Is it “Veronica Mars” for the high school set? From the author of “The Fault In Our Stars” comes “Paper Towns,” a YA coming-of-age story that a features romance, but also mystery and comedy. Yep, after the success of well, most YA novel movie adaptations including ‘Fault,’ pretty much every successful YA book is getting the adaptation treatment. But “Paper Towns” sounds a little left of center for the norm, it’s not a tearjerking weepie, nor does it have sci-fi dimensions. It’s basically a romantic mystery thriller for teens; not a genre we see every day.
"’Paper Towns’ is very different from ‘Fault in Our Stars,’ in every possible way," author John Green told USA Today yesterday. "Hollywood is so used to franchises. But this is not a series. It’s an unrelated story that’s beautiful and funny, and has a big heart."
Starring Nat Wolff, Cara Delevingne, Justice Smith, Austin Abrams, Halston Sage, Jaz Sinclair, Cara Buono, “Paper Towns” doesn’t have a big starry cast, but if the fans turn out, that won’t matter. Is the teen comedy back as a genre? It’s too early to tell, but last year, certainly some pundits were reading its early last rites. Here’s the official synopsis.
Adapted from the bestselling novel by author John Green ("The Fault in Our Stars"), PAPER TOWNS is a coming-of-age story centering on Quentin, a high school senior who has been in love with his enigmatic neighbor Margo since childhood. After taking him on an all-night adventure through their hometown, Margo suddenly disappears — leaving behind cryptic clues for Quentin to decipher. The search leads Quentin and his quick-witted friends on an exhilarating adventure that is equal parts hilarious and moving. Ultimately, to track down Margo, Q must find a deeper understanding of true friendship — and true love.
Written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber ("The Spectacular Now," "(500) Days of Summer" and yep, "The Fault In Our Stars"), they’re arguably the star behind-the-scenes creators here. Directed by Jake Schreier (a founding member of Waverly Films, a Brooklyn-based filmmaking collective and the filmmaker behind "Robot & Frank"), 20th Century Fox has set "Paper Towns" for a July 24th release. Will it light up theaters the way “The Fault In Our Stars” did? It’s probably too early to tell now, but you can check out the trailer below and judge for yourself.
