After a widespread directorial search, Andrew Niccol will officially direct Saoirse Ronan in the vampire flick THE HOST!
Niccol, who adapted THE HOST screenplay from Stephenie Meyer’s novel of the same name, was in the running all along, but wasn’t certain to finish his sci-fi thriller NOW in time to direct the post-TWILIGHT vampire thread. Word from Deadline is Meyer handpicked Niccol on the strength of GATTICA, which he wrote and directed, and THE TRUMAN SHOW, which he wrote and conceived.
Before I profess my love for Saoirse, let’s rerun the plot of THE HOST:
Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.
When Melanie, one of the few remaining “wild” humans is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading “soul” who has been given Melanie’s body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn’t expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.
As far as talent for her age range goes, I don’t think anyone can rival Saoirse Ronan right now. She just turned 17, has an Oscar nod under her belt, and has worked with everyone from Peter Jackson, Amy Heckerling, Joe Wright and Peter Weir. This girl is on an astronomical uptick, and I for one look forward to seeing her in everything she does. Not to be on some statutory pedophile shit, but I dig this lass quite a bit!
How about you? Is Ronan a good fit for the material? How about Niccol?