Niccol gets The Host

The array of novel adaptations from writer Stephanie Meyer continue to grow as her latest book The Host gets the feature film treatment. Andrew Niccol will write and direct the adaptation, adding onto his credits which include Lord of War and Gattaca. The project was picked up by Nick Wechsler, Paula Mae and Steve Schwartz out of their own money Variety reports.

Meyer’s novel is a love story set in the near future on Earth, which has been assimilated by an alien species that call themselves “Souls.” They are benevolent parasites that subsume the conscious of humans and take possession of their bodies. One such soul, The Wanderer (so named because she has wandered among so many different worlds) is fused with a dying human named Melanie Stryder, in an attempt to locate the last pocket of surviving humans on Earth. The Wanderer cannot subsume the forceful Melanie, and they battle for the girl’s memories and her spirit.

This will be the fifth of her books to be adapted into a film, the first four being the popular teen fueled Twilight frachise. Currently the second in the series, Twilight Saga: New Moon, is heavy under post production with a set November 20th release date. Along with that, the third installment entitled Eclipse is underway with initial filming with a summer 2010 release. To see more about the sequel to the hit 2008 fall film, look here on Atomic Popcorn.