Dane DeHaan, Thomas McDonnell, Augustus Prew & Jake Abel Also In The Mix
Take note, young directors. This is why you attach yourself to projects before your next movie comes out. While the middle performance and dreadful reviews for the pretty idiotic “In Time” would have sidelined any director, Andrew Niccol was savvy enough to sign on to “The Host,” an adaptation of a novel by “Twilight” author Stephenie Meyer and with a release date already pegged, this one is beginning to cast up.
With Saoirse Ronan already set for the lead, Variety reports that the hunt is on for her two male co-stars. The story is set in the near future where alien parasite “souls” benevolently take over the consciousness of humans. One such “soul” named Wanderer inhabits the body of a dying woman, Melanie Stryder, who just happens to be obsessed with finding the last group of surviving humans. The high concept film will find Ronan taking both roles of Wanderer and Melanie in the picture, which is certainly an intriguing prospect. As for the dude parts?
Liam Hemsworth, Kit Harington, Jai Courtney and Max Irons are testing for the part of Jared, Melanie’s boyfriend. Meanwhile, Dane DeHaan, Thomas McDonnell, Augustus Prew and Jake Abel will compete to play Ian, the “menacing young man who brutalizes Wanderer before falling in love with her.”
To be honest, we’re not familiar with the book to make a judgment call here, though we’re sure the Meyer superfans will have a lot to say about it. Of all the dudes, Hemsworth has the biggest profile that will certainly be elevated thanks to “The Hunger Games” next spring. Harington has received some heat lately, testing for “Arthur & Lancelot.” And Courtney and DeHaan have roles in the upcoming “One Shot” and “The Place Beyond The Pines” respectively. But given the names here, it seems the producers aren’t too concerned in landing a name actor per se.
No word yet on when production will start, but the film is slated to hit screens on March 29, 2013.
