'Twilight's' Stephenie Meyer launches another movie franchise with 'The Host'

Stephenie Meyer at the premiere of "Twilight" in Nov. 2008.

Credit: AP Photo/Matt Sayles

Having already launched a massive movie phenomenon with "The Twilight Saga," Stephenie Meyer has now granted big screen rights to another one of her novels, "The Host."

Variety reports the more adult subject matter is a love story set in the near future where our planet has been taken over by an alien race called "souls." Like "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," these beings take over human's bodies dominating their consciousness.  "The Host" follows one soul called The Wanderer (because she has traveled across so many worlds) who battles for control over the body of a dying human, Melanie Stryder. Her goal? Find the remaining community of surviving humans on the planet. 

Andrew Niccol, best known for his stylish Sci-Fi flick "Gattaca," will write and direct.  The filmmaker was approached by producers Nick Wechler, Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz after Meyer revealed that "Gattaca" and "The Truman Show" (which Niccol wrote) were in her top five Sci-Fi films of all time.  As fans would expect after the long road to get "Twilight" to theaters, Meyer turned down numerous offers to sell the rights to "The Host" until the trio of producers convinced her they were the ones who would respect her creation the most and actively involve her in the process.  Surprisingly though, the film will be made independently without studio involvement.  Distribution details will be worked out later.

Wechler and both Schwartzs and also both producers on the upcoming thriller "The Road."

No timeline has been revealed for how soon "The Host" will begin production, but Meyer's "New Moon" will hit theaters Nov.20.