The upcoming film adaptation of Stephenie Meyers’ sci-fi novel “The Host” has more in common with the blockbuster “Twilight” series than just an author.
Clearly hoping to reel in the same young female audience that has flocked to every single installment in the teen-vamp franchise, “Host” distributor Open Road Films has practically duplicated the poster from “Twilight: Eclipse” for the film’s first one-sheet. So how similar are they? Take a look at my side-by-side comparison below, then sound off with any similarities you think I missed in the comments. (You can also check out the full-size “Host” poster at the bottom of the page.)
1) Placement of actors
Like Kristen Stewart on the “Eclipse” poster, “The Host” starlet Saoirse Ronan (Melanie Stryder/Wanderer) is flanked here by her two young male co-stars; in this case, Max Irons (Jared Howe) stands in for Robert Pattinson, while Jake Abel (Ian O’Shea) takes Taylor Lautner’s slot. Tortured love triangle: complete.
2) Gloomy skies
Storm clouds = bad, bad tidings. Also, overcast conditions make the actors look way cooler and more tortured. Gosh, being a teenager is hard.
3) Smiling is for wimps
I’m gonna give the edge to “Twilight”‘s lead trio for pure unadulterated moodiness, but Saoirse and co. are clearly trying their damndest to look deep and troubled with those ominous facial expressions. So just how serious is it? Very.
4) It’s all about the style
Max Irons takes a page out of Edward Cullen’s playbook by donning a sexy t-shirt-and-jacket combo (though he really missed the boat on the whole “v-neck” thing), while Mr. Abel and Jacob Black clearly share a predilection for wearing tasteful, monochrome sweaters. As for their respective ‘dos, Irons/Pattinson favor a similarly-tousled look (because they’re edgy) while Abel/Lautner go the safe route with their neatly-combed locks.
So, will all these poster similarities translate into bigger box-office for “The Host”? Guess we’ll find out when the film hits theaters on March 29.