This was bound to happen – the inevitable meshing of two of the world’s biggest franchises, TWILIGHT and HARRY POTTER. And, I am glad to say – I don’t hate this idea. Rumors are abounding that Emma Watson will join Taylor Lautner in what may well be the next big Young Adult fiction series to hit the cinematic jackpot – Catherine Fisher’s Incarceron series.

Lautner has been attached to the project for months now, but where would any good YA racket be without a leading lady? Watson is now the reported “top contender” for the role of Claudia, potentially beating out other choices like Blake Lively and Jennifer Lawrence. The film has no director attached (yet), but does have a script by MOBY DICK scribes Adam Cooper and Bill Collage.

The film will follow the book’s storyline, as told by Amazon:

“Finn is a 17-year old prisoner of Incarceron. His memories begin and end there. He knows nothing about his heritage except for vague memories that tease at his mind. The teen is determined to escape the prison fashioned centuries ago as a solution to the chaos created by man. Now Incarceron is self-sustaining and self-perpetuating—prisoners are born there and they die there. Legend claims only one man has ever escaped, Sapphique, and Finn is determined to follow in his steps. Claudia, the warden's daughter, lives sequestered in a castle surrounded by servants. But she, too, longs for escape—from a father who frightens her and from betrothal to an insipid prince. Finn and Claudia each discover a crystal key and are amazed to find that they can communicate with each other. As their trust in one another builds, each pledges to help the other. The two stories emerge, intertwine and, by the end, unwind in startling twists that will astonish listeners.”

The second book in the series, Sapphique, was released in the U.S. in December. It’s unclear how many more books Fisher intends to pen, but it is expected that the series will spawn more than just these two books. And with 20^th Century Fox owning rights to the entire series, if this first film turns into a smash, look for more source material to come down the pipeline.

Watson has certainly been careful in picking her post-POTTER roles – she’s banked a small role in MY WEEK WITH MARILYN, and she’s recently reaffirmed her involvement in the big screen adaptation of YA novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Launter, however, went on a bit of a “yes” binge after NEW MOON and ECLIPSE – taking a bit role in last year’s VALENTINE’S DAY, adding ABDUCTION, jumping aboard INCARCERON, even throwing down for STRETCH ARMSTRONG.

While I’m the last person to ever rag on either the POTTER franchise or even the TWILIGHT films, these new teen-aimed franchises that are emerging are heartening – both INCARCERON and THE HUNGER GAMES appear to have loftier aims and messages than many other series out there, so I am pleased to see them coming together for the screen.

INCARCERON is slated for release in 2013.

Source Just Jared, via The Playlist