Does Lily Collins have what it takes to be the next big young adult heroine? Can she reach that same level of popularity as a Jennifer Lawrence or Kristen Stewart? While both of those actresses had established themselves pretty well before The Hunger Games and Twilight catapulted them into superstardom, Collins hasn't quite done that yet. Judging by the surprisingly strong trailer for The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, Collins may find herself the breakout star of a tween franchise different than all the rest.
Based on the first novel in Cassandra Clare's series, the story follows Clary Fray, a seemingly ordinary NYC teenager who discovers, in the middle of a nightclub no less, that she's descended from a long line of Shadowhunters, half-angel warriors who defend the world against demons. When her mother is kidnapped, she must join with a team of hunters to descend into Downworld, an alternate New York full of demons, vampires, werewolves, and other creatures of the night.
Looking like the polar opposite of the glossy and magical Beautiful Creatures, City of Bones is all darkness and violence, with a mythology tying closely into the occult. This seems more like an action movie than a supernatural romance, so maybe this will have a broader appeal. Plus it's cool to see Jared Harris as a sort of mentor figure, and Jamie Campbell Bower, who also figures heavily in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, looks sufficiently stoic as Shadowhunter Jace Wayland.
Opening on August 23rd 2013, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is directed by Harald Zwart and co-stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Lena Headey, CCH Pounder, Kevin Durand, and Kevin Zegers.
