GLEE's Melissa Benoist Joins Film Adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' THE LONGEST RIDE

According to Deadline, GLEE's Melissa Benoist has signed on to join Scott Eastwood, Britt Robertson, and Alan Alda in the upcoming film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' latest romance novel THE LONGEST RIDE. George Tillman, Jr. will direct.

THE LONGEST RIDE is officially described as:

"Ira Levinson is in trouble. Ninety-one years old andStranded and injured after a car crash, he struggles to retain consciousness until a blurry image materializes beside him: his beloved wife Ruth, who passed away nine years ago. Urging him to hang on, she forces him to remain alert by recounting the stories of their lifetime together - how they met, the precious paintings they collected together, the dark days of WWII and its effect on them and their families. Ira knows that Ruth can't possibly be in the car with him, but he clings to her words and his memories, reliving the sorrows and Everyday joys that defined their marriage.

A few miles away, at a local bull-riding event, a Wake Forest College senior's life is about to change. Recovering from a recent break-up, Sophia Danko meets a young cowboy named Luke, who Bears little resemblance to the privileged frat boys she has encountered at school. Through Luke, Sophia is introduced to a world in which the stakes of survival and success, ruin and reward -- even life and death - loom large in Everyday life. As she and Luke fall in love, Sophia finds herself imagining a future far removed from her plans -- a future that Luke has the power to rewrite . . . if the secret he's keeping doesn't destroy it first.

Ira and Ruth. Sophia and Luke. Two couples who have little in common, and who are separated by years and experience. Yet their lives will converge with unexpected poignancy, reminding us all that even the most difficult decisions can yield extraordinary journeys: beyond despair, beyond death, to the farthest reaches of the human heart."

Eastwood and Robertson will play Luke and Sophia, respectively, while Benoist will play Sophia's roommate Marcia.

Benoist was cast in the fourth season of the show as McKinley High student Marley Rose. The 24-year-old was originally considered to be "the new Rachel Berry."

Photo Courtesy of Fox

To post a comment, you must register and login.