Fear Always Finds Its Victim

A teaser poster for Emma Watson’s upcoming Regression was posted on her facebook fanpage. The film, by Alejandro Amenábar, also stars Ethan Hawke and David Thewlis.

Queen of the Tearling

The Invasion of the Tearling, the second book in Erika Johansen’s series, was released today. Snitchseeker recently interviewed the author and asked her about Emma playing the lead in the film adaptation.

SnitchSeeker: Emma Watson is attached to play the lead, but in the books Kelsea is a bit overweight and doesn’t seem to fit the type. Is that an issue with you?
Johansen: Not at all. I was worried that they were going to pick a bad actress to play her – one of the various 18 to 25 set that I really feel can’t act. So when Emma Watson’s name came up, I was very excited. I wanted first and foremost a good actress who was actually intelligent for the role. I made Kelsea, for want of a better word, plain – that was a personal decision for me. But when it comes to movies, I understand it’s a very different world than the book. A book can do things it can’t and vice versa. So I never expected them to cast a plain unknown actress in the role. I was very excited just because, Emma Watson, she comes across as so smart in everything she says and does, and that is an integral feature of my heroine that I felt she would be able to really project.

SnitchSeeker: Our readers would agree with you.
Johansen: I can’t see her playing a stupid character. I don’t see it working out.

Snitchseeker also spoke with Johansen’s literary agent, Dorian Karchmar, about Emma’s involvement as star and executive producer.

“A pair of film agents at William Morris Endeavor, whose literary department represents Erika, read and fell in love with the debut in the wake of the book sale. With its interesting world-building and complex characters, including Kelsea Glynn, the flawed, compelling young queen at the center of the series, they hoped it might capture the imaginations of producer David Heyman and Emma Watson, who were looking to team up on a new project. It was incredibly exciting when Heyman, who has a first-look deal with Warner Brothers, and Watson both responded with great passion — Watson was so taken with the debut that she attached herself not only to star, but to executive produce. Screenplay writer Mark L. Smith has been brought on to adapt the book.”