s a book series aimed at the tweens, then there’s a corresponding film either made or being made. There’s a strange irony to the fact that The Giver (one of the first dystopian YA book series) struggled for over eighteen-years to make it to the big screen, its film adaptation only coming to fruition after a number of its imitators found huge financial dividends in theaters. This Friday, Lois Lowry’s award winning book finally hits the big-screen. Some of the details may be different – a couple characters have been aged up & a number of roles expanded upon – but tonally it feels of one with Lowry’s introspective and rather downbeat sci-fi tale.

In the following interview with Lowry and director Phillip Noyce, the duo discuss the feature’s fidelity to the source material, the adaptation process and the different screenplays that never came to be. Hit the jump, for the full interview.

Phillip Noyce and Lois Lowry:

  • Lois Lowry on the various different versions of The Giver that never made it to the big screen
  • Phillip Noyce on the balance between fidelity to the source material and putting his own spin on it
  •  Lois Lowry on her favorite change in the film from the novel
  • Phillip Noyce on the use of stock footage in The Giver

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