Writer/director Andrew Niccol’s adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s The Host opens this weekend.  The film stars Saoirse Ronan as Melanie Stryder, one of the last remaining humans on Earth after a race of parasitic aliens have taken over most of the world.  Melanie is unique in that she forms a bond with her parasite and sets out to free other humans, if they’ll accept her as one of them.  The film also stars Max Irons, Jake Abel, Diane Kruger, William Hurt, Frances Fisher and Boyd Holbrook.  For more on the film, here’s 5 clips, the trailer, and a featurette.

At the recent Los Angeles press day, I landed an extended interview with Ronan.  We talked about making The Host, how she got involved in the project, what it was like to work for Niccol, what’s special about all the great directors she’s worked with, Kevin MacDonald‘s How I Live Now, Ryan Gosling’s directorial debut How to Catch a Monster, and her love of Breaking Bad.  Hit the jump to either read or watch the interview.

Expanding this weekend in more theaters is director Juan Antonio Bayona’s The Impossible.  Based on a true story, the film stars Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor as the parents of three boys vacationing in Thailand in 2004 when the tsunami hit.  Having survived, but finding themselves separated, the family members search for each other amidst the chaos, encountering strangers caught up in the same situation along the way.  The film also stars Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin, and Oaklee Pendergast.  For more on The Impossible, here are eight clips and the trailer.

At the recent Los Angeles press day I got to speak to Tom Holland.  We talked about how he got involved in the movie, the transition from stage to screen, what surprised him about making a movie, and more.  In addition, Holland talked about Kevin Macdonald’s How I Live Now which also stars Saoirse Ronan.  Hit the jump to watch.

For nearly half a century, Bob Marley’s music and his message have resonated powerfully on a global level that remains unparalleled. Academy Award-winning director Kevin Macdonald’s new documentary, Marley, is the definitive life story of the musician, revolutionary, and legend from his early days to his rise to international superstardom. Made with the support of the Marley family, Marley features rare footage, incredible performances and revealing interviews with the people that knew him best. The film also gives the audience a more emotional connection to Marley’s life as a man.  Magnolia Pictures will release Marley theatrically and on VOD on Friday, April 20th.

At the press day for Marley, we sat down with Macdonald for an exclusive interview.  We talked about what inspired him to make a documentary about the enigmatic Bob Marley who transcended music to become a cultural, political and social icon for change. He told us about what he hoped to achieve by making this film, how he set out to reveal a human side of a towering figure in musical history, and why he thinks Marley still speaks to people around the world today as powerfully as he did when he was alive and more profoundly than any other rock artist or popular music artist. Macdonald also discussed his upcoming projects including How I Live Now with Saoirse Ronan, Bobby Fischer Goes to War and Black Sea.

Young actress Saoirse Ronan is set to star in an adaptation of Meg Rosoff’s novel How I Live Now. Variety reports that The Last King of Scotland helmer Kevin Macdonald is onboard to direct, from a script by Jeremy Brock (The Last King of Scotland) and Tony Grisoni (best name ever). The period drama tells the story of Daisy, a teenage girl from New York City who travels to England in order to spend the summer with family. World War II breaks out and Daisy and another young girl find themselves attempting to survive alone in the woods as they search for safety.

Ronan was fantastic in this year’s Hanna, and this role sounds like it’s right in her wheelhouse. The actress has been busy as of late, as she’s currently filming Neil Jordan’s Byzantium. Ronan is also set to star in Andrew Niccol’s adaptation of the Stephanie Meyer sci-fi novel The Host. Hit the jump to read a synopsis for How I Live Now.