Imagine our planet already devoid of violence, disease and famine, and everyone is kind and honest. Now imagine that you are not free to roam this perfect world because the invaders will makesure to possess the last human standing.

In the new sci-fi drama based on the novel by the Twilight saga author, Stephenie Meyer, The Host sees our world in the hands of unseen enemies called “Souls” who occupy human bodies and erase their memories. A few humans have managed to stay in hiding, like the feisty young woman, Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan). But she is soon captured by The Seeker (Diane Kruger) and a Soul called Wanderer, aka Wanda, is implanted into her body. The Seeker instructs Wanda to extract information from Melanie’s memory so she can lead them to other human renegades. What they discover is the love Melanie shared with Jared (Max Irons) and her family’s whereabouts. Still, Melanie’s spirit fights to keep Wanda from taking complete control over her, and even convinces Wanda to be her ally. So together in one body, they set off on a dangerous journey that leads Wanda to Ian (Jake Abel), the man she is destined to love, and brings Melanie back to the people she needs to protect.

Stephenie Meyer reveals that it was during a very long drive through a desert that she came up with the idea for her best-selling novel, The Host. “I came on the idea of two personalities in one body. They are both in love with different people, which creates a great deal of conflict. I like messy relationships. They„re fun to work through,” she says. As Meyer expanded on her original concept, she began constructing a more serious, deeper story than she had in any of her previous novels. “The Twilight books are about romantic love and the way it makes you feel at 17 or 18. The Host is about finding balance in life,” she notes. “Certainly there„s romance, but it is a much more grown-up and realistic story, aside from the science-fiction elements.”

Asked if he would be interested to make a movie out of the book, Producer Nick Wechsler (Requiem for A Dream, The Time Traveler’s Wife) says that “the theme and the characters leaped out” at him that he didn’t understand why the material hadn’t been bought yet by other producers. It could be because of the difficulty of making a realistic film in which two characters shared one body, but Wechsler was ready to meet that challenge. Meyer says, “We figured all we needed was a really fantastic actress.”

Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan (The Atonement, The Lovely Bones) impressed the filmmakers with her performance in Hanna that she became the one and only choice to play the dual role, which the Irish actress describes as “an actor’s dream”. In differentiating the two personalities, Ronan developed two individual ways of moving. “The walk for each character became important to me,” she says. “Wanda„s very delicate. She almost floats, whereas Melanie is tough and feisty. I tried to bring that out in the way they hold themselves and even small things like hand gestures.”

Casting Max Irons (Little Red Riding Hood) as Jared and Jake Abel (the Percy Jackson franchise) as Ian became easy because of the chemistry both men have with Ronan. “It„s the first time I„ve been a part of an on-screen romance and I was lucky enough to do it with two people I love being with,” she shares. Ronan and Irons already knew each other and she and Abel have worked together in “The Lovely Bones.”

Talking about his character, Irons’ says, “He has that enormous truth to deal with…knowing that the love of his life, Melanie, has become a Soul. To him, she is dead. When Wanda suddenly appears, it is like a ghost returns. Despite the fact that she„s a Soul, it still looks like the girl he loves. Logic goes out of the window and he is operating on gut and instinct and confusion.” Meyer commends the son of Jeremy Irons for the presence he gives in the movie, “(Max) is able to do so much without saying a word, so you will actually pay attention to him while Saoirse is in the same shot.”

For his part, Abel says, “Ian has no fealty to Wanda. She has to go. She„s a risk to our security and our livelihood. But the more he gets to know her, the more he sees that she„s more human than humans are. Her generosity, her love and her kindness make Ian fall for her. The idea of an interspecies love affair was fun to explore.” Of Abel’s performance, Meyer says, “(Jake) makes the transition from dangerous antagonist to selfless romantic with grace.”

Diane Kruger (Inglourious Basterds, the National Treasure series) as The Seeker is obsessed with unlocking Melanie„s memories and discovering the whereabouts of her surviving loved ones. She says of her role, “These aliens are not necessarily the bad guys. Yes, they have invaded the planet and taken over human bodies, but in a way they are perfecting our world. And yet the human mind and the human spirit are so strong that even they have difficulty overcoming that.”

With the cast composed of highly acclaimed actors and rising stars, Producer Wechsler concludes, “What I know for sure about this movie is that the acting is superb. The cast cared so much about their performances and that enabled them to fully inhabit all of the dramatic moments of the film.”

Directed and written for screen by Academy Award nominee Andrew Niccol (Gattaca, The Truman Show, In Time) The Host is a sci-fi movie that will tug at your heartstrings. Catch it in cinemas starting March 30, 2013. From MultiVision Pictures Philippines and VIVA International Pictures.

Watch the trailer here: