Since the success of "The Fault in Our Stars", the possibility of seeing another adaptation of a John Green novel is not as far-fetched as it might seem. That wait is finally over with the upcoming release of "Paper Towns"; the second adaptation of Green's novel of the same name about a high school senior, Quentin 'Q' Jacobsen, who spends one glorious night with his estranged neighbor and crush, Margo, only to have her gone missing the very next day. While we can probably attribute much of the success to "The Fault in Our Stars" to their strong stars in the lead, we don't think "Paper Towns" would have any less reason to do as well as its predecessor. So before hopping onto the minivan for the trip of a lifetime, here are our five reasons why we are more than eager to find ourselves in "Paper Towns" when it hits cinemas this 23 July 2015.
With just a few exceptions (which we will get to eventually), we are glad to hear that pretty much the same team, from the costume to the music supervisor, of "The Fault in Our Stars" are back to work on this second John Green novel adaptation. We admire the production value we saw in "The Fault in Our Stars" that wasn't overblown yet suited to tell the sweet and deep love story of young teenagers, so we expect to see the same level of detail put into "Paper Towns" as well. However, the most important comeback that we would like to note is the return of screenwriting duo Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, who had also previously adapted "The Fault in Our Stars" (and written the Sundance hit "The Spectacular Now"), which is one of the main reasons why its story had managed to connect with audiences. Green himself had vouched that Neustadter and Weber have done an amazing job in translating his literary text to screen language for "The Fault in Our Stars" and "Paper Towns", and we wouldn't expect anything less from them to retain some of the most memorable lines in the book.
If "The Fault in Our Stars" had played a little out of expectation from the sappy cancer drama with its snarky and self-aware characters, then you can expect the same to be done for the coming-of-age genre in "Paper Towns". While it has the setup for a romantic coming-of-age when boy is finally united with girl, "Paper Towns" adds an interesting twist in the mix with a mystery that keep things way more interesting than it should. Throw in a road trip with a bunch of friends that will challenge stereotypes and you will come to enjoy "Paper Towns" for more than the romance, but a coming-of-age tale that will be remembered for many years to come.
While not as instantly recognisable as Shailene Woodley from "The Fault in Our Stars", Cara Delevigne is becoming one of fastest growing actresses at her age. Although this model turned actress had already made her film debut via 2012's period extravaganza "Anna Karenina", her role as Margo Roth Spiegelman will be her first known lead role as she had impressed both director Jake Schreier and John Green at her audition. Her acting career is already on the ascend with her next appearance due in Joe Wright's "Pan" and has been cast as a member of DC's "Suicide Squad". So watch her make her presence known in "Paper Towns".
Aside from the crew, Nat Wolff is the only member of the main cast from "The Fault in Our Stars" who will be returning for this second John Green adaptation. Wolff was already offered the role for Quentin Jacobsen while still smashing trophies and blindly tossing eggs in "The Fault in Our Stars", and we see little reason why he could not be a better choice to be the perfect contrast to Delevigne's Margo. Wolff may not have the dashing charisma of Ansel Elgort, but Wolff's quirk and awkwardness fits right into the mold that needs breaking as he goes in search for Margo with his friends. Speaking of Ansel Elgort, you may want to pay a bit more attention to see if you can find him in "Paper Towns", along with author John Green.
It may be a shame that Josh Boone was not asked to direct "Paper Towns", who went on to make an adaptation for another novelist, the great Stephen King. But when we heard producer Wyck Godfrey had first approached director Jake Schreier for the directing job, we knew that it was in good hands. For those not in the know, director Jake Schreier had gained his credibility as a director for making "Robot and Frank"; a small-time success at Sundance that won the Alfred P. Sloan award in 2012. While "Paper Towns" would only be his second outing as a feature film director, we are confident that he would be able to deliver a story that is intimate as it needs to be for "Paper Towns".