Andrew Niccol signs on to direct 'The Host'

The pieces are all falling into place for The Host, the film adaptation of Twilight author Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling sci-fi novel. A week after announcing that Saoirse Ronan would be playing Melanie and her BFF alien mind parasite (we’ve all had one of those, right?) Wanderer, the production has locked in a director. Andrew Niccol, who has had experience in science fiction with 1997’s Gattaca and the upcoming Now, will be taking the reins. Niccol will be directing his own screenplay, which he wrote after being chosen by Meyer, a fan of both Gattaca and his work on The Truman Show.

Now, which sets stars Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried in a dystopic world where immortality is possible but expensive, is currently slated for an October 28 release. It is the first movie Niccol has directed since 2005’s Lord of War with Nicolas Cage.