Check out the teaser trailer for D.J. Caruso’s “I am Number Four”, based on the series of young adult novels by James Frey and some other guy who are going by the pen name “Pittacus Lore”. Yeah, right. Anyways, nothing about the teaser would seem to indicate this is about aliens hiding out on Earth, but if you’ve been reading this site for any lenghth of time, you know that that’s exactly what “I am Number Four” is about.
The truly great “teen” novels transcend age limits. “Harry Potter” is probably the best example of a book written for young adults with true imagination that attracts readers of all ages like moths to a flame. “I Am Number Four” won’t have to worry about burning insects falling about around it, because it never threatens to be anything more than a novel to be appreciated entirely by a teenage audience. The novel is a decent read, but it becomes forgettable just as quickly.
“District 9″ star Sharlto Copley has pulled out of the D.J. Caruso directed adaptation of James Frey and Jobie Hughes’s YA sci-fi alien book “I Am Number Four”.
Replacing Sharlto will be Timothy Olyphant, last seen in “Live Free or Die Hard”, “Hitman” and the excellent Justified for the FX network. Sharlto exited because of scheduling conflicts with the promotion of the “A-Team” reboot, or so he says.
Former “Lost” merc Kevin Durand (who was also in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” and the upcoming “Robin Hood”) is in negotiations to join two sci-fi movies: playing the alien villain in Dreamworks’ “I am Number Four” and a boxing promoter in “Real Steel”, also from Dreamworks.
In case you’re not a fan of Fox’s teen musical show “Glee” (apparently everyone in the whole world is, at least according to Fox), Dianna Agron plays the pregnant cheerleader. Now she can add love interest to secret alien teen to her resume.
Looks like the Michael Bay-produced “I am Number Four” is really picking up steam. With the film scheduled for next year, casting is well underway for the teen-centric sci-fi actioner. The latest involves Aussie hottie Teresa Palmer joining the film as Number Six.
Sharlto Copley, the star of “District 9″ has joined the cast of the Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg produced “I Am Number Four”, based on the 6 book series by James Frey and Jobie Hughes (Yes, that James Frey). Number Four is about a group of alien teenagers (aren’t they all alien?) that escape their home planet just before it is smushed by another group of ridiculously hostile aliens. Sharlto plays the mentor and protector of the lead, played by “Beastly” star Alex Pettyfer.
I’m not number four, he’s number four. Who is number four? Alex Pettyfer is number four. Yup, the pretty boy British actor, who got ugly to play his first American movie “Beastly”, is currently in negotiations to star in the Michael Bay-produced sci-fi actioner “I am Number Four”.
Number Four has gotten himself a director, and it’s D.J. Caruso, the man behind “Disturbia” and “Eagle Eye”, both starring Shia LaBeouf, which makes you wonder if Dreamworks is looking at nabbing LaBeouf for the starring role as well. Just wondering. The movie will be based on the young-adult science fiction book by James Frey and Joby Hughes, and is the first installment in a six-novel series. Michael Bay has been attached to the film from the very beginning, and for a time it seemed like he might also direct. With “Transformers 3″ gearing up, that apparently proved impossible, and so the directing duties have now gone to Caruso.
How hard is it to write a Michael Bay film? Don’t you just type in “…then it blows up” over and over? Just kidding, of course. Bag on him all you want, but Michael Bay makes movies people want to see, and there’s nothing wrong with that. The next film on his plate is an adaptation of the sci-fi novel “I am Number 4″, which has just found its writers.
