"Twilight" is done, "The Hunger Games" is off and running, and Hollywood is itching to find a new YA franchise to pin their bank accounts one. Warner Bros. flopped earlier this month with "Beautiful Creatures," a supernatural Southern Gothic spin on the romance between an otherworldly creature and a human, and now "The Mortal Instruments" will take a crack at trying to get a tweenage audience all hot 'n bothered.
And to help get across that epic feeling, the first trailer for the film lays John Murphy's "Sunshine" theme liberally over top, while once again a young woman (Lily Collins) holds the key to destiny/survival/whatever for some extravagantly wardrobed and tattooed dudes, with swords, flames and fighting galore. Unlike "Beautiful Creatures," this one is coming out of the gate promising more action with less emphasis on mood. But unless you're already invested in these stories, it's a hard sell, and this looks — at least to us — just like any other YA clone coming down the path, and that includes next month's "The Host."
But maybe this one will succeed where "Beautiful Creatures" didn't. Find out when 'Mortal Instruments' arrives on August 23rd.
