'Shiver' Is The Latest Werewolf Love Story To Latch Onto 'Twilight' Success

Thanks to "Twilight" we now have more teen wolves on the prowl in Hollywood than ever. And if the Catherine Hardwicke update of "Little Red Riding Hood" and Bradley Rust Gray's lesbian werewolf romance "Jack and Diane" aren't enough to look forward to after the release of "Breaking Dawn," here's another adaptation that sounds an awful lot like that huge supernatural sensation: "Shiver."

Based on Maggie Stiefvater's new young adult novel, which has been a best seller since hitting stores last month, "Shiver" tells of a love story between a teenage girl and a yellow-eyed boy who moonlights (pun definitely intended) as a wolf during the winter months. I don't know if I'd call him a werewolf since his changes happen seasonally rather than being tied to the lunar cycle. Then again, "Twilight"'s vampires are fang-less and sparkle in the sunlight.

There's a touch of "Splash" in there too, since this boy just so happens to be the same animal who saved the girl's life when she was little. Also, like Madison (Daryl Hannah) the mermaid in "Splash," the boy has a deadline for when he must return to his other life, which is a threat to the romance.

Rights to the book and its two forthcoming sequels have been picked up by Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne, Variety reports. The legendary co-founders of New Line Cinema have served as executive producers on such fantasy films as the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and "The Golden Compass." Shaye also has experience directing fantastical family films ("The Last Mimzy") and awkward teen romances ("Book of Love").

Shaye claims that he's not typically a fan of werewolves (or vampires), but he's very much into this trilogy because Stiefvater "has a strong take on a young adult sensibility" and has written "a sexy love story that isn't too over the top." Could these comments be perceived as a veiled shot at "Twilight"?

Of course, it doesn't hurt that "Shiver" may appeal to "Twilight" fans, right? And now that Shaye and Lynne have departed New Line and formed a new company, Unique, there's all the more reason to go with something that is easily marketable to an established audience.

There is a way to make "Shiver" different from the other films capitalizing on the werewolf trend. Stiefvater's novel features two separate narratives, giving readers the alternating points of view of the two main characters. I've always loved books that offer multiple voices (think Bram Stoker's "Dracula"), yet this sort of structure doesn't always carry over to film adaptations. Hopefully Shaye and Lynne can find a good screenwriter and director who can adequately translate the device cinematically.

Have you read "Shiver" and look forward to this movie? Any "Twilight" fans ready to cross over to other werewolf love stories? Is there any weight to this announcement or do you see this as a cheap, exploitative cash-in opportunity?

Tags Maggie Stiefvater, Shiver, Twilight