Suvudu Universe

Deadline Hollywood is reporting that Meryl Streep has been tapped for the role of “chief elder” in the upcoming movie adaptation of Lois Lowry’s dystopian science fiction novel The Giver. Streep joins fellow Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges, who will be playing the film’s titular role.

Lowry’s The Giver takes place in a society where adherence to a social program called “the sameness” has eliminated conflict, poverty, and crime. However, the peace of the sameness has come at a heavy cost: The extinction of emotional extremes, like love or hatred.

All citizens are given a job to do, and Jonas, a twelve-year-old boy, has been selected to be the community’s Receiver of Memories. As part of his training, Jonas is given an accurate account of life before the sameness. After he learns the true nature of his peaceful society, Jonas faces a conundrum: Should he keep the truth to himself, or share it with society and risk its destruction?

Following its publication in 1993, the book won several awards, including the prestigious Newbery Medal. While there has been interest in adapting the book for decades, its road to the screen has been rocky, even by Hollywood standards. Bridges had originally bought the rights to the book after being introduced to it by his daughter. After his rights to the film expired, it passed through many hands, including Bill Cosby’s production house ASIS and Walden Media, best known for its adaptations of C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia. When the rights to the film became available once more, Bridges reacquired them. Bridges originally wanted his father, Lloyd, to play “The Giver” – but, sadly, he passed away in 1998. Now, years later, Jeff himself is old enough to take the role.

Perhaps the delay in production has worked in the book’s favor: Young Adult fiction is hotter now than it was in 1993, and apocalyptic tales even more so. Could “The Giver” be the next “Hunger Games”? There’s no firm release date as of yet, so we’re just going to have to wait and see.

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