THE GIVER

15 Young Adult Novels Turned Into Movies

THE MAZE RUNNER will finally hit theaters this Friday, September 19th.

Published in October 2009 and based upon the first book in a bestselling series by James Dashner, the novel became a New York Times Best Seller and captured the imaginations of readers around the world. Fans have described it as a combination of Lord of the Flies, The Hunger Games, and the legendary television series Lost.

Books to film – especially young adult adaptations – are big bucks at the box office. Lionsgate’s THE HUNGER GAMES and THE TWILIGHT SAGA franchises have collectively grossed more than $5 billion at the worldwide box office, and THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE is the 10th highest-grossing film of all time.

Over the weekend, Variety reported:

The 20th Century Fox release racked up a strong $8.3 million across five markets last weekend, with debuts that compared favorably to another young adult hit, “Divergent.” “The Maze Runner” is expected to make $30 million when it touches down stateside on Sept. 19.

While some missed the mark and others were successful in their crossover from page to screen, here’s a look at 15 Young Adult Novels that were turned into films.

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

(June 6, 2014)

Hazel (Shailene Woodley) and Gus (Ansel Elgort) are two extraordinary teenagers who share an acerbic wit, a disdain for the conventional, and a love that sweeps them — and us — on an unforgettable journey. Their relationship is all the more miraculous, given that they met and fell in love at a cancer support group. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, based upon the number-one bestselling novel by John Green, explores the funny, thrilling and tragic business of being alive and in love.

Review

Trailer

(August 15, 2014)

The haunting story of THE GIVER centers on Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. The film is based on Lois Lowry’s beloved young adult novel of the same name, which was the winner the 1994 Newbery Medal and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.

Review

Trailer

THE HUNGER GAMES Series

(March 23, 2012; November 22, 2013)

In the film versions of Suzanne Collins’ best selling futuristic young adult novel THE HUNGER GAMES, a dystopic Capitol requires its twelve subjugated districts to pay tribute in the form of a teenage boy and girl who are forced to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. When Katniss Everdeen’s little sister is chosen in the lottery, Katniss volunteers to take her place. Although persevering through hardship is commonplace for Katniss, she must start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love in order to win the games and return home.

The success of THE HUNGER GAMES and THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE marked the first time the first two installments of a franchise have each topped $400 million at the domestic box office, and both films now rank among the top 15 domestic film releases in history. CATCHING FIRE also grossed $428.8 million internationally for a worldwide box office total of $838.2 million in its first seven weeks of release compared to $691 million worldwide box office generated during the entire run of the first Hunger Games film.

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1 will be released worldwide on November 21, 2014 and THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 2 opens November 20, 2015.

THE HUNGER GAMES Review

CATCHING FIRE Review

Trailers

THE PRINCESS DIARIES

(August 3, 2001)

Starring Oscar winners Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway, and Hector Elizondo, THE PRINCESS DIARIES is a cool, comical Cinderella story that will touch your heart. For teenager Mia Thermopolis (Hathaway), just surviving each school day is an adventure. Then the shocking news arrives that she’s a real-life princess! So begins a comical transformation towards poise and princess-ness, including a media storm, jealous schoolmates, and a plot to take over her country. Based on Meg Cabot’s 2000 novel.

Trailer

DIVERGENT

(March 21, 2014)

The thrilling action-adventure film is set in a world where people are divided into distinct factions based on human virtues. Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) is warned she is Divergent and will never fit into any one group. When she discovers a conspiracy by a faction leader (Kate Winslet) to destroy all Divergents, Tris must learn to trust in the mysterious Four (Theo James) and together they must find out what makes being Divergent so dangerous before it’s too late.

The first film in the DIVERGENT franchise grossed $117 million at the domestic box office in its first three weeks of release, and it continues its international rollout this weekend with openings in France, Germany, Russia, Australia, Scandinavia and other major territories. Book sales of the best-selling Divergent series continue to skyrocket with total sales nearing 20 million worldwide.

Lionsgate will release a total of four DIVERGENT films on its Summit Entertainment label, with the next film, INSURGENT, which begins production next month, slated for release on March 20, 2015 and ALLEGIANT — Parts 1 & 2 scheduled for release on March 18, 2016, and March 24, 2017, respectively.

Trailer

Review

HARRY POTTER

(Eight films: 2001 – 2011)

“Dark and Difficult Times Lie Ahead“

It all begins when Harry Potter learns on his 11th birthday that he is the orphaned first son of two powerful wizards and possesses magical powers of his own. At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry embarks on the adventure of a lifetime.

Fans watched as Harry’s, Hermione’s and Ron’s lives were filled with the Triwizard Tournament, dragons, the high-flying sport Quidditch, a thrilling game with living chess pieces, platform nine and three quarters, Ollivanders Wand Shop in Diagon Alley, Death Eaters and Horcruxes – all the while facing the threat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

Based on the seven novels by J.K. Rowling, it all ended with “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2″ – the final adventure in the Harry Potter film series. In the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalated into an all-out war.

A Look at the Films

ERAGON

(December 15, 2006)

In a mythical time, a teenage boy becomes a dragon rider with the help of a wise old man, and with his newly-hatched dragon, avenges the murder of his uncle, rescues a beautiful warrior, and battles a tyrannical king. The film starred Ed Speelers, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Guillory, Robert Carlyle, Djimon Hounsou, Garrett Hedlund, Joss Stone, Rachel Weisz and John Malkovich. Directed by Stefen Fangmeier, the film is based on the novel of the same name by author Christopher Paolini from his Inheritance Cycle series.

Clip

NICK AND NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST

(October 3, 2008)

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist is a comedy about two people thrust together for one hilarious, sleepless night of adventure in a world of mix tapes, late-night living, and, live, loud music. Nick (Michael Cera) frequents New York’s indie rock scene nursing a broken heart and a vague ability to play the bass. Norah (Kat Dennings) is questioning pretty much all of her assumptions about the world. Though they have nothing in common except for their taste in music, their chance encounter leads to an all-night quest to find a legendary band’s secret show and ends up becoming the first date in a romance that could change both their lives.

Screenplay by Lorene Scafaria, based on Rachel Cohn and David Levithan‘s book.

Trailer

TWILIGHT Series

(2008 – 2012)

THE TWILIGHT SAGA film series stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner and tells the story of 17-year-old Bella Swan who moves to the small town of Forks, Washington to live with her father, and becomes drawn to Edward Cullen, a pale, mysterious classmate who seems determined to push her away. But neither can deny the attraction that pulls them together…even when Edward confides that he and his family are vampires. The action-packed, modern day vampire love story Twilight, the first film in the series, was released in theatres on November 21, 2008 to a blockbuster reception. The second installment of the film franchise, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, was released November 20, 2009, followed by the third installment The Twilight Saga: Eclipse on June 30, 2010. The final two installments, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Parts 1 & 2, were released on November 18, 2011 and November 16, 2012 respectively. All films, which together grossed more than $3.3 billion at the worldwide box office, were written by Melissa Rosenberg based on the novels in author Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” series.

Watch how it all began HERE.

PERCY JACKSON Series

(OLYMPIANS: February 12, 2010 and SEA MONSTERS: August 7, 2013)

In PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF, a trouble-prone teen Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of school — but that’s the least of his problems. The gods of Mount Olympus and assorted monsters seem to have walked out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology texts and into his life — and they’re not happy. Zeus’ lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Now, Percy and his friends must return Zeus’ stolen property and unravel a mystery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Based on the publishing phenomenon, PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS continues the young demigod’s epic journey to fulfill his destiny. To save their world, Percy and his friends must find the fabled and powerfully magic Golden Fleece. Embarking on a treacherous odyssey into the uncharted waters of the Sea of Monsters (known to humans as the Bermuda Triangle), they battle terrifying creatures, an army of zombies, and the ultimate Evil. Based on the series by Rick Riordan.

OLYMPIANS Review

SEA MONSTERS Review

Trailer

VAMPIRE ACADEMY

(February 7, 2014)

Based on author Richelle Mead’s worldwide bestselling series, VAMPIRE ACADEMY tells the legend of Rose Hathaway (Zoey Deutch) and Lissa Dragomir (Lucy Fry), two 17-year-old girls who attend a hidden boarding school for Moroi (mortal, peaceful Vampires) and Dhampirs (half-vampire/half-human guardians).

Rose, a rebellious Guardian-in-training and her best friend, Lissa – a royal vampire Princess – have been on the run when they are captured and returned to St.Vladamirs Academy, the very place where they believe their lives may be in most jeopardy. Thrust back into the perils of Moroi Society and high school, Lissa struggles to reclaim her status while Rose trains with her mentor and love-interest, Dimitri (Danila Kozlovsky), to guarantee her place as Lissa’s guardian.

Rose will sacrifice everything to protect Lissa from those who intend to exploit her from within the Academy walls and the Strigoi (immortal, evil vampires) who hunt her kind from outside its sanctuary.

Trailer

I AM NUMBER FOUR

(February 18, 2011)

Three are dead. Who is Number Four? From director D.J. Caruso (Disturbia), producer Michael Bay (Transformers) and the writers of TV’s Smallville, comes this gripping, action-packed thriller. John Smith (Alex Pettyfer) is an extraordinary teen masking his true identity to elude a deadly enemy sent to destroy him. Living with his guardian (Timothy Olyphant) in the small town he now calls home, John encounters unexpected, life-changing events — his first love (Dianna Agron, TV’s Glee), powerful new abilities and a secret connection to the others who share his incredible destiny. Based on the novel I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore.

Trailer

THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES

(August 21, 2013)

Clary’s life is turned upside down when her mother is kidnapped and it’s revealed that she and her mother are actually shadowhunters – billed with protecting the world from downworlders such as vampires, werewolves and demons. Clary must discover her talents and save her mother. Based on the Best-Selling YA series by Cassandra Clare.

Review

Trailer

BEAUTIFUL CREATURES

(February 14, 2013)

A strange recurring dream haunts Ethan Wate in his sleep, but he prefers anything to his waking life. Trapped in a small, conservative Southern town with his withdrawn father, Ethan desperately wants to escape. Then the beautiful Lena Duchannes arrives at his school, and mysterious events begin to occur. Lena has a secret: She is a Caster with powers beyond her control. Worse, when she reaches her 16th birthday, she will be claimed by either the Light or the Dark…and there is no escaping her fate in this supernatural love story. Based on the young adult novel written by authors Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl and the first book in the Caster Chronicles series.

Review

Trailer

THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS

(June 1, 2005)

Coming of Age Adventure based on Ann Brashares’ best-selling novel about a special 16th summer in the lives of four lifelong friends who are separated for the first time. On a shopping trip, the girls find a pair of thrift-shop jeans that fits each of them perfectly and they decide to use these “magic” pants as a way of keeping in touch over the months ahead, each girl wearing the jeans for a week to see what luck they bring her before sending them on to the next. Though miles apart, the four friends still experience life, love and loss together in a summer they’ll never forget.

Trailer

WAMG’s Conversation With THE NOVEMBER MAN Composer Marco Beltrami

Composer Marco Beltrami collaborated with director Phillip Noyce to set the tone for the big screen adaptation of THE GIVER, the beautifully ominous, suspenseful score for director Bong Joon Ho sci-fi thriller SNOWPIERCER, and Tommy Lee Jones’ Cannes-hit THE HOMESMAN.

Beltrami’s new films include the Tom Hardy/James Gandolfini film THE DROP and director Roger Donaldson’s latest movie, THE NOVEMBER MAN, starring Pierce Brosnan, Olga Kurylenko, and Will Patton. Based on Bill Granger’s novel There Are No Spies, the seventh of a thirteen part book series, THE NOVEMBER MAN centers on an ex-CIA operative pitted against his former pupil in a race to find a valuable witness who is hiding from the past, and holds the key to an international conspiracy. Read Jim Batts’ review HERE.

Adept to scoring both bone-chilling thrillers (World War Z, The Hurt Locker) and emotive dramas (The Sessions), the Academy Award nominated composer recently took some time to talk to me about his score for Pierce Brosnan’s spy movie and working with visionary directors.

WAMG: You’ve had quite the year – or last few years. We spoke to you in 2013 right before WORLD WAR Z was released. The Brad Pitt, zombies combo made for such a great score.

Marco Beltrami: Oh thank you!

WAMG: This year, audiences heard your music in SNOWPIERCER, THE GIVER and now THE NOVEMBER MAN – which is like 007 gone rogue. How were you brought into the project?

MB: Pierce Brosnan is a friend of mine and he told me he was shooting this movie and he’d love if I looked at it to see what I thought of it musically. I went in when they were editing and met director Roger Donaldson. We talked a little about the movie, which had a temp score at the time, and I told him about the things I liked and things that could give it a more unique identity. The film takes place in Eastern/Central Europe, so we talked about giving it that flavor.

WAMG: Did you know about the series of books beforehand?

MB: No, but after Roger showed me the movie, I went and worked for a bit and came up with some schematic ideas. He then came out to the studio and listened. It’s the first picture we’ve done together, so it always takes a bit to develop a common language. Overall the process went very smoothly and there’s a quite a bit of music in the movie.

WAMG: There is and it has a very retro sound to it. Were you keen on any particular instruments for this type of spy thriller?

MB: I wanted to give it something that would be, if they make other November Man movies, something that can work as a theme. It does have a retro theme to it. It’s the guitar that gives it that vibe. It is a hybrid score – there are orchestral instruments, but also quite a bit of electronically processed instruments. Hopefully it has a modern sound to it.

WAMG: A sequel has been announced. Have you signed on for another movie?

MB: After the movie opens, we’ll see.

WAMG: With the terrific SNOWPIERCER, your score really captured the bleak desperation of director Bong Joon-ho’s vision. A suite from the film debuted at the opening night ceremony at the LA Film Festival. How did that go?

MB: That was really good. In fact, it’s up online and Sandy Cameron, the violinist, along with her ensemble, and I thought it would be neat to open the festival with a virtuostic violin piece based on SNOWPIERCER. She and the ensemble are amazing players so it came out really cool.

Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Wx74XO8BAI and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGo-L5jVWvo

WAMG: I love what you’ve done with the Revolutionary War TV show TURN on AMC. Is it a challenge to go between the two mediums.

MB: The TV stuff is a very quick turnaround and invariably it’s very busy. You have different responsibilities depending on the day. Overall it’s been a very busy year.

WAMG: Are you partial to certain directors and their visions for a film?

MB: It’s varied. They all have their own personalities and quirks, so it’s really fun. The job never gets old in that respect. I also learn a lot – in the different way different directors treat the material and their approach to the score.

Where certain projects that I’ve done standout as things that I’ve really tried to do and it affected my work for future projects – like when I worked with Tommy Lee Jones on The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005).

WAMG: You worked with him again on his new movie THE HOMESMAN.

MB: That comes out in November and I totally changed the way we worked. We recorded the orchestra outside, with no walls for the sound to bounce off of, and then created outside instruments like an outdoor piano where the piano wires were 175 feet long. There were all kinds of neat stuff for that score and the spirit of innovation that he embraces. Tommy Lee Jones is one of those directors that never uses a “temp score” which ups your own creativity in terms of, there is no guide. It’s a very unique movie.

WAMG: You have the Tom Hardy/James Gandolfini film THE DROP coming out soon, as well as second THE WOMAN IN BLACK film. You also worked on another TV show “1864”. Your music takes you all over the place and to different times.

MB: That was with Danish director, Ole Bornedal, that I’ve worked with in the past. He did the 8-part miniseries for Danish television and he’s going to make a feature film out of that, and we recorded that this year as well.

The WOMAN IN BLACK: ANGEL OF DEATH is done and it came out well. It’s very similar to the first one. In fact, I tried to integrate the two movies. I had the exact same ensemble, the same musicians come in to play, and set them up in exactly the same spots as the first film. Half of the score is from the original and half is new to keep in the spirit of what was done before.

Right now I’m working on the movie TRUE STORY that stars James Franco and Jonah Hill. That will be in theaters soon.

Thanks To Marco Beltrami. THE NOVEMBER MAN is in theaters now and the score album will be released through Varese Sarabande on September 9th, 2014.

Listen to clips HERE.

WAMG At THE GIVER Press Day

The all new film THE GIVER, based on the young adult novel of the same name, hit theaters today. In celebration of the film WAMG sat down with Jeff Bridges, Katie Holmes, Brenton Thwaites, Odeya Rush, Cameron Monaghan, Phillip Noyce, Lois Lowry, Robert B. Weide, Michael Mitnick and Nikki Silver along with other members of the press at the LA press day. Check some of the highlights out below!

The haunting story of THE GIVER centers on Jonas (Brenton Thwaites), a young man who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Yet as he begins to spend time with The Giver (Jeff Bridges), who is the sole keeper of all the community’s memories, Jonas quickly begins to discover the dark and deadly truths of his community’s secret past. With this newfound power of knowledge, he realizes that the stakes are higher than imagined – a matter of life and death for himself and those he loves most. At extreme odds, Jonas knows that he must escape their world to protect them all – a challenge that no one has ever succeeded at before. THE GIVER is based on Lois Lowry’s beloved young adult novel of the same name, which was the winner the 1994 Newbery Medal and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.

Jeff, is it true that you originally wanted to make this film with your father?

Jeff Bridges : I originally wanted to direct my father, Lloyd Bridges in the film and I wanted to make a movie that my kids could see. They were all young kids at the time. And I was looking at a catalogue of children’s books and came across this wonderful cover of this grizzled old guy. And I thought, “Oh this is great.” I read it and I was knocked out on kid book level but also as an adult. I thought, “Oh this is a movie I’d love to see.” It turns, out, that Lois took that photograph of the guy on the cover.

Who was the guy?

Lois Lowry : He was a Swedish painter named Carl Gustaf Nelson and at the time I was a photo journalist.

Jeff, how does it feel to have been working on this project long enough to play The Giver?

Jeff Bridges : I finally qualified as the grizzled guy. It was funny. It felt just wonderful. So much of the success of film depends on the cast – not only the cast of actors but who is going to be the director, who is going to be the cinematographer and all of those slots were just filled in such a beautiful way. The movie kind transcended my expectations for it.

For the actors, what attracted you to this role? And was it intimidating working with actors like Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep?

Brenton Thwaites : Jeff was great to work with. I had a dream of a time. When you get this gift, this opportunity, you kind of have to pinch yourself in the morning before you go to work and it was like that everyday. It was great. And to work with a fellow Aussie was pretty cool too!

Katie Holmes : I was very excited to be a part of this film. The book is so beloved and to be a part of this project with Jeff and Meryl Streep and all of these amazing actors was pure delight. And to work with Phillip was wonderful. It was interesting to play this character because this world – there is no emotion, there is no pain. And so for an actor, you’re always trying to emote but you can’t so it was interesting. And playing Brenton’s mom and having him have these experiences that were so foreign to my character, and also being the guardian of the rules of this world was really interesting and quite a challenge. But mostly it was just an honor to be a part of something that I think is a very valuable piece of work.

Odeya Rush : It’s such an honor to work with these great actors. Really when you meet them, they are very relaxed and warm and make you feel very comfortable because it can be really intimidating. And we had this kind of warm environment on set too. My character takes such a journey too. I’m not completely The Giver in Jonas; I’m not fully feeling things and I’m not getting memories. But still I start off really naive and happy and thinking that I’m in a good place and once I stop taking my injections, it’s kind of a state of confusion and I don’t really understand what I’m feeling. They are trying to explain it to me and towards the end it kind of goes to anger because I realize the cruelty behind this community. I think that arc was very interesting and it’s such a great story. So I’m really fortunate.

Cameron Monaghan : Well I mean when I got the audition for this movie, they said that this is a book that is taught in all these schools produced by the Weinstein Company with this great director and these fantastic actors. So kicking and screaming I was dragged over to go act in a Meryl Streep movie I guess. Obviously having the chance to work with Jeff, with Katie, and to be able to tell this really amazing story – I read the book when I was auditioning and it’s a very beautiful story about humanity and what it means to be human and loved and all these great things. It was just something I wanted to be a part of.

One of the ideas in the film is that people in positions of power can be wrong sometimes – including your parents. As a parent of a small child, how do you navigate that in terms of how much do you encourage children of that age to question authority?

Katie Holmes : Well, I think that one of the draws of doing this project was this book. And the reason why I think it’s so beloved by so many and why schools have it on their reading list is because of these powerful themes. Having children really decide for themselves what they think is important and that free choice. So I’m very happy to be a part of the film adaptation of this.

Katie, what was it like for you to play this tough mother – so into maintaining the law that it was kind of at the expense of your own child? You’re kind of like the fun killer of the family: “No you can’t take this baby home. You can’t have emotions!”

Katie Holmes : [Laughs]. I really enjoyed playing this character. You know I think that for me what I loved about this character is she is trying so hard to maintain this order. This is what she knows. Jonas is going through something that she doesn’t know and it’s very threatening and it fills her with a great deal of conflict. So I think it’s always interesting to play people that have a lot going on.

Brenton, what was were some of of your first experiences on the set? And how did you get the baby to cry?

Brenton Thwaites : I think as soon as the baby saw Phillip’s face it just started crying. So did I [Laughs]! The honest truth is, as the start of the film when I first met these two kids – James and Alex, they would put the babies in my arms and they would being crying instantly. So it began, put the baby in my arms if you want to get it to cry. But over the months, you develop a really strong bong with these kids. So in a way, it was hard to see them go. it was hard to let go.

First experiences on set? I guess every movie has it’s uniqueness. That’s the wonderful thing about being an actor; every job is kind of a different thing. Every movie is it’s own wild beast and you have to roll with it. I think that’s one of the things that I learned – especially with Jeff who I did most of my scenes with – was you just have to role with it and do the best you can. And try and enjoy it along the way.

Jeff, when young actors work with you, do they ask you for advice? And do you offer it?

Jeff Bridges : We just jam you know? It’s a musical expression but it also works for movies too. Brenton plays guitar. We did a lot of jamming. But having fun – my add Lloyd Bridges taught me all the basics of acting. The main thing I learned from my dad was really just in observing how he worked and the joy that he had in doing what he loved doing. I got to work with him twice as an adult and for both those movies, whenever my dad came on the set, that joyful vibe came with him. It’s contagious and it runs through the whole company. Everybody goes, “Yeah. This is kind of fun. This is kind of advanced pretend.” So we had little games we used to do and play.

Did you play ‘pass the pig’ on the set?

Jeff Bridges : We did. Brenton and I had a game that we used to play that was kind of fun. We had all those books and we would arbitrarily pick out a book and open it to a page and run our finger down the page, find a sentence, and that would be our call on for the day – whatever that said. It would often be pretty mystical and perceptive and would be our guide for the day. Real books.

Am I the only one that doesn’t know what ‘pass the pig’ is?

Jeff Bridges : It’s kind of like craps for kids. You roll these little plastic pigs. It’s a great game actually.

And apparently this has been a tradition of yours on all the movie sets…

Jeff Bridges : That’s right. The guys that make those pigs; they gave me a golden set of them.

Nikki Silver : We filmed in South Africa and it was a really magical set. Cameron, Brenton, they all play guitar. And Taylor came and Taylor played guitar and Odeya would sing and Michael (Mitnick. Screenwriter) would play piano. We were in a really interesting part of the world doing something really special so it was a pretty amazing time.

I heard that you actually shot a version of this film with your dad as The Giver?

Jeff Bridges : That’s true.

Any way that could be on the DVD?

Jeff Bridges : Beau’s son, Casey Bridges was our DP on that session at our parent’s house. We read the whole book. Bud Cort was the narrator. It was like 18 years ago. Bud read all the narration in the book. Dylan who now works for Universal as a publicist plays Jonas. Casey tells me he’s got it so hopefully it will be something on the DVD.

Jeff, do you want to keep up with the acting or would you eventually like to retire and go fish or something?

Jeff Bridges : Yeah those are two streams that you articulated exactly. I’m 64 now so I’m moving along pretty good. I’ve only got a few – there’s a limited time. I got a lot to do! I got a lot of ideas, a lot of things I want to realize. And that creates a certain amount of pressure. It’s like Walt Disney – Jiminy Cricket – you’ve got a good angel. I remember Goofy or Pluto – these are both actually angels. One guy is saying, “You got to get to work. You’ve got a lot of stuff to do.” And the other guy is saying to me, “Come on Jeff. Just relax. Do you want your whole life to be a giant homework assignment?” So it’s balancing those two things. It drives my wife crazy. But this is a one of a kind experience for me. I’ve never had that kind of passion or intention for a project – holding it for 18 years so It’s very gratifying to see it come to fruition.

Jeff, working with Taylor Swift, what kind of actress is she?

Jeff Bridges : Taylor gosh. She was so remarkable. She flew in. I think her first day of work was right on the heels of arriving in Cape Town and certainly exhausted. I had experienced that myself. But she was such a pro and so up for being involved and playing. I hope she continues the acting because I think she’s very talented in addition to being a great songwriter and performer. She was just wonderful. And I believe she was Harvey’s [Weinstein]’s idea. He said, “You’re being taught piano. Who would be really great for that part?” Taylor came to his mind and I’m so glad she stepped on board. She had read the book I believe and was a big fan of that. She’s terrific.

THE GIVER is in theaters now

Win Tickets To The St. Louis Advance Screening Of THE GIVER – TOMORROW NIGHT!

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See One Republic, Taylor Swift & more LIVE on THE GIVER World Premiere RED CARPET TONIGHT: http://bit.ly/1tT34eT

With this newfound power of knowledge, he realizes that the stakes are higher than imagined – a matter of life and death for himself and those he loves most. At extreme odds, Jonas knows that he must escape their world to protect them all – a challenge that no one has ever succeeded at before.

THE GIVER is based on Lois Lowry’s beloved young adult novel of the same name, which was the winner the 1994 Newbery Medal and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.

THE GIVER opens in theaters August 15

https://thegiverfilm.com/

Get Exclusive Access To THE GIVER World Premiere And See The Advance Screening On Aug 11 From Fathom Events

Fathom Events is joining The Weinstein Company (TWC), Walden Media and the cast and crew of THE GIVER at the film’s theatrical premiere, live from the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York for an exclusive presentation of “The Giver: World Premiere Red Carpet Event” to select U.S. cinemas on Monday, August 11 at 7pm EDT and tape delayed at 7pm CDT, MDT and PDT.

Audiences will experience the glamorous red carpet as though they were invited guests with the cast and crew, scheduled to include Meryl Streep, Jeff Bridges, Katie Holmes, Taylor Swift, Brenton Thwaites and many others.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in exclusive interaction with the film’s stars only available onscreen at this premiere event as they speak directly to theater audiences from the red carpet.

Cinema guests will then enjoy the full length feature film four days before its official, public release on August 15.

Here’s a list of the theaters: http://www.fathomevents.com/event/263/theaters

Tickets for “The Giver: World Premiere Red Carpet Event” are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. The event will be presented in nearly 250 select movie theaters nationwide through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

One lucky fan and their guest will also get their own chance fly to New York City and walk the red carpet at the movie premiere just by uploading a photo of themselves reading “The Giver” to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Photobucket with the hashtag #TheGiver.

For more details, fans can Shazam “The Giver” promos in NCM’s FirstLook pre-show in movie theaters nationwide throughout July, or visit “The Giver” Selfies Contest page on Photobucket.

The haunting story of “The Giver” centers on Jonas (Brenton Thwaites), a young man who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Yet as he begins to spend time with The Giver (Jeff Bridges), who is the sole keeper of all the community’s memories, Jonas quickly begins to discover the dark and deadly truths of his community’s secret past. With this newfound power of knowledge, he realizes that the stakes are higher than imagined – a matter of life and death for himself and those he loves most. At extreme odds, Jonas knows that he must escape their world to protect them all – a challenge that no one has ever succeeded at before.

“The Giver” is based on Lois Lowry’s beloved young adult novel, which was winner of the 1994 Newbery Medal and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.

Find more information at TheGiverFilm.com

OneRepublic’s “Ordinary Human” Music Video From THE GIVER

See new footage from the highly anticipated film, THE GIVER, in OneRepublic’s “Ordinary Human” music video.

THE GIVER is based on Lois Lowry’s beloved young adult novel of the same name, which was the winner the 1994 Newbery Medal and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.

Starring Meryl Streep, Jeff Bridges, Brenton Thwaites, Alexander Skarsgard, Katie Holmes, Odeya Rush, Cameron Monaghan and Taylor Swift, THE GIVER opens in theaters on August 15.

thegiverfilm.com

facebook.com/TheGiverFilm

Official twitter.com/thegivermovie

The Weinstein Company Announces ‘THE GIVER Movie Premiere For Good’

The Weinstein Company today announced “The Giver Movie Premiere for Good” in partnership with CrowdRise and Eventbrite. The event gives movie fans an unparalleled opportunity to attend a major movie premiere with their favorite stars, by participating in an online fundraising campaign for the arts.

Beginning today through August 1 at 2:00 p.m. EDT, fans can sign up at www.crowdrise.com/thegiver4good to participate in The Giver Movie Premiere for Good on Eventbrite and then kick-off their fundraising efforts on CrowdRise to attend the premiere.

Leveraging Eventbrite’s online seating map, fundraisers can earn the ability to sit near select cast and crew of The Weinstein Company’s THE GIVER, including Jeff Bridges, Katie Holmes and Brenton Thwaites.

The Giver Movie Premiere for Good event is the inaugural campaign of a new collaboration between Eventbrite and CrowdRise, designed to provide nonprofits, companies and individuals everywhere the ability to merge charitable giving and live events. The 100 fans to raise the most money will attend the premiere in New York City. The more money a fan raises, the closer she or he will sit to the cast and crew. The top 10 fundraisers will get seats in an exclusive VIP section, tickets to the after party and a meet and greet with celebrities. Donors will also be entered to win cool prizes from event sponsors like Uber and from members of the cast. For example, anyone who makes a donation to any fundraiser’s page will have a chance to win a Taylor Swift guitar signed personally to the winner by Taylor.

Jeff Bridges, Katie Holmes and Brendan Thwaites will encourage fans to launch fundraisers and donate to the effort. “I’m excited to be a part of this campaign, and love the idea of turning a movie premiere into a vehicle for social impact,” said Bridges. “I look forward to seeing the people who raise the most at the premiere.”

“CrowdRise is a great organization that will give fans the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join the cast at the premiere of ‘The Giver’ in New York like Meryl Streep, Katie Holmes, Jeff Bridges, Taylor Swift, Alexander Skarsgard, Brenton Thwaites, Odeya Rush and Cameron Monaghan,” said Harvey Weinstein, Co-Chairman of The Weinstein Company. “The evening will be like no other. I’m very grateful that the cast of the film and their fans are behind this unique opportunity to support the arts.”

THE GIVER is based on Lois Lowry’s beloved young adult novel of the same name, which was the winner the 1994 Newbery Medal and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.

The film opens in theaters on August 15.

thegiverfilm.com
facebook.com/TheGiverFilmOfficial
twitter.com/thegivermovie

New Trailer For THE GIVER Is Great

Fans of the book will love this!

Check out the official full length trailer for the highly anticipated film, THE GIVER. (via Yahoo Movies)

THE GIVER is based on Lois Lowry’s beloved young adult novel of the same name, which was the winner the 1994 Newbery Medal and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.

Starring Jeff Bridges, Brenton Thwaites, Meryl Streep, Katie Holmes, Alexander Skarsgard, Cameron Monaghan, Odeya Rush, and Taylor Swift, THE GIVER will be in theaters everywhere August 15th.

Be sure to check out The Giver Challenge, The Memory Deposit, and The Giver Experience – three fully immersive, interactive websites that are designed to reflect upon the themes present in the film and allow the user to experience THE GIVER themselves.

OFFICIAL FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TheGiverFilmOfficial
OFFICIAL TWITTER: https://twitter.com/thegivermovie

Taylor Swift Among Eight New Posters For THE GIVER

Get an up close look at the characters from the upcoming film THE GIVER with 8 brand new posters featuring Brenton Thwaites, Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Katie Holmes, Alexander Skarsgard, Taylor Swift, Cameron Monaghan, and Odeya Rush.

THE GIVER tells the story of Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Once given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory, Jonas begins to unveil the realities of the world he actually lives in.

Based on the beloved young adult novel by Lois Lowry, the film hits theaters everywhere August 15th

ABOUT THE GIVER CHALLENGE:
http://thegiverchallenge.com/
The Community will offer weekly themes to run every two weeks — from April 28th to August 3rd — and are based on seven of the motifs from The Giver. A “theme” winner will be announced every other week via email, starting on May 12th. Theme winners will be rewarded with unique & exciting trips and a $1000 donation to their selected charities. Other exciting giveaways will be distributed throughout the challenge, including Schwinn bicycles and gift cards to Amazon, iTunes, and Spotify. Players may also be selected for original/creative posts and have their creations featured as “Citizens of the Week.“

During the final two weeks (The Ceremony), the TOP 10 point earners (from April 14th – August 3rd) will be put to a vote for the Grand Prize Winner as “The Receiver.” The Grand Prize Winner will take home a $10,000 cash award AND win the honor of designating a $10,000 donation for the charity of his or her choice.

Each competition will include “training” or tasks for players to share their own memories, individuality, or promotional items of The Giver movie. Players can progress by completing their training — in accordance with the rules of the community — and earning points and badges. Leaderboards will be displayed to track progress and development throughout each competition and towards The Ceremony. Click here for the Official Rules.

Watch for emails on Mondays, containing announcements or instructions from the Council or The Giver.

ABOUT THE MEMORY DEPOSIT:
http://thegivermemory.tumblr.com/
The Memory Deposit is a collective that details the entire human experience. From the small moments that help us understand the world, to the events that comprise our history, this deposit serves to inform, inspire, and remind us of what makes us human.

However, the insights found within these memories has no place in the world of The Giver. In a community founded on the principles of “sameness”, remembering what came before serves no greater purpose. In fact, it’s a departure from the perfection this society has worked so hard to sustain.

For a chance to be featured in the Memory Deposit, use the theme’s corresponding hashtag when posting images to tumblr.

ABOUT THE GIVER EXPERIENCE:
https://thegiverfilm.com/
We put the user into the virtual seat of The Receiver by creating a first person, interactive piece that allows users to actually speak and interact with the character of The Giver, played by Jeff Bridges. Leveraging Google Chrome’s speech recognition tech, the system will track and moderate responses vocal responses. He will ask you questions, and if you respond correctly, he will share memory transfers with you.

OFFICIAL FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TheGiverFilmOfficial
OFFICIAL TWITTER: https://twitter.com/thegivermovie

Taylor Swift Among Three New Photos From THE GIVER

Get a good look at Jeff Bridges, Taylor Swift, Brenton Thwaites, Odeya Rush, Katie Holmes, and Alexander Skarsgard in THE GIVER with three brand new photos.

The film is based on Lois Lowry’s beloved young adult novel of the same name, which was the winner the 1994 Newbery Medal and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.

Starring Meryl Streep, Jeff Bridges, Brenton Thwaites, Alexander Skarsgard, Katie Holmes, Odeya Rush, Cameron Monaghan and Taylor Swift, THE GIVER will be in theaters everywhere August 15th.

OFFICIAL TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJNNugNe0Wo
OFFICIAL FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TheGiverFilmOfficial
OFFICIAL TWITTER: https://twitter.com/thegivermovie

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

THE GIVER

THE HUNGER GAMES Series

THE PRINCESS DIARIES

DIVERGENT

HARRY POTTER

ERAGON

NICK AND NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST

TWILIGHT Series

PERCY JACKSON Series

VAMPIRE ACADEMY

I AM NUMBER FOUR

THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES

BEAUTIFUL CREATURES

THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS

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THE GIVER opens in theaters August 15

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