Books to be Movies

[Longstreet]

Darren shan books.

When i heard there was a movie bout the first 3 or so books (yea 3 books in 1 movie...) i was happy

Then i saw the movie. The horror. THE HORROR!

There was never a Darren Shan movie. There was a movie that pretended to be one then ruined the entire series and actually ruined what was supposed to be a major plot twist in the late books.

OT: I would like to see a mini series made form The Wheel of Time books, I would love a movie, but I suspect there's just too much for even 14 movies.

Never seen the whole movie, couldnt stand to watch it for more than 5 minutes.

But the seriously ruined THAT plot? What kind of moron was in charge of it.

 

[spartan231490]

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.

i agree, though i do think that the vlad taltos series could be adapted well to a movie. they are short enough and sparce enough and action-packed enough that i think an adaptation that stayef true to the book would still make a great movie

 

[Yopaz]

Darren shan books.

When i heard there was a movie bout the first 3 or so books (yea 3 books in 1 movie...) i was happy

Then i saw the movie. The horror. THE HORROR!

There was never a Darren Shan movie. There was a movie that pretended to be one then ruined the entire series and actually ruined what was supposed to be a major plot twist in the late books.

OT: I would like to see a mini series made form The Wheel of Time books, I would love a movie, but I suspect there's just too much for even 14 movies.

Never seen the whole movie, couldnt stand to watch it for more than 5 minutes.

But the seriously ruined THAT plot? What kind of moron was in charge of it.

Yeah.

Spoiler: About both the movie and the books

They managed to show that his childhood friend would join the vampaneze ruining the big reveal of the 8th book where they had to work together. Truly a disgrace like no else.

 

[Yojoo]

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.

As much as I love Speaker for the Dead and all of the sequel books, they're mostly philosophical discussions in the form of fiction, and lack the action that Ender's Game could bring to a movie. You and I might line up to see such a film, but I doubt it would get much attention.

Yeah, but wasn't the same argument made against the LOTR movies? And they became smash hits? Yeah, they were one in a million, but if all we're talking about is hypotheticals, it wouldn't do bad if a more actiony movie like Ender's Game got good box office numbers.

LotR has large-scale battles to lend spectacle to the film. Speaker for the Dead is mostly about a guy in the future discussing with friends and family the ethics of using destructive force. It's a fascinating and fantastic book, but there simply isn't anything visual about the story. Either the film would be poorly received, or worse, they'd add in fight scenes to liven it up.

Besides, Speaker for the Dead is an incomplete story without Xenocide and Children of the Mind to conclude the saga. And between those three books, there's only one scene I can think of that actually lends itself to film.

 

[Cazza]

Hitchhiker's guide. I'm overall happy with how that turned out. Wish they didn't change the ending. Also Marvin was a tall slim and grey. Can't remember if that's how the book described him or just how I thought of him.

Deltora Quest series. I was disappointed to find they turned it into anime.

The Hobbit. I am disappointed in how they LOTR'ed it. It's 2 extra movies too long.

Harry Potter. It's already done and it's the best turn out of all the others.

Matthew Reilly books mainly the Jack West Jr ones.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

 

[Megalodon]

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.

As much as I love Speaker for the Dead and all of the sequel books, they're mostly philosophical discussions in the form of fiction, and lack the action that Ender's Game could bring to a movie. You and I might line up to see such a film, but I doubt it would get much attention.

Yeah, but wasn't the same argument made against the LOTR movies? And they became smash hits? Yeah, they were one in a million, but if all we're talking about is hypotheticals, it wouldn't do bad if a more actiony movie like Ender's Game got good box office numbers.

LotR has large-scale battles to lend spectacle to the film. Speaker for the Dead is mostly about a guy in the future discussing with friends and family the ethics of using destructive force. It's a fascinating and fantastic book, but there simply isn't anything visual about the story. Either the film would be poorly received, or worse, they'd add in fight scenes to liven it up.

Besides, Speaker for the Dead is an incomplete story without Xenocide and Children of the Mind to conclude the saga. And between those three books, there's only one scene I can think of that actually lends itself to film.

I've never heard of the book you're talking about. However, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was essentailly just people talking for two hours, and it worked really well. So being a story without visual elements does't necessarily mean a film can't be done, just makes it harder.

 

[flamdunk]

Well, one book series both me and my mom wanted to see on the big screen was the Redwall series. Basically, a series of knight's tales, but where the characters are animals. Mice are the most represented but there are also squirrels, otters, hares, moles(all of which are scottish), badgers(friendly but can become berserkers), and the villains are usually predatory animals like cats and wolves. I mean, I can;t be the only one to think they could do this series using animation akin to, say, Stuart Little? That would be a perfect fit.

 

[Murais]

Neil Gaiman's Sandman, only as an HBO series.

It deserves nothing less. It would just be a masterpiece given the budget and resources of that network, and Gaiman, being a screenwriter as well, would be able to do the screenplay (Assuming he agreed in either instance).

I also used to say World War Z, but now it's happening. And it looks to be completely independent of anything Max Brooks ever wrote.

 

[BENZOOKA]

Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials: Golden Compass, Subtle Knife, Amber Spyglass.

And no, that half-assed, moneygrubbing, childish Hollywood shit titled Golden Compass does not count.

 

[Gecko clown]

I've always wanted to see the Mortal Engines series as films. Just the underlying idea of it is enough to be made into a film.

 

[MopBox]

World War Z, but now it's happening. And it looks to be completely independent of anything Max Brooks ever wrote.

Yeah... but you couldn't expect Hollywood to maintain the documentary style of the original novel.

 

[SweetShark]

LMS: Killbook of a Bounty Hunter

This book NEED to become a movie really soon!!!!
Oh wait, they already have plans for a movie ^^

*yay*

 

[Murais]

World War Z, but now it's happening. And it looks to be completely independent of anything Max Brooks ever wrote.

Yeah... but you couldn't expect Hollywood to maintain the documentary style of the original novel.

Why not? It would have been relatively easy to pull off and an interesting narrative choice. It was just lazy if you ask me.

 

[Yeager942]

Monster Blood Tattoo. I've mentioned this book a million times, but I don't think I've every found someone else who has read it outside the very small fanbase.

 

[MopBox]

World War Z, but now it's happening. And it looks to be completely independent of anything Max Brooks ever wrote.

Yeah... but you couldn't expect Hollywood to maintain the documentary style of the original novel.

Why not? It would have been relatively easy to pull off and an interesting narrative choice. It was just lazy if you ask me.

Oh, I won't argue that it isn't lazy. Hollywood just isn't in the business of challenging people in anyway whatsoever.

 

[Korenith]

There are Rumors that HBO is looking to maybe do Wheel of Time as a series which excites and terrifies me in almost equal measures

I also think that the Night angel Trilogy would make an excellent Anime or a good Tv Show and a decent series of Movies

Oh god I hope not. Wheel of Time would need way too many special effects for them to afford to do it properly I think. That said, I think it would actually make a pretty good TV series but with how long it is keeping up the ratings enough so they don't stop halfway through and piss everybody off will be tough if they don't nail it.

OT. I think the best movie adaptations are the ones where the source material wasn't amazing to begin with (eg. Jaws or Die Hard) but I can't remember those kind of books unless I read them recently because they're forgettable...

 

[Tom_green_day]

Too bad all the actors have outgrown their roles.
Thanks Paramount!

Jim Carrey hasn't outgrown anything!
OT: Probably a Bill Bryson book. If they could do it well, in an original style, it could be just as hilarious as his books.

 

[Darks63]

There are Rumors that HBO is looking to maybe do Wheel of Time as a series which excites and terrifies me in almost equal measures

Without Jordan to being there as an executive producer im not sure how good it would be. Plus the matariarical nature of most of the cultures in the books would also be offputting to some.