The film “Beautiful Creatures” hits theaters on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013. (Courtesy of AP)
It looks like 2013 will be the year of best-selling young adult fiction finding its way to the silver screen.
Following in the footsteps of the “Twilight” series, upcoming films, like “Beautiful Creatures,” hope to lengthen the reign of supernatural romance flicks.
“Beautiful Creatures” revolves around teenager Lena Duchannes, who catches the eye of her new classmate Ethan.
Lena, however, is descended from a long line of “casters,” a fancy name for witches, and must choose whether to become a force for good or evil.
For Alice Englert, who plays Lena, the magical element in the film seems more realistic in comparison to other supernatural dramas.
“The magic seems to not just be there as a spectacle, but seem to be an extension of these people and their lives and who they were,” Englert said.
Alden Ehrenreich, another relative newcomer in the film, plays Ethan, and agrees with Englert.
To him, the human aspect and the humor make the film’s setting and premise more believable.
“You see these big films that take place in these fantastic realities and they take themselves very seriously and that’s something that I really appreciated from day one,” Ehrenreich said.
The story never did.
“I think that’s in the book as well, that there is lot of humor,” Ehrenreich said.
While most of the leading cast is young and fairly new to big-budget movies, the film features seasoned actors like Emmy Rossum, Viola Davis, Emma Thompson and Jeremy Irons.
“The older actors that we worked with were just so nurturing and open to teaching us, you know, everything that they knew and it was a great acting class just getting to watch them work,” Thomas Mann, who plays Ethan’s best friend Link, said.
Rossum, of “Phantom of the Opera” and Showtime’s “Shameless,” saw the script as another opportunity to play a strong and powerful female character.
She plays Ridley Duchannes in the film, Lena’s dark caster cousin.
“I fell in love with this series [because] it was really about showing female strengths,” Rossum said.
“I had a single mom and she raised me and she is a very strong women, so I think I gravitate towards that kind of character. But you know, and when I was like a teen I played all like the good girl roles, so definitely a bit of a turn for me,” Rossum said.
Richard LaGravenese, who has adapted Alfonso Cuaron’s “A Little Princess” and Robert Redford’s “The Horse Whisperer” among others, directs the film.
“Beautiful Creatures” is based on the first book in the Caster Chronicles, written by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.
“I believe it’s important to understand that the book and the movie are separate entities,” Zoey Deutch, who plays mean girl Emily Asher, said.
“I think that the fans are going to be very happy because it truly stays honest to the original story and the characters,” Deutch said.
Englert agrees, noting that LaGravenese worked to keep the essence of the book and its characters alive in the film.
“Beautiful Creatures” is one of four books in the series.
If audiences respond positively to the film, the remaining three may also be turned into films, Rossum, who was a fan of the novels before being cast in the movie said.’
“We are signed for sequels if people embrace the series and wanted to continue I would love to reprise the role,” Rossum said.
“Beautiful Creatures” opens in theaters Feb. 14.
