If I Stay, an adaptation of Gayle Forman’s supernatural novel, has been in and out of pre-production several times since 2009, when Dakota Fanning once considered moving forward in the production’s lead role. The Twilight Saga star since has moved on, but another major talent has attached her name, giving fans of the book fresh hope that they might see this beyond-the-grave story unfurl on the big screen sometime soon.
Chloe Grace Moretz, who’ll be seen on screen this weekend in the sketch comedy Movie 43, has attached her name to a production of If I Stay, according to Variety. The Carrie star will play 17-year-old Mia, a potential Julliard student whose musical career is cut short by a horrible car accident. The hook of the story is that Mia interacts with the audience through voiceover as she observes her life from the confines of a medical coma. There’s a juicy male part for Mia’s boyfriend, Adam. And Forman also wrote a follow up story, Where She Went, which easily could become a movie sequel if the initial film becomes a smash hit.
Moretz understands both the power of the supernatural, and the power of a sequel. She’s reprising her role of Hit Girl for the upcoming Kick-Ass 2. And she has defined her career with otherworldly projects such as Let Me In, Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows and the upcoming Carrie remake, where she’ll play the bullied teen who unleashes hell on her small town. Moretz hasn’t yet found her signature franchise, taking parts in strong ensembles. But if she and director R.J. Cutler (The September Issue) can get If I Stay off the ground, this might be a huge step for both parties.
