The first trailer for the long-awaited adaptation of Lois Lowry‘s acclaimed novel, THE GIVER, has arrived, showcasing yet another dystopian world. Directed by Phillip Noyce (SALT, THE BONE COLLECTOR) and starring Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Katie Holmes, Alexander Skarsgård, Cameron Monaghan, Brenton Thwaites, and Taylor Swift, the adaptation takes some liberties with the source material, primarily by upping the age of the protagonist, Jonas, from 12 to 16, which opens up the tale to have more of a love affair angle for that character. The trailer is fairly eerie and looks similar to many of the YA film adaptations on the horizon (definitely some DIVERGENT similarities).
Take a look:
Here’s the synopsis:
In a seemingly perfect community, without war, pain, suffering, differences or choice, a young boy is chosen to learn from an elderly man about the true pain and pleasure of the “real” world.
Having both Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep in this already gives it a sharp edge and even though the book has been in publication since 1993 (and is part of many high school curriculums) there is still the competition from franchises like THE HUNGER GAMES that may mute its impact some. Noyce is a fairly reliable filmmaker and the rest of the cast seems up to task, but one has to wonder if the post-apocalyptic YA adaptations aren’t getting stretched a little thin. I guess the box office numbers will let us know.
THE GIVER opens in theaters on August 15, 2014.