The love triangle in the adaptation of Stephanie Meyer's The Host is all set. It announced just last month that Max Irons and Jake Abel will play Jared and Ian, respectively, the two young men going after the heart of heroine Melanie Stryder, who will be played by Saoirse Ronan. But what about some adult supervision? Certainly these three youngins aren't running around without any grown-ups to help guide them through life! Enter William Hurt.
EW has learned that the Oscar winning Hurt is now in negotiations to take a major role in the first non-Twilight Meyer adaptation. The news comes from sources "close to the production." The story is set after a full-scale alien invasion of Earth, when Melanie's mind is taken over by a "soul" called Wanderer. Should both sides be able to reach a deal, Hurt would play Jeb in the movie, Melanie's uncle who is one of the last non-inhabited humans. Described as "eccentric," he is one of the leaders of a resistance group still trying to fight off the aliens. Andrew Niccol, who most recently wrote and directed the sci-fi thriller In Time, is helming the adaptation and writing the script. The movie will go into production next year and is currently scheduled to be released on March 29, 2013.
I can't say that I look forward to more Stephanie Meyer adaptations, but I will admit that the inclusion of William Hurt would pique my interest. While he doesn't always pick the best projects in the world, Hurt is always a pleasure to watch and hopefully this movie won't be a waste of his talent.
