BIG MOVIE NEWS - Melanie role reportedly cast 

Saoirse Ronan is Melanie!?
Doubtful :/
Thanks for this though :)

We've been waiting for so long for some news that this almost doesn't seem real to me. Maybe it doesn't seem real to me because Saoirse doesn't look anything like Mel. :( This is the same thing that happened with Katniss Everdeen of Hunger Games. They chose a blonde girl for the role of a brunette girl with olive skin. But at least we know that Saoirse is talented.

@ Renesmee_XD: Well, I was surprised too, but Deadline New York is a fairly reliable source. They rarely publish anything wihtout solid evidence or knowledge. I'm sure we will know/hear more after the festival.

@ kuncuyug: I understand exactly how you feel. It does seem unreal. It is sad that they didn't pick a girl with a darker skin tone, but like you said, she is a good actress (thank goodness). Hopefully Ronan will dye her hair. It is already a dark blonde naturally, so it shouldn't be too hard.

Wow, this news came out this afternoon and already MTV has added its opinion: link

@Nicole62: I don't mean in that way, I mean I'm sure she's good actress (hopefully) but I see no Melanie in her.
She doesn't seem right, perhaps her acting can add up :)

Soon we'll be seeing her photoshopped pictures with darker hair and skin over the internet. Maybe then we can imagine her as Mel but right now, I'm just shocked! Saoirse was one of my picks for Pet and now she became our Mel! Still can't believe it!

I completely agree with you. She is not the Melanie described in the book or how I imagined her (only her tall height and athletic build match). However, she is a wonderfully gifted actress and has the ability to pull off Mel/Wanda character.

Kuncuyug, my plan is to start on a photoshopped picture as soon as I get home! haha! I'll just be happy when this gets officially confirmed (or denied) during the Cannes Film Festival.

Wow, I would never thought they would cast the lead role this early... :s I usually know exactly what's going on with the movie, yet I didn't get the news until now.

I think she would be great as Mel! I mean, I was really afraid of who they were going to cast, because of her appearance and her acting skills, but Ronan seems really good. And I LOVE her eyes! I had my doubts at first, but it could definitely be worse than this. This was some good news, I've been waiting for this for over a year now! I didn't even really think the movie would happen, as nobody seemed to care about this... I really hope these news are true, I would love to see Ronan play Melaine in The Host.

^^ I agree!!
I've seen this girl's work and she's amazing. I don't care about appearance (you can always change that), I care about how she's going to portray Mel, and she's a great actress so I'm expecting her to nail it. The book & movie will ALWAYS be different. From how the story goes to how they're going to look. I'm not expecting anything to go the way the book goes. BUT if we were talking just LOOKS, I would say that she looked more like a Wanda than a Mel.

Btw, I can't WAIT to see who they're going to cast as Ian &/or Jared<3 My wishlist for at lease either guy: Ian Somerholder! Or maybe even Chris Pine....but, I'm wishful thinking :)

I hope they'll cast a real hot man for Ian, someone like Ian Somerhalder!

^^^ I know :)

@ Monrose: I just happened to stumbled upon the news a few minutes after it was realized. I was on my lunch break and googled about Host movie news... and it popped up on the search! I was beginning to loose faith on the movie too, but it appears that everyone was waiting for Stephenie to be done with Breaking Dawn and Andrew Niccol to be done with Now before moving forward. At the Cannes Film Festival they will be presenting the project to potential investors and partners, so I think we might know more very soon!

@ Leytonfan4ever: I can't wait to see who they cast for Ian too. After finding out Ronan's young age (barely 17), I have a feeling they are going to cast a lot of younger actors (than we thought). The only reason, that I could see, for casting a 17-year-old as a 21-year-old is so she can still play the character in possible sequels *fingers crossed*

i agree with cuncuyug. She doesn't look like Mel at all.

I just hope she reads the book before they start filming,, she didn't do that with Lovely Bones... :s

I hope that is a requirement!

Either Ronan is simply in the running for the role or she has been told to be quiet on the subject right now. I just read her twitter interview with Glamour UK that she did this morning. I tried to post the link to this, but it wasn't working. If you go to the main site and click on entertainment, it is at the top of the section (Interview: Saoirse Ronan). Here's what was said:

Q: What do you think of playing Melanie & Wanderer from The Host?! (by @TwilightMOMS)
S: I'd love to be involved. Let's hope.

UPDATE: Apparantely, she was doing several interviews today to promote Hanna. In an interview (found on Indie London's site, but I'm not sure if it was their interview) this happened:

Question: Congratulations on landing The Host, the film version of the Stephenie Meyer novel...
Saoirse Ronan: Well, we're in talks with the people from The Host. Nothing is actually for definite yet. So, we'll see.

Oh... I really hope she gets the part! She's an amazing actress!