After kick-ass cutie Saoirse Ronan was announced as the star of The Host last week, Andrew Niccol has now signed on to direct. Niccol is a seasoned screenwriter (The Truman Show, Gattaca) but his last director credit was for Nicolas Cage atrocity Lord of War. The Host‘s scribe Stephenie Meyer must fancy him or something, as he’s been her favourite all along.

The Host is less Twilight and much more Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Ronan will play Mel Stryder, a teen inhabited by a malevolent alien soul called The Wanderer in her brain and one called The Seeker in her body. Wanda can’t quite get Mel to shut the hell up, resulting in lots of girlie in-body in-fighting. Sounds messy. Being a Meyer adaptation, The Host has its own warped threesome when Wanda falls for Mel’s boyfriend, with Liam Hemsworth rumoured to be cast, although he’s hardly worth fighting over. Let’s hope they come up with someone better, maybe English, pale skinned, plays the piano…