Books We'd Love To Be Movies

[topazann]

I'd love to see The White Company and Sir Nigel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Historical fiction about archers in the middle ages. Apparently his favorite books. During World War II they made a special exception of it so that it would never go out of print. I'd love to see something in the same vein as Master and Command, the Far Side of the World.

[Danny Franks]

On 5/27/2021 at 12:49 PM, Spartan Girl said:

Ooh me too! Except Hollywood always seem to mess up Greek mythology adaptations one way or another.

They were so close with Troy, but just missed the mark when it came to constructing the narrative. Agamemnon being too evil and scenery chewing (though with Brian Cox, that's what you get), Priam being too noble and the entire war lasting just a few days.

Brad Pitt and Eric Bana as Achilles and Hector were perfect casting, though.

David Gemmell's Troy series would be really fun on screen - he writes a purely historical narrative but manages to turn most of the Greek myth and Trojan War tropes into a coherent, realistic narrative. And he has two main characters - Aeneas and Andromache - who are presented as equally important.

[peacheslatour]

I don't know if this has come up before but I would love for there to be a series of The Cat Who.. movies. I used to think Stacy Keach would be perfect as Qwill but he's too old now. Who would you cast as James Qwilleran? Even Tom Selleck is too old now.

[krankydoodle]

I haven't read those, but it does remind me how much I enjoyed Ricki Lake in the 90s adaptation of a Rita Mae Brown book. I had hoped they'd make more of those, but we only got the one.

On a related note, I know Hallmark Movies & Mysteries adapted Charlaine Harris's Aurora Teagarden books, but I'm surprised they haven't (as far as I know) tried adapting any other cozy mystery series, especially since they only seem to be getting more popular.

As far as upcoming mystery series adaptations, I'm curious to see what Amazon does with Jack Reacher.

[Irlandesa]

2 hours ago, krankydoodle said:

On a related note, I know Hallmark Movies & Mysteries adapted Charlaine Harris's Aurora Teagarden books, but I'm surprised they haven't (as far as I know) tried adapting any other cozy mystery series, especially since they only seem to be getting more popular.

Oops, I didn't realize I was in the books thread. I thought I was in the Hallmark thread.  Anyway, most of Hallmark's Mystery Movie series are based on books:

Murder She Baked, Garage Sale Mysteries, The Gourmet Detective, The Morning Show Mysteries,  Emma Fielding...etc. 

On Acorn, they've adapted Agatha Raisin. 

 

Edited June 17, 2021 by Irlandesa

[krankydoodle]

Huh, I didn't realize that many of Hallmark's series were also based on books. I didn't recognize any of the titles, which I guess reveals how little I've been keeping up with the cozy mystery genre. I didn't even know Al Roker had started writing a series.

Anyway, a recent mystery I'd also like to see adapted is The Broken Girls by Simone St. James.

[peacheslatour]

3 hours ago, krankydoodle said:

Huh, I didn't realize that many of Hallmark's series were also based on books. I didn't recognize any of the titles, which I guess reveals how little I've been keeping up with the cozy mystery genre. I didn't even know Al Roker had started writing a series.

Anyway, a recent mystery I'd also like to see adapted is The Broken Girls by Simone St. James.

So are quite a few regular cable detective shows like Rizzoli and Isles, Bones and Dexter to name a few.

[krankydoodle]

Those I did know about. For tv, I think I just prefer when a book is adapted into longer episodes like Vera or Morse, or a short season like Strike or Netflix's Harlan Coben series.

[Irlandesa]

I also think Amazon's Bosch series is really well done.  They're not cozy mysteries and the seasons are about ten episodes long but what it does well is combine a few of the Bosch books in one season and there's a good pace because of it.

[WinnieWinkle]

Most of Mary Stewart's romantic suspense novels would make excellent movies but the only one AFAIK that was ever made into a movie was The Moonspinners.  It was made by Disney back in the '60s with Hayley Mills in the lead.  The movie itself was ok but the only things it had in common with the book were the title and the setting.  The plots as they exist would work just fine for a movie but I guess the PTB disagree!

[Scout Finch]

Every time I read Donna Tartt's "The Secret History," I wish it had been made into a movie. I've tried to figure out which actors would be perfect for the parts but because a lot of time goes by between re-readings, anyone who I thought before would be great has since aged out.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I know everyone loves that book but I prefer "Special Topics in Calamity Physics" by Marisha Pessl which is kind of a similar vibe.  I'm surprised it was never adapted.  

On 6/12/2021 at 10:56 AM, krankydoodle said:

 I was going to add The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, but it looks like that's getting adapted for HBO Max 🙌

Oh my god!

Apparently there's also this?  LOL

 

Edited July 4, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[Black Knight]

On 7/4/2021 at 2:54 PM, Ms Blue Jay said:

I know everyone loves that book but I prefer "Special Topics in Calamity Physics" by Marisha Pessl which is kind of a similar vibe.

I feel the same way, although admittedly I read The Secret History only once, all the way back when it first came out. I'm a lot older now and maybe might rate it more highly, but at the time I just considered it an okay read. (I really loved The Goldfinch, so the issue is not necessarily Tartt's writing.) But I loved Pessl's book.

Pessl seems to write cinematic books. Both The Night Film and Neverworld Wake would make good horror films or limited series.

[Haleth]

I just found out HBO has adapted Station Eleven as a mini series that will start next month.

 

[Tom Holmberg]

I always thought "The Wasp" by Eric Frank Russell (which I read in junior high, not too long after it was first published) would make a good SciFi movie.  About a sole earthling sent to an alien planet to "wage a one-man war on a planet of eighty million".  Instead of using weapons of mass destruction, he wages war with wiles and trickery. 

[Grrarrggh]

I'd like to see a well done (of course, duh) modern adaption of the Miss Marple books by Agatha Christie. Like what they did with Sherlock. 

[proserpina65]

12 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

I'd like to see a well done (of course, duh) modern adaption of the Miss Marple books by Agatha Christie. Like what they did with Sherlock. 

Huh, that's interesting.  Who would like to see as Miss Marple?

[Danny Franks]

On 11/3/2021 at 4:37 PM, Haleth said:

I just found out HBO has adapted Station Eleven as a mini series that will start next month.

 

I learned about this from Aisling Bea, who mentioned it on Comedy Bang Bang last week.

I enjoyed the book and hope this adaptation is faithful. That teaser trailer is reassuring, at least. Mackenzie Davis and Himesh Patel are very enjoyable to watch.

[laughs]

1. Peter Matthiessen's The Snow Leopard - hopefully directed by either Alfonso Cuaron or Alejandro Inarritu. I don't think any other filmmaker can capture the introspective aspect of the book and the brutal beauty of the landscape and settlements Matthiessen describes at length.

2. Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels - sure, there are film adaptations of this book, but I'd love to see a faithful film series of the novel. It addresses so many questions and concerns that it's impossible to make this a 2.5 hr film. What we've seen are more like abridged adaptations of the novel. Though I doubt the long, true version would be popular or commercially viable. But still interesting to think about.

[Tom Holmberg]

7 hours ago, laughs said:

2. Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels - sure, there are film adaptations of this book, but I'd love to see a faithful film series of the novel. It addresses so many questions and concerns that it's impossible to make this a 2.5 hr film. What we've seen are more like abridged adaptations of the novel. Though I doubt the long, true version would be popular or commercially viable. But still interesting to think about.

Would be more appropriate as a mini-series.

[laughs]

16 hours ago, Tom Holmberg said:

Would be more appropriate as a mini-series.

That would work just as well too :)

[Haleth]

I was singing the praises of The Lincoln Highway in the currently reading topic.  This would make a fantastic movie.  The difficulty would be in casting 3 very different teenagers and an 8yo boy who would be endearing and not annoying.

[Scatterbrained]

When I originally read Lost and Wanted by Nell Freudenberger, I didn’t really view it as something that would make a good film.  I recently reread it, however, and I’ve changed my mind!  

This time I read it more slowly and thoughtfully and I think that film (if done well) could really enhance the story by showing the audience the world (and universe) depicted in the story.  I think that film could make the story more easily digested and relatable, in a way.

The story itself covers a variety of topics as it unfolds.  I hesitate to discuss in depth because I don’t wish to spoil the story for anyone, but here are some brief tidbits: relationships (various), race and gender in relationships, culture, and the workplace, self-determination (living and dying), family relationships, single parenting, loneliness, grief, examining the past, dealing with the present, and wondering about the future.  Also, physics and ghosts(?).  The science is a framework for the human story/stories.  

The main characters are Gen Xers.  I feel like the only people who understand Xers are other Xers, so I feel very strongly whoever would make it into a film should be an Xer or comprise a creative team of them.

I’m not an expert, but I feel that you could easily get at least three seasons of a streaming show out of this book, possibly more.  Also, the book ends on a note that I think could be continued in at least a couple of different directions should TPTB want to continue the story.  

Edited December 13, 2021 by Scatterbrained

[Spartan Girl]

I really want Sarita Mandanna’s Tiger Hills to be made into a miniseries. It’s a really great (slightly soap opera) family drama taking place in the Coorg area of India from the late 1800s to the 1930s, and it is prime material for the likes of Netflix (or Starz/Showtime).

I heard that Khalid Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns is going to be a miniseries soon. I’d been waiting for a film adaptation forever, but upon reflection, a miniseries works better because there was so much going on in the original novel, and to cut any of it would be a travesty— which is why a miniseries would work better for Tiger Hills too.

[scarynikki12]

Now that Bridgerton season 2 is out there's an increase in speculation on what book series should be adapted next. Of course the industry has to take romance novels seriously which is our main obstacle but let's pretend it's not.

I know I've complained about Lindsay's Malory books but I do think it would make for an interesting tv series. They'd have to have an end point but it could work well. I said in another thread that I wished the books ended with Jeremy and that's what I'd like to see in this hypothetical adaptation. They could easily hire an early twenty something to play teenage Jeremy and then, by the time season 6 arrived we'd have spent enough time getting to know him and see his relationships with his family that him becoming the final hero and getting his happily ever after would be the perfect way to close out the series. 

There'd also need to be some important changes made from the source material. First, remove the slave owning. Nick has thoughts about how uncomfortable he feels about owning slaves and we learn that James and his crew are "planters in the islands" which also translates to owning slaves. Remove that entirely.

Derek and Kelsey's book is predicated on her being sold in an auction and him making the purchase to save her from the sadistic lord so that would need a complete overhaul as well...maybe her uncle still arranges the sale but she runs away from the evil lord after the auction, crosses Derek's path, and he hides her in his townhouse? 

Amy would need to be aged up a few years and Warren aged down. It would be easy to make him younger since his whole thing is his cynicism that Amy breaks through. If they age Amy up they could explain that Edward and Charlotte, who are loving parents in the books, would never force her to marry unless she wanted to. The problem in her book is that she's barely eighteen and Warren is mid thirties when they get together. Hardly unusual for the time but creepy by modern standards. Move the two just a few years closer in age and it's not as bad. In an Amy season we could also spend time with her family and get to know them properly. 

We got maybe a few sentences in the entire series that let us know Jeremy loved and missed his mother so his season could delve into more detail about their relationship. 

The number one thing that would need to happen is that they'd have to resist making James the Greatest Man To Ever Exist with Tony as his Trusty Sidekick. It makes sense for them to be present in these stories, as they love their family and enjoy meddling but they should only be the stars of their own seasons and that's it. 

[BlackberryJam]

20 hours ago, scarynikki12 said:

Now that Bridgerton season 2 is out there's an increase in speculation on what book series should be adapted next. Of course the industry has to take romance novels seriously which is our main obstacle but let's pretend it's not.

I know I've complained about Lindsay's Malory books but I do think it would make for an interesting tv series. They'd have to have an end point but it could work well. I said in another thread that I wished the books ended with Jeremy and that's what I'd like to see in this hypothetical adaptation. They could easily hire an early twenty something to play teenage Jeremy and then, by the time season 6 arrived we'd have spent enough time getting to know him and see his relationships with his family that him becoming the final hero and getting his happily ever after would be the perfect way to close out the series. 

There'd also need to be some important changes made from the source material. First, remove the slave owning. Nick has thoughts about how uncomfortable he feels about owning slaves and we learn that James and his crew are "planters in the islands" which also translates to owning slaves. Remove that entirely.

Derek and Kelsey's book is predicated on her being sold in an auction and him making the purchase to save her from the sadistic lord so that would need a complete overhaul as well...maybe her uncle still arranges the sale but she runs away from the evil lord after the auction, crosses Derek's path, and he hides her in his townhouse? 

Amy would need to be aged up a few years and Warren aged down. It would be easy to make him younger since his whole thing is his cynicism that Amy breaks through. If they age Amy up they could explain that Edward and Charlotte, who are loving parents in the books, would never force her to marry unless she wanted to. The problem in her book is that she's barely eighteen and Warren is mid thirties when they get together. Hardly unusual for the time but creepy by modern standards. Move the two just a few years closer in age and it's not as bad. In an Amy season we could also spend time with her family and get to know them properly. 

We got maybe a few sentences in the entire series that let us know Jeremy loved and missed his mother so his season could delve into more detail about their relationship. 

The number one thing that would need to happen is that they'd have to resist making James the Greatest Man To Ever Exist with Tony as his Trusty Sidekick. It makes sense for them to be present in these stories, as they love their family and enjoy meddling but they should only be the stars of their own seasons and that's it. 

I sign on to this. They definitely have to tone James down. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

On 4/9/2022 at 1:12 AM, scarynikki12 said:

Now that Bridgerton season 2 is out there's an increase in speculation on what book series should be adapted next. Of course the industry has to take romance novels seriously which is our main obstacle but let's pretend it's not.

I know I've complained about Lindsay's Malory books but I do think it would make for an interesting tv series. They'd have to have an end point but it could work well. I said in another thread that I wished the books ended with Jeremy and that's what I'd like to see in this hypothetical adaptation. They could easily hire an early twenty something to play teenage Jeremy and then, by the time season 6 arrived we'd have spent enough time getting to know him and see his relationships with his family that him becoming the final hero and getting his happily ever after would be the perfect way to close out the series. 

There'd also need to be some important changes made from the source material. First, remove the slave owning. Nick has thoughts about how uncomfortable he feels about owning slaves and we learn that James and his crew are "planters in the islands" which also translates to owning slaves. Remove that entirely.

Derek and Kelsey's book is predicated on her being sold in an auction and him making the purchase to save her from the sadistic lord so that would need a complete overhaul as well...maybe her uncle still arranges the sale but she runs away from the evil lord after the auction, crosses Derek's path, and he hides her in his townhouse? 

Amy would need to be aged up a few years and Warren aged down. It would be easy to make him younger since his whole thing is his cynicism that Amy breaks through. If they age Amy up they could explain that Edward and Charlotte, who are loving parents in the books, would never force her to marry unless she wanted to. The problem in her book is that she's barely eighteen and Warren is mid thirties when they get together. Hardly unusual for the time but creepy by modern standards. Move the two just a few years closer in age and it's not as bad. In an Amy season we could also spend time with her family and get to know them properly. 

We got maybe a few sentences in the entire series that let us know Jeremy loved and missed his mother so his season could delve into more detail about their relationship. 

The number one thing that would need to happen is that they'd have to resist making James the Greatest Man To Ever Exist with Tony as his Trusty Sidekick. It makes sense for them to be present in these stories, as they love their family and enjoy meddling but they should only be the stars of their own seasons and that's it. 

YES!!!!

[zoey1996]

I’d like to see Ira Levin’s This Perfect Day made into a movie.

[sugarbaker design]

I just finished the fantastic Razorblade Tears by SA Cosby.  In my head I've casted Don Cheadle and Brad Pitt as the leads.

[OtterMommy]

4 hours ago, sugarbaker design said:

I just finished the fantastic Razorblade Tears by SA Cosby.  In my head I've casted Don Cheadle and Brad Pitt as the leads.

I could see Brad Pitt, but I picture someone physically larger than Don Cheadle.  Perhaps someone like Mike Colter (although he may be a tad too young).