After months of rumors, it is official! Shailene Woodley has been offerend the lead role in The Fault In Our Stars!
Entertainment Weekly just confirmed the news that the 21-year-old will take on the role of Hazel Grace Lancaster in the big screen adaptation of John Green’s hit book. The story follows Gus and Hazel, two teenagers who meet in a cancer support group and fall in love.
“During our exhaustive search to find Hazel Grace Lancaster, I saw some stunning auditions by today’s finest young actresses,” director Josh Boone tells EW in an exclusive statement. “Over 250 girls read for the part, but it wasn’t until Shailene stepped in front of the camera that I truly saw Hazel for the first time. It was like lightning striking. I can’t wait for the rest of the world to see what I have.”
Producer Wyck Godfrey added, ”When choosing the writers, director and now our first actor for Fault we’ve gone with the people that have had the strongest, most emotional and insightful connection to the material. Shailene’s love of the book and dedication to the character was evident in not only her pursuit of the role but her delivery of the essence of Hazel in her audition. I have no doubt that she will deliver a Hazel that will floor both fans of the book and those who have yet to be introduced to the transcendent story of The Fault in Our Stars.”
It looks like Shailene is also getting the blessing from John Green himself! “I am absolutely thrilled that Shailene will be playing Hazel in The Fault in Our Stars,” he said. “It means a lot to me that she is a fan of the book, and I know from our conversations that she has a profound understanding of Hazel. Watching her audition, I felt like Hazel Grace Lancaster was talking to me. It was eerie–and very exciting.”
He also took to twitter to reassure fans of the casting choice writing, “I am VERY EXCITED that @shailenewoodley will be playing Hazel in the film of The Fault in Our Stars. There were so many amazing auditions for the role of Hazel, but Shailene’s love for the book and her understanding of Hazel blew me away. The coolest thing about this movie thing is that everyone involved so far – producers, writers, director – really cares about TFiOS.They genuinely want to protect the story and do right by it. Shailene is a great addition to that group because I know she feels the same.”
It’s definitely going to be a great few years for Shailene. The final season of “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” just premiered, she just wrapped production on The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and she’s about to begin production on another big YA book to movie adaptation Divergent.
What do you think about Shailene as Hazel? Who should play Gus?