Josh Duhamel and Julianne Hough to star in adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ SAFE HAVEN
Nicholas Sparks is either brilliant or insane. Like many popular authors (Carl Hiaasen, whose work I love, springs to mind), his novels follow a formula, and the formula he chose has made him rich behind his wildest dreams as six of his novels have been adapted into feature films. The man is certainly prolific, cranking out a new novel with a frequency that would make Stephen King jealous. A year and a half ago he released Safe Haven, an "affirming and suspenseful story about a young woman’s struggle to find love again after she arrives in a small North Carolina town," and now it's heading to the big screen, starring Josh Duhamel and Julianne Hough.
Relativity Media president Tucker Tooley announced today that Duhamel and Hough have joined the cast as the film's leads, of which Sparks had this to say:
“I’m thrilled that Josh and Julianne have agreed to come aboard Safe Haven—it’s hard to think of an actor better-suited to play the character of Alex than Josh, and Julianne will bring a combination of vulnerability and strength to the role of Katie. They are both such talented and charismatic individuals – and best of all, they have tremendous personal chemistry, which is essential for this film.”
SAFE HAVEN will be directed by Lasse Hallström (THE CIDER HOUSE RULES) from a screenplay by Dana Stevens and Les Bohem, with Temple Hill Entertainment’s Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey producing alongside Relativity’s CEO Ryan Kavanaugh and Sparks, the latter producing through his own Nicholas Sparks Productions. Tooley will executive produce.
You can catch the full synopsis for the film below. For those unfamiliar with the Nicholas Sparks formula, you can check it out below as well, courtesy of Cracked.com.
SAFE HAVEN is an affirming and suspenseful story about a young woman’s struggle to find love again after she arrives in a small North Carolina town. Her reluctance to join the tight-knit community raises questions about her past. Slowly, she begins putting down roots, and gains the courage to start a relationship with Alex, a widowed store owner with two young children. But dark secrets intrude on her new life with such terror that she is forced to rediscover the meaning of sacrifice and rely on the power of love in this deeply moving romantic thriller.
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