Books to be Movies

[Willinium]

As in , have you ever read a book or book series and wanted to see it on the big screen? If so what were they my personal favorites to be movies would have to be Magician by Raymond E Feist, Ravonloft The memoirs of Lord Strahd, The Elenium The Tamuli The Belgariad The Mallorian and the Redemption of Althalus by David Eddings.

Please list those that you would like to see made into film.

 

[Dangit2019]

Speaker for the Dead. They're already making one for Ender's Game, but if that does well, I'd love for Speaker to get the 3-hour long epic treatment.

 

[SomeLameStuff]

The Codex Alera.

Think Lord of the Rings with Pokemon. Then multiply the battle scale by at least 5. The last battle in the book consists of an army of millions assaulting a fortress while the main character and the big bad duke it out while standing on a giant the size of Mount Everest. Which is also trying to kill both of them. Tell me that's not awesome!

 

[soren7550]

Hard for me to say. Pretty much everything I've read I've wondered how it'd play out as a movie (usually just with certain scenes).

 

[dmase]

The Dark Tower series IF AND ONLY IF it could have a good director and cast. I mean it has great qualities that could appeal to a huge audience. Its got the western vibe that Stephen King modeled after the good bad and the ugly. It's High fantasy that nerds like. And it has a grand mythos that has the ability to go to TV and/or movies, which they where planning but it looks like that was scrapped.

Since Game of Thrones is doing so well i think it's perfectly possible Dark Tower could make it as a tv series or like the lords of the rings a series of movies.

 

[Misterian]

I'm still waiting for a movie based on The Giver.

I so far only occasionally hear rumors of a movie based on this book coming up, but nothing official.

Which is a shame, 'cause with the pacing, atmosphere, and the so-simple yet so-complex plot, I'll boldly say that The Giver could be considered the perfect book to adapt to film.

 

[Dead Seerius]

Literally just yesterday I was asking myself why there hasn't been a film adaption of the Pendragon series.
That whole series was incredible. Each book takes place in a drastically different setting and there's a split narrative concept that seems perfect for the big screen.

And, this might be bending the rules, but there should've been more films for the rest of the Series of Unfortunate Events books. Too bad all the actors have outgrown their roles.
Thanks Paramount!

 

[dmase]

The Dark Tower series IF AND ONLY IF it could have a good director and cast. I mean it has great qualities that could appeal to a huge audience. Its got the western vibe that Stephen King modeled after the good bad and the ugly. It's High fantasy that nerds like. And it has a grand mythos that has the ability to go to TV and/or movies, which they where planning but it looks like that was scrapped.

Since Game of Thrones is doing so well i think it's perfectly possible Dark Tower could make it as a tv series or like the lords of the rings a series of movies.

You do know there is a Dark Tower film in the works?

OT: Deltora Quest ever since I read through them in High School, instead we got some shitty anime that looks fucking stupid.

I've read a few Non Fiction Military books that would make great films. Phil Campions Born Fearless would be entertaining on the big screen.

I won't believe it's been anything but scrapped until I hear some news

http://www.darktowermovies.com/20120821/warner-bros-jumps-from-dark-tower/

I could believe it's possible when Warner Bros seemed to be on board but with a lesser known independent company making the film I don't know. So far the project is on it's third "interested party", it might end up going into production this year or getting stuck in limbo for another half a decade. Unless you have some more recent news.

 

[Kyrian007]

"Chronicles of the Shadow War" by Chris Claremont and George Lucas. It's the only book series I hate SOOO much I would want to see someone put it on the big or little screen. Its SO bad there's even the slight chance that an adaptation could ACTUALLY be better.

Otherwise no. Series that I like... I want to stay books and not bother dumbing down for the TV or movies "wider appeal" audience. Movies that do it well like LotR are an exception, usually you get Maximum Overdrive or Sleepwalkers or Hitchhikers Guide or "Ben Affleck was the BOMB in Phantoms."

Personally I don't mind them just staying books. Adaptations are boring to me, I already know what is going to happen. I'd rather just read the book again. I've heard a lot of good things about HBO's Game of Thrones. Its based on a series that I love, but I've never watched a single episode. Never even been tempted, even though I could dvr it quite easily and have even had to look around for "a new show to watch" a couple of times since it started. I WAS interested, then someone told me it stays pretty faithful to the books.

BOORRRINNNNGGG. I'd just rather they stay books. When they get adapted they either "stay faithful to the source material" (in other words boring and unwatchable) or they go in a new and potentially interesting direction and then DIE when the fanboy crying starts. "But it wasn't that way in teh books.... WHAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" No thank you.

BTW, I like all the series the OP mentioned.

Magician by Raymond E Feist, Ravonloft The memoirs of Lord Strahd, The Elenium The Tamuli The Belgariad The Mallorian and the Redemption of Althalus by David Eddings.

Sorry that means I don't want them ever made into movies.

 

[theparsonski]

I used to love the Noughts and Crosses series by Malorie Blackman. They were set in a world pretty much the same as ours other than the fact that racism against whites was prevalent. The reversal of the race stereotypes didn't have a huge impact on the plot, it just made it feel a little more fresh. It was the plot and characterisation that made them great books. They were also surprisingly explicit at the age I read them, I was impressed.

 

[Alfador_VII]

Otherwise no. Series that I like... I want to stay books and not bother dumbing down for the TV or movies "wider appeal" audience. Movies that do it well like LotR are an exception, usually you get Maximum Overdrive or Sleepwalkers or Hitchhikers Guide or "Ben Affleck was the BOMB in Phantoms."

Hey I quite liked the Hitchhikers Guide movie. OK, so arguably it was one of the weaker versions, but still very watchable.

Also that series started on the radio, before being adapted as a books, an LP Record, cassette, TV Series, Game, Towel, Movie etc etc.

The other fun thing about Hitchhiker's Guide is that no 2 versions are the same, they all have major or minor variations

 

[IrateDonnie]

Speaker for the Dead. They're already making one for Ender's Game, but if that does well, I'd love for Speaker to get the 3-hour long epic treatment.

For some reason I haven't ever wanted to see an Enders game movie, and it's one of my favorite books. I just don't think it would make a very good movie, especially if they cut any of the story out. I'd be willing to bet they tone down the couple of fight scenes, schoolyard & shower come to mind(trying not to spoil). It would be interesting to see what the "Piggies" and "Buggers" looked like though.

 

[Thommo]

There is a series of books called the Owner series, or something like that, which is a sci-fi series following this one guy who takes down the world government who are trying to become what Orwell wrote about in 1984. there is a really cool scene set in space where Robots, under control of the main character, are attacking the security forces of a space station. I have just got this image of these robots just drifting through space in complete silence before proceeding while missiles streak by.

Also, in the second book, 6 billion people die..... in the first chapter. that would be a mind blowing experience for any audience.

 

[SckizoBoy]

Magician by Raymond E Feist

Well, that one straight off is the big one.

Other than that... not much, though I haven't been reading much fiction lately except the Horus Heresy series of WH40K... -_-

However, I'd like to see a proper epic style-y film about the Peninsular War, or perhaps just a part of it just for the battle scenes (a la Waterloo by deLaurentiis). That or a film charting the lead up to the battle of Trafalgar, that'd be awesome (that is, with 60 ships of the line involved and all that good stuff)...

 

[Legion]

To be honest there aren't any, for two reasons.

The first is that if I read a book, I have an image of what characters look and sound like in my head. While sometimes they do a fantastic job of choosing the actors (Alan Rickman is perfect for Severus Snape in Harry Potter, for example), a lot of the time they choose actors and actresses who do not fit the role particularly well in my opinion. Or places do not look the same as they "should" based upon the books description.

The second is that all too often they cut out swathes of sections that are important to defining characters, while adding in a whole bunch of scenes that never happened in order to increase the action. I can understand the need to crop things out, but not when they replace it with pointless things that add nothing to the story.

To use A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) as an example. Lyanna Stark has a very important role in regards to the Stark, Baratheon and Targaryen families, but in the television series they remove almost everything to do with her. But that doesn't stop them adding around 10 or so sex scenes that add absolutely nothing except nudity for the sake of nudity. Which is even more ridiculous seeing as the series already has it in abundance anyway.

For some people this isn't an issue, they are okay with directors taking a bit of artistic licences with their versions, but for me it is off-putting, and I honestly really dislike it.

 

[Blunderboy]

The Dark Tower series IF AND ONLY IF it could have a good director and cast. I mean it has great qualities that could appeal to a huge audience. Its got the western vibe that Stephen King modeled after the good bad and the ugly. It's High fantasy that nerds like. And it has a grand mythos that has the ability to go to TV and/or movies, which they where planning but it looks like that was scrapped.

Since Game of Thrones is doing so well i think it's perfectly possible Dark Tower could make it as a tv series or like the lords of the rings a series of movies.

A film is a mistake. There is just too much to cover. The seven books (I know there are Eight but while Wind through the Keyhole was good it's mostly unimportant) would need to be at least ten films.
A TV series would be more doable. You could probably manage that in six or seven series.

Series One
The Gunslinger (Feature length pilot)
The Drawing of The Three.
First half of Waste Lands (End of season as they reach Lud?)

Series Two
Second half of Waste Lands.
Three quarters of Wizard and Glass (End season just before it all gets serious)

Series Three
Last quarter of Wizard and Glass.
First half of Wolves of the Calla.

Series Four
Second half of Wolves of the Calla.

Series Five
Song of Susannah.

Series Six
First half of The Dark Tower.

Series Seven
Second half of The Dark Tower.

 

[BrotherRool]

If they had a big budget, I'd love to see an Edge Chronicles film. There is so much wonder and fantaticness in the world and setting, it could make for an incredible visual experience

 

[Dethenger]

[snip]

Wow, I used to love Deltora Quest as a kid. I'd probably watch it if it were made into a movie.

OT: Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson. I thought the book was awesome, and because of the way it describes its setting (it's a largely colour-heavy book) I think it'd look brilliant on the big screen/

 

[Trivun]

I know they've done a set of Discworld TV films on Sky, and those are pretty damn awesome, but the two I'd love to see are Night Watch (one of my favourite Discworld books ever) and Monstrous Regiment. Especially if the latter was directed and/or written by Russell T Davies... (anyone who's read the book and seen any of Davies' work knows what I'm getting at there. And which two characters I'm mainly referring to... ;D).

Otherwise, I want to see them do the His Dark Materials trilogy again, but this time keeping the darker aspects of the books, not giving up after one flopped film, making it less family friendly and retaining the serious nature of the series, staying true to the spirit of the books, having Phillip Pullman (the books' author) as screenwriter, and not being pussies and bowing down to the wishes of the Church in toning down the religious aspect of the story (which is literally the entire point of the series). I enjoyed the Golden Compass film, but it was simply a hallmark of what might have been and ultimately wasn't. Not to mention, I hated the name change. It's a British book series, written by a British author, had a mostly British cast, was filmed in the UK... and they gave it the American name? The alethiometer is not golden, it's not a compass, and the USA have a nasty habit of trying to control aspects of everything they touch without regard to the overriding and original culture or intention... (sorry to turn that into a rant, but it's something I feel fairly strongly about ).

Finally, the Three Worlds Cycle. This book series, I doubt most of you will have heard of it (I seem to be the only person on this entire site who's heard of it, let alone read it) but it's a great fantasy series from Australian sci-fi/fantasy author and marine biologist Ian Irvine. It's split into several series - the View From the Mirror quartet; the Well of Echoes quartet (set 200 years later); the Song of the Tears trilogy (set another 10 years afterwards); the still-to-be-written Fate of the Children trilogy (set directly after the last series). That being said, since there are 11 books and counting in the series (and each book clocks in at over 600 pages) it would be much better suited as a long-term TV series, I guess. Maybe one-and-a-half books making up one season?

Also, anyone else here who has read or heard of the Three Worlds Cycle, or Ian Irvine, get in touch, it'd be great to have someone to actually discuss this great series with