Andrew Niccol Adapting Stephenie Meyer's Novel 'The Host'

Now this is very exciting news. Gattaca and Lord of War director Andrew Niccol has been hired to write the screenplay and direct an adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's first adult novel titled "The Host", which just hit bookshelves last May (Amazon). Producers Nick Wechsler, Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz have used their own money to acquire the screen rights. Apparently it was tough getting the rights. "We wanted Stephenie to be involved in the adaptation and have her endorse and be part of the creative decisions," Wechsler told Variety.

The plot:
The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves-Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she's never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love.

The backstory is that Meyer has been fielding offers for "The Host" left and right (following the success of Twilight) but has been denying most of them. However, the producers continued lobbying her and her reps "with a significant offer, a strong vision for the project and a collaborative spirit." Meyer eventually said yes to them. She was heavily convinced because two of her favorite sci-fi films are Gattaca and The Truman Show, which were both written by Niccol. I'm super excited to see they are moving forward with this adaptation. I think if done right, this novel will translate quite well onto the silver screen. I really enjoyed the book - I couldn't put it down. I already have a cast in mind and everything, which has proven in the past to be a bad thing, but alas, have a look-see here: The Host Cast. If you've read the book let me know what you think of my cast.

Thoughts?...