Due out in the height of summer next year, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones marks the first adaptation of Cassandre Clare’s series of novels that could well launch the start of an immense new franchise.
The original novels are a series of six books, falling just short of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels, and a further two longer than Stephenie Meyer’s The Twilight Saga, and it’s no secret how successful the two of those have been in recent years.
With a lot of potential surrounding the project, EW have debuted our first look at Lily Collins (Mirror Mirror), who takes the female lead as our heroine, Clary Fray.
“When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing—not even a smear of blood—to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know…”
Starring alongside Collins will be a strong cast, headed up by Jamie Campbell Bower (Twilight), Robert Sheehan (Misfits), Lena Headey (Dredd 3D), Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Match Point), Jared Harris (Mad Men), Kevin Durand (Smokin’ Aces), and Kevin Zegers (Gossip Girl).
Harald Zwart (2010’s The Karate Kid) is behind the camera, directing from a script by I. Marlene King (Pretty Little Liars) and Jessica Postigo (the upcoming Tarzan).
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is due to hit theatres on 23rd August, 2013 in the UK and US, and if all goes well from there, there’s a good chance we’ll be seeing at least another five instalments (and quite possibly a two-parter for the finale) for several years to come. For now, here’s our first look at Collins in the lead.
