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What Books Should Be Made into Films/TV Shows?


Kylie

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Anna's post about The Odyssey being made into a movie (or movies) got me thinking...what books would you like to see made into a movie, movie franchise or TV series? Or what books would you like to see adapted again (either because the original was bad, or because you'd like to see a more recent adaptation)?

 

The first one that comes to mind for me is The Count of Monte Cristo. I saw the movie starring Guy Pearce and really disliked it (although I can't quite remember why now—I think I thought it was too rushed or something). I'd love to see TCoMC given the Game of Thrones treatment: a big-budget TV series that allows viewers to really get to know the characters and their motivations. The book is so chock-full of, well, everything that you could want—prison escape, hidden treasure, love, revenge, betrayal, murder, etc.—that I've always felt that only a TV series could do it justice.

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This is a very difficult question because the ones I immediately think of have already been made into movies and series :blush: There's only one that comes to mind now: Karin Slaughter's Grant County and Will Trent -series :yes: 

 

I would also love a costume drama / murder mystery made of John Boyne's Crippen

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Two that spring to mind for me would be The Rook by Daniel O'Malley and the Above his Station books by Darren Craske. The latter would I imagine have to be animated. The very thought of seeing the rat on the big screen makes me break out into a smile, especially the lion sequence from book one. Fans of the books will know what I mean ! :smile:  

Edited by Talisman
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I haven't heard of most of the books being mentioned here.  :blush2:

 

I'd like to see a British TV (BBC) adaptation of The War of the Worlds; I'm pretty sure that CGI has come far enough now to make this possible.

 

Would you like to see an exact adaptation or a series that takes a few liberties to expand it into a longer series? (I suspect the latter—you're more of a purist, aren't you?)

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^ It doesn't have to be an exact translation, but something that is in keeping with the spirit of the book; a period adaptation that is set in the UK and not the US would be a good start!

 

I'm not interested in an on-going series based on the novel, as the characters in the book don't lend themselves to that.

Edited by Raven
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I haven't heard of most of the books being mentioned here.  :blush2:

Stolen is about a British teenager who gets kidnapped and taken to the Australian outback, and it's about her time in captivity. I just think the contrast between the UK city and the Australian outback would look great on screen, and would make a fantastic thriller.

 

I've also been thinking and my favourite books recently were the two Robin Stevens Wells and Wong Mystery books set in the 1930s with two young girls solving murders … would be brilliant on television with the right cast. :D

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I'm still waiting for someone to make a really good live action mini series of Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. It would be so awesome! There have been countless rumours over the years, and a radio play adaptation too, but no live action TV series or movie (I'd shy away from a film adaptation, as I'd rather they went into all the intricacies, and lots would be lost in a movie).

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The first one that comes to mind for me is The Count of Monte Cristo. I saw the movie starring Guy Pearce and really disliked it (although I can't quite remember why now—I think I thought it was too rushed or something). I'd love to see TCoMC given the Game of Thrones treatment: a big-budget TV series that allows viewers to really get to know the characters and their motivations. The book is so chock-full of, well, everything that you could want—prison escape, hidden treasure, love, revenge, betrayal, murder, etc.—that I've always felt that only a TV series could do it justice.

Fun fact for the day: did you know The Count of Monte Cristo was one of the first serialized fiction pieces?  TCoMC was about 140 installments!  Authors were paid by the line and episode :lol: So, it is basically just asking for a big budget TV series!

 

YES!  I'd love to see a new Jack Reacher movie that doesn't have Tom Cruise as a 6 foot 5 inch tall, 220 pound guy :roll:

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I'm still waiting for someone to make a really good live action mini series of Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. It would be so awesome! There have been countless rumours over the years, and a radio play adaptation too, but no live action TV series or movie (I'd shy away from a film adaptation, as I'd rather they went into all the intricacies, and lots would be lost in a movie).

 

Well, Narrativia has been set up to handle adaptations of Terry's work.  I'm guessing this has been on hold for a while now (for obvious reasons), but the City Watch series is still supposed to be going ahead and Good Omens is mentioned on their Twitter and Facebook pages, so fingers crossed!

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^ It doesn't have to be an exact translation, but something that is in keeping with the spirit of the book; a period adaptation that is set in the UK and not the US would be a good start!

 

I'm not interested in an on-going series based on the novel, as the characters in the book don't lend themselves to that.

 

Fair enough. Sounds good to me!

 

Stolen is about a British teenager who gets kidnapped and taken to the Australian outback, and it's about her time in captivity. I just think the contrast between the UK city and the Australian outback would look great on screen, and would make a fantastic thriller.

 

That sounds like one I should have heard of, given the location! :) Is it particularly scary? It's not a Wolf Creek-type story, is it?  :hide:

 

Fun fact for the day: did you know The Count of Monte Cristo was one of the first serialized fiction pieces?  TCoMC was about 140 installments!  Authors were paid by the line and episode :lol: So, it is basically just asking for a big budget TV series!

 

Ooh, I don't believe I knew that. Thanks for the info! Some of my favourite books (like Dickens' works) were serialised, so I'm glad they were paid by the word. (Although I know some people think they're too wordy for that reason.)

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The Girl on the Train. I imagine it will be made going on the crazy book sales. Would really like to see Murder Most Unladylike adapted .. probably for TV and also the Mangle Street Murder books. Was hoping for the Rivers of London books to be adapted but haven't heard anything about it yet (but then .. I don't keep up with these things  :blush2: ) .. I think they would adapt well. Also the Flavia de Luce books. 

Edited by poppyshake
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Ooh, I don't believe I knew that. Thanks for the info! Some of my favourite books (like Dickens' works) were serialised, so I'm glad they were paid by the word. (Although I know some people think they're too wordy for that reason.)

I guess you tend to get a tad wordy when you are paid by the line/ episode :P  You should get your hands on Nolls suggestion ^^ of Yesterday's Gone.  Season One is free (it's serialized fiction) on Kindle.  There are 6 episodes a season, each about 70- 80 pages.

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There are a lot of books I'd like to see being made into good films or TV series, but if I had to pick just one book / series it would be The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, made into a great TV series. I do know there are currently discussions I think, to see if it might happen. Other than that though, there are a lot of other books that I think would be suited to be adapted in a TV show or film, too.

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The Girl on the Train. I imagine it will be made going on the crazy book sales. Would really like to see Murder Most Unladylike adapted .. probably for TV and also the Mangle Street Murder books. Was hoping for the Rivers of London books to be adapted but haven't heard anything about it yet (but then .. I don't keep up with these things  :blush2: ) .. I think they would adapt well. Also the Flavia de Luce books. 

 

I was going to say the Flavia de Luce books too, and then I remembered that someone on here (I thought it was you?) had already said it was being made into a series. I can't wait to see it!

 

I'd also love to see the Rivers of London books made into a series. :)

 

You should get your hands on Nolls suggestion ^^ of Yesterday's Gone.  Season One is free (it's serialized fiction) on Kindle.  There are 6 episodes a season, each about 70- 80 pages.

I'll look it up. I've seen it mentioned on the forum a bit lately. To be honest, the references to 'seasons' and 'episodes' keeps weirding me out. :giggle2: But I like it when authors do unusual things in books, so it might be right up my alley!

 

I'd also like to see John Marsden's Tomorrow, When the War Began series made into a TV series. I'm glad they made the first one into a movie, but I always thought it would lend itself better to a TV series (with perhaps 2–3 episodes for each book).

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I read yesterday that The Light Between Oceans is being made into a film with Michael Fassbender and Rachel Weisz, hopefully it will not be given too much of the Hollywood treatment as it was such a simple and sensitive film. I certainly wouldn't have thought of Fassbended for the role, I had someone more like John Sim in my mind..

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  • 3 months later...

I wasn't sure where to put this, but big news for True Crime/ serial killer interests (and for me :) )

 

Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese Reteam for 'Devil in the White City'

 

[snip]

 

DiCaprio will play Dr. HH Holmes, a cunning serial killer believed to have murdered anywhere from 27 to 200 people at a time when the city of Chicago was enthralled with hosting the World’s Fair of 1893.

 

More info:

https://www.yahoo.com/movies/leonardo-dicaprio-and-martin-scorsese-reteam-for-126381256972.html

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