Though he’s likely not thrilled with the critical and commercial reaction to his latest sci-fi thriller In Time, director Andrew Niccol has other things occupying his mind right now. Chief among them is locking down more actors for his adaptation of **Twilight **creator Stephenie Meyers’ alien invasion drama The Host. And his first pick for one of the male lead roles? Jake Abel.
No final deal is in place, though if he does sign on, Abel will be playing Ian, one of the remaining rebel humans still in charge of their own mind and fighting back against the invasive “souls” which are slowly taking over the planet one person at a time.
Saoirse Ronan is already aboard to play the central character, a young woman named Melanie Stryder who is captured and has the soul named Wanderer implanted in her mind. But her emotions and memories overwhelm the new arrival, leading to them blending, and for Wanderer – who eventually becomes known as Wanda – to seek out actual human contact instead of following her race’s master plan.
Abel and Ronan have form together, as they both appeared in Peter Jackson’s** The Lovely Bones**. And depending on how the casting call goes, they could be joined by one of a number of actors, including Max Irons, Kit Harington and Liam Hemsworth.
**Update: **Hemsworth, Harington and the rest will have to look elsewhere for work as Deadline reports thatRed Riding Hood co-star Irons has won the role of Jake, another human who befriends Wanda.
Niccol is aiming to start shooting in February.