Alex Roe and Nick Robinson join Chloe Grace Moretz in the Film Adaptation of ‘The 5th Wave’

New details are surfacing on Sony’s The 5^th Wave, a film adaptation of the New York Times bestselling titular young-adult novel by Rick Yancey.

Young rising stars Nick Robinson and Alex Roe have been cast alongside seasoned actress Chloe Grace Moretz in the upcoming sci-fi action thriller. Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich, The Soloist) has adapted the screenplay, and J Blakeson (The Disappearance of Alice Creed) has been chosen to direct the film. Tobey Maguire, who has successfully produced Hollywood hits including Country Strong and Rock of Ages, is also tied to The 5^th Wave with a producer credit.

Roe will be making his feature film debut in the Sony production, set to begin shooting in September. As of late, Robinson seems to have struck gold with roles in the highly anticipated Jurassic World, and critically acclaimed indie film The Kings of Summer. If The 5^th Wave gains more hype and cleans up at the box office, as so many of its genre do, these two young actors will surely attract attention of A-list proportions in the media.

For Moretz last year’s release of big titles like Carrie and Kick-Ass 2 proved she wasn’t going anywhere after her earlier breakthroughs in films like Martin Scorsese’s Hugo and the original Kick-Ass. This year could be an even more successful year for the starlet, with the August theatrical release of If I Stay, and the September release of The Equalizer alongside award-winning Denzel Washington. The 5^th Wave could prove be big step for Moretz, as it represents a chance for her to join actresses like Kristen Stewart (Twilight), Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games), and Shailene Woodley (Divergent), in the elite club of literary super heroines that audiences have come to adore.

Much like the aforementioned franchises, The 5^th Wave is intended to be part of a trilogy of novels. The novel tells of teenager Cassie Sullivan (Moretz) and her journey through a post-apocalyptic Earth as one of the few remaining survivors of alien invasions. A boy named Zombie (Robinson) is Cassie’s classmate and crush who becomes a guerilla alien hunter. Cassie also meets Evan Walker (Roe), who may have the answer to overthrowing the aliens. Keeping that in mind, it couldn’t be too much of a stretch to wonder if the film will adopt the trending trope of two young heartthrobs vying for the affection of the headstrong female lead. Slim chance that mass audiences of preteens will soon grow bored with that.