One of the films I highlighted in my feature looking at the The Giver, directed by Philip Noyce and starring Jeff Bridges and Brenton Thwaites, the latter as Jonas (Brenton Thwaites), a young boy from a seemingly utopian, futuristic world, who is singled out to receive special training from The Giver (Bridges), who alone holds the memories of the true joys and pain of life.
Today the first couple of pictures from the film arrived, the above shows Jonas and The Giver in the Library of Memory, a set constructed for the film on location in an old factory in Cape Town where the film recently wrapped principal photography.
As for the adaptation, Bridges (who has been wanting to make the film for over 20 years), says, “The movie will not be an exact duplication of the book. It’s taking a lot of licenses.” Apparently this includes an expanded role for the character known as the Chief Elder, to be played by Meryl Streep. Add to that, instead of playing a 12-year-old, Thwaites’ Jonas will be aged 16.
Lowry has worked closely with Bridges and Noyce on the production with Bridges telling Entertainment Weekly, “I was happy to hear from Lois that she wasn’t so concerned about all the facts being the same as in the book. The spirit of the story is there.”
The Weinstein Co. is set to release The Giver on August 15.
