Books and movies are interesting creatures;I usually prefer books but I do love me an entertaining movie. Good books can be adapted well (Harry Potter, for the most part, The Lord of the Rings -- again, for the most part) and can rarely improve on the book (How To Train Your Dragon, Stardust, Jurassic Park, Perks of Being a Wallflower). Most usually, they are pale imitations of the source material (Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters, Never Let Me Go, The Golden Compass). These are ones I would love to see done for the silver screen --- if they are done right.
1. On The Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Why I Would Watch It: It's Melina Marchetta. She's directly involved. That can only mean good things.
Why
I Would Be Wary: It's Melina Marchetta - how can a movie capture all that beauty and emotion in these characters?
Will It Happen: I can't find and IMDB page, but Melina says it is. So it is.
2. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Why I Would Watch It: Epic love story with quirky characters in picturesque locations.
Why
I Would Be Wary: I fear execs will hear "quirky, weird" and think Manic Pixie Dream Girl. That the storyline will be fucked up and become a trite romance. That the chimaera won't turn out right.
Will It Happen: Reportedly in the works.
3. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Why I Would Watch It: Have you seen the cover for this book? I want a movie that uses those same colors to great effect. Also, magic.
Why
I Would Be Wary: A shortage of action makes me think the movie will try for a different path/ending and DO NOT WANT.
Will It Happen: Reportedly in the works.
4. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Why I Would Watch It: Badass female assassin with a past! Great secondary and love interest characters.
Why
I Would Be Wary: Some arrogant SOB would be cast for Chaol. That Celaena's hard edges would be smoothed over to appeal to a wider audience. Complicated characters are cool, yo
Will It Happen: Who knows. I can dream, right? CHAOOOOL.
5. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Why I Would Watch It: Dragons. Dragons that can turn into "people". Great charm and charisma in the book.
Why
I Would Be Wary: I fear that moviepeople will trade emotion for a lot of CGI.
Will It Happen: I can only hope. DRAGONS THAT TURN INTO PEOPLE, EVERYONE.
6. Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness
Why I Would Watch It: Manchee. Well, and Todd. And YA scifi on the big screen? AWESOME.
Why I Would Be Wary: how would you effectively show Noise? YA scifi on the big screen.
Will It Happen: Reportedly in the works.
7. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Why I Would Watch It: Mean Girls with a little twist.
Why I Would Be Wary: Mean Girls 2 was awful. It could become watered down to be like every other high school movie - aka - all about the romance.
Will It Happen: Reportedly in the works.
8. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Why I Would Watch It: Fantasy story about people with super abilities? Why would I not?
Why
I Would Be Wary: PO. If they don't get Po right, or Katsa, okay okay, the whole thing will be a wash.
Will It Happen: Reportedly in the works.
9. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Why I Would Watch It: Unusual story, strong emotion...
Why
I Would Be Wary: It's not a book with a lot of plot. How will a movie get nonreading viewers interested? I fear how the movie people will handle this.
Will It Happen: Reportedly in the works.
10. Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Why I Would Watch It: The Darkling. I love me a good antihero/villain. Russian-esque culture. Magic. And if it does well, a live screen Stormhund would be on the way.
Why
I Would Be Wary: The love triangle could become a real issue if producers try to push the Darkling as a real love interest.
Will It Happen: Reportedly in the works.
There are A LOT of YA movie adaptations headed our way, though some will probably never see the light of day (I bet Clare's movie deals are on hold!) but there are some good ones in there. This list is pretty comprehensive.
As a bonus: bookmovies in production that I do NOT want:
Wings (boring, overdone premise. Twilight with fairies.)
Wicked Lovely (see above.)
Uglies (Worst. Protagonist. Ever.)
The Trylle Trilogy (AWFUL WRITING SHOULD NOT BE REWARDED. Nor should trite storytelling.)
Monument 14 (REALLY?)
Shatter Me (how would they pull off the strikethroughs? Without the prose, what's the draw here?)
The House of Night series (enough with the vampires, everyone.)
The Immortal Rules (see above. Even in a dystopia --- no.)
All I know is The Book Thief had better be goddamn amazing or I WILL RIOT. All by myself if I have to.
Holy cow - a lot of great books "in the works."
ReplyDeleteOn the one hand, I sort of hate that Hollywood can't seem to make anything that isn't a sequel or an adaptation. On the other hand, I love seeing GOOD books made into movies.
Huh interesting choices. I havent read any of them I think, but they seem fine.
ReplyDeleteHere is my TTT
Ooops forgot my link...just one of those day :)
ReplyDeletehttp://hauntedgravebooks.blogspot.com/2013/09/top-ten-books-i-wish-were-movie-or-tv.html
Ack, they're making The House of Night books into movies?!? Noooooooo
ReplyDeleteI can't even begin to explain how excited I am for The Knife of Never Letting Go.
Totally agree about Seraphina, Jellicoe, and Daught of S&B. Those would be epic.
ReplyDeleteUgh is Wings really happening? NO NO NO. The series wasn't awful but I see it going the way of Twilight, with an overdone, overdramatic movie and nothing special.
With Shatter Me, because she's so ... out of it (?), I could see them doing the shaky cam, blurry vision thing they do like when someone has been drugged, and the camera goes in and out of focus a lot. (If you've seen Veronica Mars, that jerky fade thing they do when Veronica got roofied and she's stumbling and the shots jerk, if that makes sense at all!)
Woah, I had NO IDEA that S&B was being made into a movie too! I'm really excited for If I Stay and Jellicoe Road, though I'm extremely nervous about DoSaB as well as Graceling, and I'd LOVE to see Seraphina become a film. Wonderful list, Jessie, and thanks for cluing me in on some of these releases!
ReplyDeleteI really like how your formatted this post. Not going to lie, I wasn't a fan of Jellicoe Road but I WOULD be interested in seeing how it translates to screen. I listened to some of the audiobook for Daughter of Smoke and Bones and it would make for a very visually appealing movie! I have the same reasons to be wary of a Graceling movie -- the characters MADE the book.
ReplyDeleteMy TTT list!.
The Night Circus has the potential to be the most amazing movie ever. I seriously cannot wait to see what a studio can do with this work. Before I Fall could also be amazing. I didn't see Mean Girls 2, but I can imagine it was pretty bad. I haven't read Seraphina--but dragons that can turn into people!! What an awesome film that could make. Fantastic list! I love the addition of books that shouldn't be made into films!
ReplyDelete"Interesting creatures." You are the best.
ReplyDeleteHARRY POTTER FOR THE MOST PART o.O? How sad that is more or less the only one I can raise my caps for. I did see PJ, but I don't remember enough of the book to tell, and I'm not admitting to which, er, movies I've seen without the books. I have a nerd reputation to maintain.
1. On The Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Why I Would Be Wary: It's Melina Marchetta - how can a movie capture all that beauty and emotion in these characters? <-- THAT. THAT THAT THAT. I don't trust the teenage actors to get it right. I wonder what How I Live Now will be like; I'd imagine the Marchetta novel to have that kind of indie vibe going for it...
2. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Why I Would Be Wary: I fear execs will hear "quirky, weird" and think Manic Pixie Dream Girl. That the storyline will be fucked up and become a trite romance. That the chimaera won't turn out right. <--- Interesting. I think my fears are the same on the romance and that the graphics might get screwed up, but the manicpixiedream girl? Didn't think of that. I really would want this one - if not the sequel, with its war and bloody goodiness - to get adapted. If they can create dragons, they can create chimaera!
3. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
I haven't read this book yet. It makes me sad. Especially now that I know you too like it (or I am assuming since you want to watch its movie version.)
4. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Why I Would Be Wary: Some arrogant SOB would be cast for Chaol. That Celaena's hard edges would be smoothed over to appeal to a wider audience. Complicated characters are cool, yo <--- OMG YES LIKE WHAT HAPPENED IN THE HUNGER GAMES, THEY WOULD MAKE CELAENA MORE GIRLY AND IN NEED OF RESCUE TO MAINTAIN TRADITIONAL GENDER STEREOTYPES. *raises fist at the world*
5. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Oh yeah! I forgot you have a thing for dragons. Admittedly I was kind of surprised this had made the list as its medieval setting and moderate action I fear wouldn't attract a huge audience visually. Book, yes. Movie? I don't know.
6. Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness
Another I haven't read o.O.
7. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
And another. WHAT. There was a Mean Girls #2? LOL. HOLLYWOOD WHY.
8. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Why I Would Be Wary: PO. If they don't get Po right, or Katsa, okay okay, the whole thing will be a wash. <-- I can't see this happening. They'll do the same thing to Katsa. It's supposed to be feminist, but they know that'll turn off a good deal of the mass movie goers so they'll tame Katsa's edge and they'll make Po into more of an asshole and and and *pouts*
9. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Why I Would Be Wary: It's not a book with a lot of plot. How will a movie get nonreading viewers interested? I fear how the movie people will handle this. <-- This one is actually happening, I think. I can't see a lot of moviegoers, but I think it'd make for a great indie flick of sorts. I can't see it at all becoming the next Twilight or whatever (CURSE YOU USA TODAY BLURB), but a nice, quiet film? Yes. Haunting with its music too. I haven't read the Book Thief - is there a lot of plot in that? I'd imagine the If I Stay adaptation something like that.
10. Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Why I Would Be Wary: The love triangle could become a real issue if producers try to push the Darkling as a real love interest. <-- I'm surprised you didn't mention that people would immediately disdain it for the Chosen One stereotype. And the Darkling aspect... I do fear that. Not just a forced LT, but how to show their connection?
IN CASE YOU ARE WONDERING WHY THERE ARE TWO COMMENTS, I REACHED YOUR COMMENT CHARACTER LIMIT. THIS HAPPENED ONLY ONCE BEFORE - WHEN I WAS COMMENTING ON SAM (REALM OF FICTION)'S DREAM THIEVES REVIEW. you're welcome.
ReplyDeleteAs a bonus: bookmovies in production that I do NOT want:
Wings (boring, overdone premise. Twilight with fairies.) <--- I have no idea how this would be adapted.
Wicked Lovely (see above.) <-- I actually kind of liked the series because it has a sexually in charge protagonist. It's a tad different from the regular YA offering... But I can't see it as a movie either o.O.
Shatter Me (how would they pull off the strikethroughs? Without the prose, what's the draw here?) <-- I don't know. Stark colors? But there's not enough action to propel a movie...
The Immortal Rules (see above. Even in a dystopia --- no.) <-- Lol. I actually could see this one. Like a Kill Bill type in a post-apoc landscape. It would draw a crowd, even if vampires are overdone.