Saoirse Ronan will play The Host in the adaptation from Twilight author Stephenie Meyer

Brad Sturdivant May 3rd, 2011

With the final installment of the TWILIGHT franchise quickly approaching, it’s no surprise that we would start hearing about another Stephenie Meyer novel turned film coming into production. We knew THE HOST was coming to the big screen and now we’re learning that the ever popular young actress Saoirse Ronan will playing the lead characters Melanie Stryder and Wanderer. Sound strange? Well, if you are not familiar with this novel, let me paint you a picture. The story is set in a future Earth where a parasitic alien species has invaded the planet and taken over human bodies. There are a small number of humans left and when one of them, Melanie, is caught, she is paired up with a Soul called Wanderer. Wanderer is a bit famous for being one of the few Souls that have inhabited many different species on many different planets. However, her pairing with Melanie is different and she soon discovers how powerful a human consciousness can be as Ms. Stryder starts to fight back for her own body.

Meyer is teaming up with producers Nick Wechsler and Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz and it looks like Andrew Niccol (who also helped adapt the novel) will most likely board as director. No word on when production will start, but with a lead in place there’s a good chance filming could begin this year.

Saoirse Ronan