Development of The Fault in Our Stars began in January 2012 when Fox 2000, a division of 20th Century Fox, optioned the rights to adapt the novel into a feature film. Principal photography began on August 26, 2013, in Pittsburgh, United States, with a few additional days in Amsterdam, Netherlands, before concluding on October 16, 2013.
The Fault in Our Stars was released on June 6, 2014, in the United States. The film received a positive reception from critics, with praise going to Woodley's performance as well as the script. The film was also a huge box office hit, becoming number one at the box office during its opening weekend and grossed over US$303 million worldwide against its budget of $12 million. It was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on September 16, 2014.
Plot
Hazel Grace Lancaster, an intelligent and sarcastic Indianapolis teenager, has terminal thyroid cancer that has spread to her lungs. Believing her to be depressed, Hazel's mother urges her to attend a cancer patients' support group to make friends. During a support meeting, Hazel meets Augustus Waters, a teenager who had lost a leg because of bone cancer. After the meeting, Augustus invites Hazel to his house, where they bond. Before she leaves, they agree to read each other's favorite novels. Hazel recommends An Imperial Affliction to Augustus, a novel about a cancer-stricken girl named Anna that parallels Hazel's experience. After finishing the book, Augustus expresses frustration with the novel's abrupt ending. Hazel explains that the novel's mysterious author, Peter van Houten, retreated to Amsterdam following the novel's publication, and has not been heard from since.
Weeks later, Augustus tells Hazel he has traced van Houten's assistant, Lidewij, and through her has corresponded by e-mail with van Houten. Hazel writes to van Houten to ask about the novel's ambiguous ending; van Houten replies that he is only willing to answer her in person. Hazel asks her mother if she can travel to Amsterdam, but the idea is rejected because of financial and medical constraints. Later, Augustus surprises Hazel with tickets to Amsterdam, donated by a charitable foundation.
Days before the trip, Hazel suffers from pleural effusion and is sent to an intensive care unit (ICU). Her doctors initially will not let her travel, but are eventually persuaded to allow the trip. Hazel and Augustus arrive in Amsterdam and are presented with reservations for an expensive restaurant, paid for by van Houten. During the meal, Augustus confesses his love for Hazel. The pair meet van Houten but are shocked to find that instead of the kind writer who has been corresponding with them, he is a mean-spirited alcoholic and that Lidewij arranged the meeting and their dinner on his behalf. Van Houten, unaware of and angered by his assistant's actions, taunts Hazel for seeking answers to a piece of fiction and belittles her medical condition.
As the two leave the author's residence, dejected, Lidewij invites them to go sight-seeing with her, to make up for their experience. The three visit the Anne Frank House, where Hazel struggles to climb the house's many stairs. At the end of the tour, Augustus and Hazel share a romantic kiss. They return to the hotel and have sex for the first time. The next day, Augustus tells Hazel that his cancer has relapsed. Upon returning to Indianapolis, Augustus' health worsens. He is taken to the ICU for a few days and realizes he is close to death. Augustus invites his blind best friend Isaac and Hazel to his pre-funeral, where they deliver eulogies they prepared. Hazel quotes van Houten's text, and tells him she would not trade their short time together for anything.
Augustus dies eight days later. At his funeral, Hazel is astonished to find van Houten in attendance. He tells her he maintained correspondence with Augustus after Amsterdam and that Augustus had demanded he attend his funeral to make up for the spoiled trip. He tells Hazel that his novel is based on the experiences of his daughter Anna, who died from cancer at a young age. Van Houten tries to tell Hazel about the fate of Anna's mother; he gives Hazel a piece of paper. Hazel, still upset with his behavior in Amsterdam, crumples up the paper, and asks him to leave. Later, while talking with Isaac, Hazel learns that Augustus had asked van Houten to help him write his eulogy. She retrieves the crumpled paper and reads Augustus' words, which state his acceptance of death and his love for Hazel. The film ends with Hazel lying on her back on her lawn looking up at the stars, smiling as she remembers Augustus.
An Imperial Affliction
The book An Imperial Affliction, which features within both the original novel and the film, is fictitious, as is its author Peter van Houten; both are used to enhance the themes and story.[4] Author John Green said he used the word "okay" in the book and the film because Hazel and Augustus used it to express their love for each other;[5] it becomes a special word between themselves. The original novel was inspired by the late author Esther Earl, who used the word "okay" with her sister Abigail.[6]
Differences between the novel and film
According to Lindsey Weber of Vulture.com, the differences between the book and the film include Hazel mentioning the band the Hectic Glow many times in the book, but not in the film. In the book, Gus has an ex-girlfriend, Caroline, who died from cancer. This does not occur in the film. Hazel's former best friend Kaitlyn does not appear in the film. In the book, Hazel and Gus meet when Hazel turns around to find Gus staring at her, while in the film, they meet on the way to their support groups. Gus dies more quickly in the film than in the book. In the book, Hazel searches for the letter, while in the film, van Houten gives it to her. In the book, Hazel is a vegetarian but this is not referenced in the film. A scene in the film, in which Gus comes in a limousine to pick up Hazel and her mother when they are leaving for Amsterdam does not appear in the book. However, in the book, Gus is late when Hazel and her mother arrive at his house in a taxi because he appears to be fighting with his parents over his cancer relapse and his trip.[7]
Production
Pre-production
On January 31, 2012, it was announced that Fox 2000, a division of 20th Century Fox, had optioned the rights to adapt the John Green novel The Fault in Our Stars into a feature film.[14] Wyck Godfrey with Marty Bowen were due to produce the film with their production company, Temple Hill Entertainment.[15] On February 19, 2013, Josh Boone was hired as director;[16] Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber were hired to adapt the novel into a screenplay—their second adaptation for Fox, after Rosaline.[16][17]
Casting
On March 19, 2013, Entertainment Weekly announced that Shailene Woodley would play Hazel Grace Lancaster.[18] Director Josh Boone said, "We read close to 150 actresses for the role, and I saw about 50 of those. Within ten or fifteen seconds of Shailene's audition, I knew she was Hazel. She held up her script pages and just her eyes were peeking over them."[19] On May 10, 2013, Ansel Elgort was cast as Hazel's love interest, Augustus Waters.[9] On July 23, Laura Dern joined the cast as Hazel's mother Frannie Lancaster, and Nat Wolff as Issac, Augustus' blind best friend.[10] Wolff told HuffPost Live, "It's exciting, I feel really lucky. The fact that I get to work with these super talented people—I mean, that's part of the reason why, I'm good in the movie, that's the reason."[20] On August 14, Sam Trammell was cast as Hazel's father Michael Lancaster,[11] and on August 28, author John Green announced on Twitter that Mike Birbiglia would be playing Patrick.[13] On September 6, he tweeted that Willem Dafoe would play Peter van Houten.[12]
Prior to these announcements, author John Green had tweeted that he would be happy if Mae Whitman played Hazel,[21] and in February 2013, there had been speculation, that Shailene Woodley and Hailee Steinfeld were among those being considered for the lead role.[16]
John Green filmed a cameo appearance; his scene was cut from the film but is included in the deleted scenes section of the film's DVD and Blu-Ray releases. In the cut scene, Green plays the father of a young girl who asks about Hazel's cannula while at the airport.[22] Green said, "They cut [his scene] because it was totally unnecessary to the movie-slash-I was terrible".[23]
Filming
Principal photography began on August 26, 2013 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[24] Film locations included Oakmont,[25] and the historic "Mansions on Fifth" hotel.[26] The church scenes were filmed at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in the Pittsburgh suburb Mt. Lebanon.[27] Filming in Pennsylvania continued until October 10,[28] then the production moved to Amsterdam, where filming began on October 14.[29] Filming was officially completed on October 16, 2013.[30]
In Amsterdam, three days of filming took place. Woodley and Elgort were filmed on a canal-side public bench. On July 2, 2014, The Guardian reported that the bench had gone missing, and city officials said they did not know where it was. Amsterdam city spokesman, Stephan van der Hoek said, "It's a bit embarrassing, because we do keep good track of them, but it's gone all right". He promised to install a new bench within weeks.[31] Just a week later, Entertainment Weekly said the Amsterdam film office had tweeted a photograph taken during the installation of the stolen bench; Amsterdam film commissioner Simon Brester said it was the same bench, not a replacement.[32]
Music
Main article: The Fault in Our Stars (soundtrack)
Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott of Bright Eyes scored the film.[33] The full album track list, featuring songs from artists including M83, Kodaline, Jake Bugg, Charli XCX, Tom Odell, and Ed Sheeran, was released on April 13, 2014.[34] The soundtrack was released by Atlantic Records on May 19 in the U.S, and on June 23 in the UK.[
Directed by Josh Boone
Produced by Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen
Screenplay by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber
Based on The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green
Starring Shailene Woodley
Ansel Elgort
Nat Wolff
Laura Dern
Sam Trammell
Willem Dafoe
Music by Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott
Cinematography Ben Richardson
Edited by Robb Sullivan
Production company
Temple Hill Entertainment
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release dates May 16, 2014 (SIFF) June 6, 2014 (United States)
Running time 125 minutes/133 minutes (extended cut)[1]
Country United States
Language English
Budget $12 million[2]
Box office $303,285,269
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