‘Twilight’s’ Stephenie Meyer developing ‘Anna Dressed in Blood’

PARK CITY, Utah — Now that the “Twilight” franchise is behind her,Stephenie Meyer, the woman who created the vampire world of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, is upping her efforts in a different department: movie producing.

And Meyer has a juicy new project, The Times has learned: “Anna Dressed in Blood,” a young-adult ghost story from the acclaimed author Kendare Blake.

Blake’s book is a supernatural tale about a man named Cas who travels the world killing the dead — he’s a ghost hunter, essentially — but runs up against a vexing case in the ghost of Anna, a woman who was brutally murdered in 1958 and who continues to haunt a small-town home.

The book generated hugely positive reviews when it came out last summer. And wouldn’t you know it: Critics are already comparing it to a certain blockbuster franchise. “Cinematic and compelling. Blake’s smooth combination of gore and romance should have little problem attracting the Twilight crowd,” wrote Booklist.

Meyer and her producing partner at company Fickle Fish have optioned the book’s rights and begun developing the film, with Meyer set to produce (but probably not write), according to a person familiar with the project who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak about it publicly.

Meyer brought “Austenland,” a story about a woman who attends a Jane Austen fantasy camp, to the Sundance Film Festival. The movie is the first she’s producing that isn’t based on a book she wrote. (YA author Shannon Hale, a friend of Meyer’s through author circles, wrote the original novel). Directed by Jerusha Hess and starring Keri Russell as the protagonist, the film received a warm reception Friday at Sundance and looks likely to score a distribution deal in the coming days for Meyer, who was a primary financier on the film, and other backers.

Meyer is also producing “The Host,” an Andrew Niccol-directed supernatural scifi tale due in March that’s based on a book she did write, and as a producer she’s also developing another ghost story, “Down a Dark Hall,” based on Lois Duncan’s ’70s-set novel.

You have got to be kidding me. For fuck’s sake, just leave this book alone and go find another lame-ass paranormal series to ruin. I rarely come across YA paranormal lit that I actually want, and this is one of them. And now I learn about this? Ugh. I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand this. Five very lame movies from four of your worthless books are enough. Don’t try to involve and sabotage perfectly good literary works. I’m sorry, but just.. NO. I HATE THIS SO MUCH. 

If I really do get a heart attack every time a good book is butchered by its movie adaptation, I would probably be dead by now.

Am I actually the only one who dislikes the whole premise of Warm Bodies, both the book and the movie?

I’m sorry if I like my zombies better when they’re brain-hungry and crazy. You know, like the ones in The Walking Dead.

I mean, why do you have to force everything into the romance genre?

The annoying fact that I have to wait until January 16, 2013 for the Les Miserables Philippine release because of those overrated, overly cliché-d and typical Metro Manila Film Festival movies.

My Harry Potter Story.

Why do you still post stuff about Harry Potter?

Just get over your Harry Potter craziness already! It’s been, like, more than a year since the last movie came out!

Don’t you ever get tired of watching or reading Harry Potter over and over again?

You’re 19 years old, why the hell are you still obsessed with a children’s book?

It’s over, move on and find another book to love.

These are just a few of the comments or messages I get on Facebook whenever I post something Potter-related, may it be quotes, photos, vidoes or little facts. To be honest, I don’t feel irritated at all. I am actually surprised by their reactions. I mean, they’ve known all along that I am a die-hard Potterhead, and yet they still force these opinions on me. Like, do they really expect that I’d give up all my affection and love for all things Harry Potter just because they told me so? Haha. I think not.

I know that it’s quite difficult for them to understand, maybe because they haven’t experienced being attached to something for over a period of time, or that they don’t feel this passionate about things, or for other reasons I may never know. But once and for all, here is my explanation:

When you grew up interested and attached to one thing to the point that it became a very important part of your life, you can never just turn away from it no matter how long it has been since it ended. Much like in a relationship, when you’ve invested so much, spent every sweat, tears, and love for someone, letting go will never be easy. At times, it’s unimaginable. That is how the Harry Potter series is for me.

I got the first book as a present from my mom for my 6th birthday. At that time, I didn’t find it interesting since it was the first time I encountered a book with only a few pictures. You see, even when I started reading early, I was used to fairytales and storybooks filled with illustrations of every character and the events of each story. But then, come the year 2000 and I was then 7 years old, my mother brought me to theater for the first time. And together, we watched the first Harry Potter movie ever released. That was also my first time to watch a movie inside a theater. So for the 7-year-old me, it was truly a magical moment.

When we went back home, I frantically searched for my copy of the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and asked my mom (actually, pleaded), to assist me in reading the book. It was just my luck that she agreed. So for days, we sat together, reading the book. Whenever I find a word I don’t understand, my mom would always explain it to me the best she could. It became our bonding session. Before we even finished the book, my mom found out that this is just one book of the series. 

She then bought me the next 3 books in the Harry Potter series for my birthday since they were already available that year. From then on, I would wait impatiently for the following year, ready to receive the next book in the series. Through this, Harry Potter became the center of my entire childhood. Aside from growing up following Harry Potter’s adventures, it also became the thing that brought me and my mom closer. 

So yes, the Harry Potter books might all have been published and all the movies may have been released already but that doesn’t matter to me. The power of this magical story still lives within my heart and all the others whose lives were touched by this wizard boy who lived through all the hardship fate has thrown his way. I knocked myself crazy with anticipation for the next book or film, cheered during all the quidditch matches, recited every incantation, laughed with every joke made by the twins, cried over the deaths of my favorite characters, rejoiced at each triumph, even swooned over the cheesy bits. In these books and movies, I have learned so much about life at such a young age. The Harry Potter series aren’t just words printed on paper or frames sewn into films I can easily forget. No. These books and films are priceless treasures I’ll forever cherish. They are precious bits and pieces that helped in molding a part of whoever I am today. 

One simple precaution: If you don’t want to get “burned”, never engage me in an argument that begins with “The Twilight series are good movies/books..”

Because I swear, no matter what you do, you will never win.

Unpopular Opinion: I despise book-to-movie adaptations.

The Perks of Being A Wallflower movie is coming out soon and now people are clamoring to get their copies of the book so that they can be part of the fandom. And you know what I think? “Ugh, not again.” Ever since the production for the movie started, a lot of people became suddenly interested with the book. I don’t know if it’s because the movie stars Logan Lerman and Emma Watson or they really are interested in the book, but nonetheless, from what I can remember, there weren’t this much people who gave a rat’s ass on this book before. I even had a hard time looking for a copy and had to order mine. Now the books are just displayed out there in every bookstore I know.

Although most book lovers I know are crazed when their favorite literary pieces come to life in movies, I can’t help but feel irritated about it. I know page-to-screen adaptation is very helpful in terms of promotional aspects for the books, but then when you come to think of it, somehow, the reason behind wanting to read these books becomes a bit more superficial.

First of all, I hate the fact that some people just buy and read the books for the sake of being “in”. I know a lot of people from my school who bought The Hunger Games trilogy when the movie came out. Well, it’s not a bad thing to want to know more about the story, but what’s bothering me is that they use the books as some fashion statement of sorts, bringing them wherever or taking pictures with captions saying how much they love the series, when in fact, they haven’t even touch a single book before that. Maybe I am being selfish or what, but I feel that the value of these precious books decreases as they are regarded as a fad or a trend.

Second, I also notice that some people prefer the characters who were portrayed by “beautiful” actors in their movie counterparts. I can say this much is true with Never Let Me Go, with Andrew Garfield playing the role of Tommy. And who can forget the obsessed moms who swooned crazily over Edward Cullen played by Robert Pattinson? No matter how bad the books are, people bought it for the sake of proving how much a fan they are of their books, without actually reading deeper and understanding the stories.

Third is that some people don’t even bother reading the books because watching the movie is much easier. And that makes me angry because I think it’s unfair for the authors how people neglect the original plot and are contented with what’s in the film. Even the Harry Potter films are nothing compared to the books. I for one, is a huge fan and was so disappointed when my favorite parts from the book were cut from the movie. Book-to-movie adaptations makes people lazier. Plus, there are some who claim to be total fans without even opening the book version of the movies they so dearly love. I have this friend who was so deeply moved by the ending My Sister’s Keeper and yet she was so surprised and upset when I told her that it was different and the exact opposite what happened the one in the book.

Lastly, also the top reason I hate book-to-movie adaptations, is that these films ruin the freedom that their book counterparts give me. Without the movie, my mind is free to imagine how the characters and settings look. I can picture every single detail as described in the authors’ words the way I want them to appear in my head. But with the movies casting the roles of my favorite characters into various different artists, I feel that my imagination was caged into a box I couldn’t escape. Suddenly, whenever I read the books again, all I could see are the faces of the actors who portrayed them. Peeta is Josh Hutcherson who isn’t actually blond and fit the description for Peeta. Percy is Logan Lerman even if Percy is supposed to be a 12-year old kid. I cannot break the connection and with that, I feel frustrated because for me, the purpose of these books is to let my mind wander off into distant places, depending on how I understand them. And what these movies do is to rob me off that privilege and leave me stuck with what they have set for their viewers.

Since it has been exactly a year since the world premiere of the last Harry Potter movie, I would give two and a half hours of my time to re-watch the first movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, all over again.

“I open at the close.”

Re-watching Sherlock Holmes I and II.

So I guess what I’m saying here is that I REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHEN THE NEXT SEASON FOR SHERLOCK WILL COME OUT. Dammit Moffat, why do you always keep us hanging? Oh I bet you enjoy watching go crazy don’t you? Please just give me more of that Sherlock/John love, will you? I am having some kind of a withdrawal here. And I am sure as hell am not alone in this. 

Oh and please don’t mind BAFTA. They honestly don’t know what they’re doing not letting you guys win. Just look at Tumblr and see how many fans loves you.