14 DAY TRIAL // With the “Twilight” juggernaut stronger than ever and clearly showing no signs of fading away any time soon, Stephenie Meyer is again taking center stage. The author of the original books announced the other day that she’d be coming out with an “Eclipse” spinoff, while preparations to have her adult novel “The Host” turned into film are also heavily underway, MTV News reports.
Not all the details have been taken care of just yet, but interest seems to be soaring in seeing the adaptation reach theaters as soon as possible, preferably before “Twilight” ends. Production on “The Host” the film has been scheduled to start next year, which would mean that, if Summit decides to divide the last “Twilight” book, “Breaking Dawn,” into two parts, “The Host” would be able to ride on the coattails of the vampire saga for a boost in ticket sales.
“Although financing is not yet in place and no definite shooting schedule is planned for the sci-fi/horror hybrid, producer Steve Schwartz divulged that ‘Truman Show’ Oscar-nominee Andrew Niccol is currently working on his third draft of the screenplay, with the author’s close involvement. Niccol is also signed on to direct the film. Schwartz, who is now budgeting the project with co-producers Paula Mae Schwartz and Nick Wechsler, again noted that Meyer handpicked the filmmaker because Niccol’s directorial debut, ‘Gattaca,’ is one of her favorite science-fiction films. However, his hire was not immediate,” MTV adds of the upcoming project.
Moreover, it would seem Meyer plans on coming out with sequels to “The Host,” which would be turned into film too if the first one fares well with the audiences. “Regardless of whether or not the adaptation spawns further novels or movies, a 2011 shoot could put ‘The Host’ in theaters before the ‘Twilight Saga’ ends, depending on when the second part to the two-film adaptation of ‘Breaking Dawn’ is released,” MTV says, going straight to the point, namely that “The Host” could tap into the “Twilight” fanbase for some much welcome publicity.
As of now though, most of the above is pure speculation. Until Stephenie Meyer makes an official announcement on a feature film adaptation of “The Host,” nothing is certain. In the meanwhile, this summer, fans will receive a present from the author in the form of a novella based on the third “Twilight” book, “Eclipse,” called “The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner.”