Mark your calendars: the invasion will begin March 29, 2013. That's when the film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's 2008 sci-fi novel, "The Host," will debut in theaters, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
For the uninitiated, the long-gestating film takes place in a post-apocalyptic world in which aliens have implanted themselves in human hosts. We meet one such alien named Wanderer, who has recently taken over the body of Earthling Melanie. But Melanie won't go peacefully, and she and Wanderer embark on an uneasy alliance to find and rescue Melanie's surviving friends and family.
With today's big release announcement, we thought we'd take a look at everything we know about the film thus far.
Star: In May, we learned "Hanna" actress Saoirse Ronan would assume the dual role of Melanie/Wanderer, an interesting casting choice seeing as Melanie is described as a brunette in her 20s. Though Saoirse certainly isn't the first fair-haired actress to undergo a makeover for a sure-to-be huge literary adaptation...
Melanie/Wanderer is the only role filled to date, so we're dying to know who will play her love interest Jared. When the film was first announced way back in 2009, we cast Chris Pine in the pivotal role, but with producers casting a younger Melanie, we think someone like Steven R. McQueen would be a perfect fit for the part.
Director: The director's chair has seen plenty of back and forth over the past two years. Originally, screenwriter Andrew Niccol was attached to direct his script but backed out to helm the Justin Timberlake-starring "In Time" instead. Susanna White ("Nanny McPhee Returns") took over the reins briefly, but now Andrew is back behind the camera.
Filming date/location: The adaptation is scheduled to begin filming in February 2012 in Louisiana and New Mexico, meaning Andrew has a little more than seven months to round out his cast of scrappy survivors.
Are you excited for "The Host" adaptation? Who do you think should play Jared and the other survivors? Tell us in the comments and on Twitter!
** Hollywood Crush Twitter