'The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones' author Cassandra Clare discusses the upcoming movie
鈥淭he Mortal Instruments: City of Bones鈥� 鈥� the latest young-adult-novel-made-into-movie that Hollywood is hoping will be "The Hunger Games" of summer 2013 鈥� is hitting theaters Aug. 21. "City of Bones" is based on the first book of bestselling "The Mortal Instruments" trilogy by YA author Cassandra Clare.
鈥淏ones鈥� centers on a teenage girl living in New York City named Clary Fray (Lily Collins of 鈥淢irror Mirror鈥�), who discovers she has powers that enable her to fight supernatural creatures known as demons. Clary begins training to become a Shadowhunter, part-angels who fight the demons, along with other Shadowhunters like Jace (鈥淗arry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1鈥� actor Jamie Campbell Bower).
The film version of 鈥淐ity of Bones鈥� also stars 鈥淢isfits鈥� actor Robert Sheehan as Clary鈥檚 best friend Simon; 鈥淕ame of Thrones鈥� actress Lena Headey as Clary鈥檚 mother; 鈥淕ossip Girl鈥� actor Kevin Zegers as Alec, a fellow Shadowhunter; and 鈥淭he Tudors鈥� actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers as the villain Valentine Morgenstern.
Clare told the fact that the movie had actually come to life was 鈥渟urreal.鈥� Clare鈥檚 grandfather worked as a movie producer, so she鈥檇 seen projects fizzle.
鈥淚 always knew movies aren't really happening until they're actually filming, and I thought, 鈥楾his will never really happen,鈥欌�� she said.
The author said she watched the auditions for almost every actor, minus Collins, and told she especially supported the casting of Campbell-Bower. She also visited the set.
Clare said that when she saw the film for the first time, she got so caught up in the story that she occasionally forgot the movie was based on her own material.
鈥淭here are some really great character moments, where the actors just become the characters, and the way they play off each other is really fascinating,鈥� she told the website . 鈥淎nd there are some beautifully romantic moments.聽I was just swept up in the cinematic aspect of it, which was fun.鈥�
An adaptation of the second book in the series, 鈥淐ity of Ashes,鈥� is already set to begin filming this fall. The final book in "The Mortal Instruments" series, titled 鈥淐ity of Heavenly Fire,鈥� is scheduled to be released next May. Meanwhile, Clare's 鈥淚nfernal Devices鈥� trilogy, which is based in the same universe as 鈥淭he Mortal Instruments鈥� and shares a few of the same characters, recently concluded, even as a new trilogy set in the same universe titled "The Dark Artifices" is scheduled for a 2015 release.
