Hypable caught up with Cameron Monaghan, who plays Asher in The Giver, to get the scoop on what fans can expect when the film hits theaters in August. Check out what he had to say below!
It’s safe to say that in an age where production companies who choose to adapt popular novels for the silver screen know that by doing so, they open themselves up to the scrutiny of diehard book fans, and The Giver is taking quite the risk by veering off a bit from the source material originally written by author Lois Lowry.
That being said, if there’s one thing Shameless actor Cameron Monaghan — who plays Asher in the film — wants fans of the book to know, it’s this: despite the changes they’ve made, the film adaption of The Giver will stay true to the spirit of the story.
One thing fans can certainly expect from the film is an Asher that is much more fleshed out than he is in the book.
“The book is pretty short so when you’re making an adaption, there are certain things that have to be added to help move it along,” Monaghan told Hypable. “One of the things that was expanded a little bit was my character, Asher.”
So what exactly makes film Asher different from book Asher? As Monaghan, who has read Lowry’s novel multiple times, explains it, the screenwriters pretty much took the character as he was in the book and expanded upon him to create a more complex person.
“What’s really interesting about Asher in the film that doesn’t happen in the book is that he goes through a pretty significant arc and he ends up coming back and really kind of effecting the outcome [of things],” explained Monaghan. “Without giving anything away, what I really love about the character is how he develops and changes throughout the story. You kind of see him battle with this internal struggle and see him try to rationalize the ideals of the society he lives in and how Jonas is sort of rebelling against it — it’s very interesting.”
Monaghan also teased that while the grand finale fans will see when The Giver hits theaters in August is “very similar in spirit” to the book, the way everything unfolds is a bit different.
“The movie kind of changes some of the major players and major locations in interesting ways that add a whole new dynamic to the story,” explained Monaghan. “Asher is one character that’s heavily involved now and I’m really excited to see how people react to it.”
When we spoke to him, Monaghan also noted that he’s sure “initially, people will be a little shocked at how it’s different from the book,” but despite the differences, the actor says he’s hopeful that moviegoers will react positively to the changes.
“I don’t think different is always a bad thing as long as it’s executed well,” said Monaghan of the changes in the film. “This in particular is executed really well — I was on the edge of my seat while I was reading the script and moved to tears by the final few pages.”
The Giver hits theaters on August 15, 2014.
Check out the latest trailer for the film below:
