Wish List for Book to Movie Adaptations

[Coldfire24]

Saw this thread stuck in general interest and thought I would start it up again here if thats ok with you guys.

I for one would like to see a decent Brave New World or 1984 adapation. Or The Stranger.

Ok thats it from me. It I need to think more about this.

[TonyWilson]

Brazil is a close as I think we will ever get to a good 1984 adaptation although I'd love to be proved wrong.

The Horned Man by James Lasdun would be a freaky little film. It's about space and isolation so would be a perfect film.

[burlivesleftnut]

I am a huge John Updike ('Witches of Eastwick') fan, and two of his more recent novels would make for really compelling movies, imo.

'Brazil', which is kind of a fucked up Romeo and Juliet style romance, would be a fantastic movie. The story deals with a reach girl and a poor hustler who fall in love and it charts their relationship from the streets of Rio to the deepest jungles of the Amazon. The story seems to take place over the course of about 30 years or so, but its hard to tell. Anyway there is a wonderful and trippy twist toward the end of the book that was SO beautifully done. The book manages to illuminate issues with race, class and also gives a really informative look at the country of Brazil.

Another of his works that would have me creaming my britches as a movie is 'Toward the End of Time'. This science fiction story takes place in New England after some vaguely defined world shattering event. Life is still relatively normal, but there are frightening changes afoot. Anarchy seems to be just at the edge of every neighborhood. The story follows an older man who might be losing his mind. The world Updike creates reminds me a little of that old nuclear fear vehicle 'Testament', but there is a little more of the fantastic thrown in. The book is filled with such haunting images, my favorite being this orbiting space station that is visible from the Earth filled with dead bodies of astronaughts that died because the world was in such catastrophe no one could go and rescue them. I would love to see how a filmmaker like Spike Jonze or Gondry could take some of the trippy premises of this book and blow people's brains out in a theater.

[John-Locke]

Toward the End of Time sounds fantastic the way you've set it up, the themes sounds similar to my screenplay idea. I'm working on geting a private Forum/Board set up with Doc. PM me if you are interested.

[PVIII]

Flicker, a novel by Theodore Roszak is great, and I think Arnofsky ownes the rights, so I'm waiting...

PVIII

[burlivesleftnut]

Flicker

Sound pretty heady and complicated? I am assuming it was an enjoyable read?

[Guest]

Flicker

Sound pretty heady and complicated? I am assuming it was an enjoyable read?

Yeah, it's basically a conspiracy theory book that leads back to the old days of hollywood. Really neat, original, and a good read overall.

PVIII

[DinoDeLaurentiis]

The Dino, he like a to see a the good Tarzan movie... one that's a true to a the first book... we get a to see the Tarzan grow uppa with a the monkeys, fight a the gorilla anna gets a the scar on his a forehead, alla that stuff. Great stuff! No cartoons anna no Phil Collins... even though I do like a the opening number inna the Disney film, anna the fight scene with a the cheetah is a good stuff. Greystoke, she was a close, but it fall apart outta the jungle.

[burlivesleftnut]

I still love how they dubbed whatsername's voice.

[John-Locke]

Anybody heard any rumours about Carter Beats the Devil or Life of Pi?

[PVIII]

Yeah, Life of Pi has Cuaron attatched as of now. Great book.

PVIII

[John-Locke]

Cuaron eh?

Sweet, hope he's using his crazy DP, if you've read about Art Linsons experiences on Great Expectations in What Happened? you'll know what I mean.

A real perfectionist and one of the best.

Thanks for the speedy reply.

[PVIII]

No problem. On 'Carter Beats the Devil' the only information I could get is that Paramount has the rights and it's being written by Michael Arndt.

PVIII

[John-Locke]

Both Pi and Carter need actors willing to work with Big Cats (Tiger and Lion) I wonder if this means they are going to have trouble casting? Pi must be an absolute nightmare to adapt, I imagine it will be a whole new entity when it finally hits the screens. At least Shamalamadingdong is no longer attached. He has to move away from the twist endings although he certainlty is talented.

[DinoDeLaurentiis]

M Knight, he hadda to leave a the project when a they found out that a he hadda the twist-a-ending planned, where the cat, he actually a big piece of pie! I swear onna my children's eyes...

[John-Locke]

I swear onna my children's eyes...

Classic Dino

Classic.

[Keepcoolbutcare]

With the huge BO and popular appeal of L.O.T.R I've been surprised that I haven't heard any more projects based upon the works of Tolkien (except, of course, the Hobbit). But if anyone is familiar with this work...oh your god!

It's in "the Silmarillion" that Tolkien sets up the foundations, the building blocks of the world he created. We get the creation, the origins of Elves, Dwarves, Man, the origins of Sauron and his even more powerful predecessor. And it contains the story (sang in L.O.T.R as "the lay of Beren and Luthien) of the first time a mortal and and Elf fell in love, the Story of Beren and Luthien.

Not only is it a wonderful story that Tolkien has called "the kernel of the mythology" but it is an amazing stand alone short story. Highly recommended to anyone who wants more Middle-Earth history.

And the best thing is...WE could do this. Could use it as a Beta test for our potential screenplay. If you haven't read it and loved L.O.T.R....read it now. If you have, tell me that this wouldn't be a fucking brilliant fantasy film.

[St. Alphonzo]

I think, in the current political climate, the world is ready for a fresh adaptation of "Catch 22".

Not that the Alan Arkin version isn't great, but imagine a fresh, Wes Anderson (or hell, P.T. Anderson) look at it!

[John-Locke]

Mike Nichols Catch 22 is deeply flawed in places, You have to have the book fresh in your mind to understand whats giong on.

If somebody else was to have a stab at it I'd be very interested.

[evolvingsensblty]

Tarantino might have fun with Catch 22, what with the non-linear narrative. Alan Arkin could play Cathcart or General Dreedle this time. I'd like to Arkin and John Voight reprise their roles in Closing Time, the semi-sequel to Catch-22.

[TonyWilson]

Flicker would be a brilliant film if it was done right, but theres an integral plot point that would be vwery difficult to realise on screen.
I'd love to see what aronofsky does with it.

I'm still going with any Iain Banks book, complicity has already been done but it was shit. I think "Whit" would work out well. and Espedair street would be too.

[docfalken]

Microserfs by Douglas Coupland.

I read that book dreaming about how cool it would be to be a programmer at a software company. The entire culture and lifestyle of just being focused on getting a product out the door.

Maybe a "Dazed and Confused" version of the book would work on the screen. Chock full of nostalgia.

[PVIII]

Flicker would be a brilliant film if it was done right, but theres an integral plot point that would be vwery difficult to realise on screen.
I'd love to see what aronofsky does with it.

Wow, I can't believe someone else has read this bad boy. Great book, huh? Kinda fucks with your head.

PVIII

[Bean]

My hope was always for Eragon, but lately production has started and I believe they casted it all ready.

[Nordling]

I'm still waiting for NEUROMANCER, but I'm afraid they'd dumb it down. I heard Chris Cunningham was attached once, not sure if that's still the case.

[DennisMM]

From prose, I'd like to see a film of Vonnegut's "Bluebeard." It's probably the most mainstream novel he's written and the plot is streamlined compared to most of his work. I wonder who could play Rabo Karabekian? Perhaps Brian Cox!

I'd love to see a movie of "The Books of Magic" just so Warner could issue a press release saying Neil Gaiman created Tim Hunter in 1989 and he had his own comic starting in 1993. Bite me, J.K. Rowling.

[John-Locke]

DennisMM I'm a huge Vonnegut fan but haven't read Bluebeard, Never seen it in a shop and forgot to order it from Amazon or whoever. Thanks for reminding me, I'm going to check it out soon.

[theremin]

I'd like to see one of my favorite books of the new millenium, Joe R. Lansdale's "The Bottoms"

[burlivesleftnut]

Sounds HOT. What's it about?

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

I was just about to say The Talisman, Stephen King Peter Straub novel, but I hear it's already in development. Last I heard Ed Zwick had walked off or delayed the project as the script wasn't right.

To be honest I don't read books. My motto is, if I've got time to read, I've got time to write (my own), but man do I wanna sit down and get right into some brilliant novels.

[DinoDeLaurentiis]

I'm a beginning to think Cpt Kirks 2pay is really Captain Kirk... the one from a the Enemy Within, where he's a split inna to 2 distinct personalities, eh?

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

Why would you think that, MISTER!!!!?????

Cpt Kirks 2pay is schizo anyway.

[ZombieZoneSolutions]

Gravity's Rainbow by Pynchon (totally impossible to do this, but i'd like to see somebody try. someone like Cronenberg or Lynch.)

Pattern Recognition by Gibson (sort of like Demonlover, but better)

Keep The Aspidistras Flying by Orwell (written before 1984 and Animal Farm)

Moby Dick (nobody has come close to doing it right yet)

Lullaby or Diary (both by Palluniuk)

Porno (by Welsh -- get all the same actors from Trainspotting to do it. poifect)

do comics count? if so:

Love and Rockets: The Death of Speedy
Acme Novelty Library (i'm telling you it could be done)

[ThisIsTheGirl]

Keep The Aspidistra Flying by Orwell (written before 1984 and Animal Farm)

Fucking great book - and you could film it for about 10 bucks

[ZombieZoneSolutions]

Keep The Aspidistra Flying by Orwell (written before 1984 and Animal Farm)

Fucking great book - and you could film it for about 10 bucks

totally. i think it could potentially be a big deal. like a big deal indie hit kinda thang. not that it needs to be that, but i think it has a real resonance. especially for us (well me anyway) aging gen-xers.

Orwell was writing about snarky over-educated slackers before even the beat writers were!

[TonyWilson]

Keep the Aspidistra flying is a film already. Stars Richard E Grant and Helena Bonham Carter.

[ZombieZoneSolutions]

Keep the Aspidistra flying is a film already. Stars Richard E Grant and Helena Bonham Carter.

no shit? i gotta check that out. how weird that i was thinking "Helena Bonham Carter" for Rosemary...

[ThisIsTheGirl]

Dude - that is interesting news - is it any good?

[TonyWilson]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119453/

It's pretty good, a little dry but the cast is great.

[Brocktune]

I'm a beginning to think Cpt Kirks 2pay is really Captain Kirk... the one from a the Enemy Within, where he's a split inna to 2 distinct personalities, eh?

dude, thats what i thought.
look closely, he doesnt have the season 3 sideburns.

[wonkabar]

A PRINCESS OF MARS
ILUMINATIS! TRILOGY
a REAL... NEVERENDING STORY movie

[Brocktune]

"A Feast of Snakes" by Harry Crews

[doglips]

Tintin in Tibet..........We need more on screen yeti's.........

[Bean]

I always wanted Gary Paulsen's Hatchet series to be made into movies. Start with Hatchet, and tweak the ending a little. By the end, have Brian realize it's winter, and end it there. Next would be Brian's Winter, and maybe they could skip The River and go right into Brian's Return.

[wonkabar]

Catcher in the Rye

[TonyWilson]

ALL of Iain M Banks books. Do any of you guys know them? They should be required reading for any Sci Fi fans

[DinoDeLaurentiis]

I'm a beginning to think Cpt Kirks 2pay is really Captain Kirk... the one from a the Enemy Within, where he's a split inna to 2 distinct personalities, eh?

dude, thats what i thought.
look closely, he doesnt have the season 3 sideburns.

No no... I mean that a Cpt Kirks 2pay is a totally insane schizo, eh? Split personality, no? Thoughtful, film enthusiast onna the one hand, anna chair-throwing, under-sexed chick-beater onna the other...

[DennisMM]

Childhood's End
I, Robot (Harlan Ellison's script)
Blinded by the Right
Rave On (Buddy Holly biography by Philip Norman)


I don't read a lot of fiction.

[Flumm]

Well, with all the new sci-fi news around lately, it reminded me of a series of books that I really loved, and that I think would really be something special on screen... The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov.

There is a bunch of fantastic characters in that thing, and it by no means peaks at the first book, if anything the story continues to escalate and become richer as it progresses.

As much as I would prefer them to be in movie form, what with the recent success of the new Battlestar Galactic relaunch, it made me think that could actualy really work as a TV project too. To really humanize the characters, and have all those suprises and plot twists and turns given real justice, TV might even be a better medium to serve it to it's full potential....

I really just put this down as I just thought of it, so does anyone know if thing is in the works anywhere? It's one of the great works, so someone must have the rights surely?...

[cinephile2000]

If comic books I want to see Wanted I casted that sucker in my head while I was reading it so bad. See I want to make this film though.