Saoirse Ronan has quickly become the “new Dakota Fanning.” But she may be better than Dakota Fanning at this stage of her career. As Briony Tallis in Joe Wright’s Atonement, it was almost acceptable to call her a little bitch. Starring roles in The Lovely Bones and this year’s Hanna has shown her to be very adept at being vulnerable, conniving, and an ass kicker.
Now she’ll be fighting the good fight against an alien species known as “Souls” in The Host. The novel, which Stephenie Meyer wrote post-Twilight Saga, is being adapted by Andrew Niccol, who previously wrote The Truman Show and wrote and directed both Gattaca and Lord of War. Niccol was initially slated to direct the adaptation, but as it is now is strictly performing in a writing capacity.
Ronan’s character will be that of Melanie Stryder, one of the last humans putting up a fight against alien parasites that invade human bodies, fuse to each person’s consciousness and systematically erase their personalities. Melanie is captured by the aliens and implanted by a Soul called “Wanderer”. Wanderer’s goal is to get Melanie to give up the remaining pockets of humans, but instead the alien finds Melanie to be unique in her unwillingness to surrender her consciousness.
Like Natalie Portman in Black Swan, Ronan will pull double duty and play both Melanie and Wanderer.
Meyer chose Niccol to pen the adaptation based on her love of his script for Truman Show and film Gattaca.
Andrew Niccol recently finished his latest sci-fi thriller Now which stars Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy, and Olivia Wilde. It will hit theaters on October 28, 2011.
