Taylor Swift has joined the cast of The Weinstein Company and Walden Media’s adaptation of “The Giver,” the two companies announced on Friday.
The singer, who has only a few acting credits to her name, joins Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Alexander Skarsgard and Katie Holmes in the film that kicks off production in Cape Town, South Africa, on Oct. 7.
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Swift is best known for her music, but previously appeared in hit romantic comedy “Valentine’s Day,” and voiced a main character in 2012 animated hit “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax.” Swift last appeared on the small screen last spring in the season finale of Fox comedy “The New Girl.”
Phil Noyce (“Salt”) will direct the dystopian future film from a screenplay by Michael Mitnick (“The Current War”).
Bridges, who plays the titular character responsible for storing and passing on an entire society’s memories from the past, will produce with Nikki Silver and Neil Konigsberg. Ralph Winter, Scooter Braun and Alison Owen executive producing.
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“The Giver” focuses on a young boy (Thwaites) who lives in a seemingly ideal world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community.
The book, by author Lois Lowry, was the winner of multiple awards, including the 1994 Newbury Medal. It has sold over 10 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 29 languages. It is Harper Collins number one selling children’s eBook, outselling all other top teen novels including the Harry Potter series.