We live in the best of times and the worst of times. Movie studios continue to furiously adapt books to films, hoping to milk the success of their print editions, or to offer – maybe not intentionally – new readers for stories they believe in. The move might completely backfire: a terrible adaptation will put off any new readers. But nevertheless, film adaptations offer a shorter window – and maybe a more convenient one, some will say – to immerse oneself in a world originally created by one person alone: the writer.
Here’s a sneak peek at some of the most eagerly awaited book-to-film adaptations for movie buffs to enjoy over the next twelve months.
The Martian, Andy Weir
Director: Ridley Scott, Cast: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kate Mara, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig.
After playing an astronaut who is left alone on an ice planet in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, Matt Damon jumps into the same role yet again and lands up with similar consequences, this time on planet Mars. He plays Mark Whatney, part of a human mission to the red planet, but when a storm jeopardises their plans and makes his fellow crew members leave, he is presumed dead. Left with only minimal supplies, he must now find a way to contact Earth and return home. Coming from Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Aliens, Gladiator, Black Hawn Down) the film is expected to live up to its promising trailer, although Scott has been a bit off the mark in the recent past (Exodus, Prometheus, Robin Hood).
Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson
Director: Danny Boyle. Cast: Michael Fassbender, Seth Rogen, Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels.
Written by acclaimed screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network, Moneyball, A Few Good Men) and directed by Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, Trainspotting), the movie couldn’t have asked for a better writer-director duo. They’ve adapted the best-selling biography to bring to screen the life of Steve Jobs, a personality who dwelled between two extremes – modern-day genius and arrogant dictator.
This is the possibly second major feature film in the past two years about the tech icon (Jobs starring Ashton Kutcher opened to lukewarm reviews last year). However, given that this one is written by Sorkin, and adapted from an authentic biography, we’re hoping it will be the definitive biopic we’ll remember Jobs by. If one goes by the trailer alone, expect an extremely verbose screenplay, full of bite and mud-slinging, similar to what we witnessed in David Fincher’s The Social Network. The casting for the title role was also a major news event: both Christian Bale and Leonardo DiCaprio turned down the title role, and Michael Fassbender was eventually signed on.
The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge, Michael Punke
Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy.
Will Leonardo win the Oscar for this one? Only time will tell. But for now, we can rejoice the coming together of Oscar-winning director Alejandro Inarritu (Birdman, Babel, Biutiful, Amores Perros), Emmanuel Lubezki – possibly the greatest living cinematographer of our time – and two incredible actors, DiCaprio and Tom Hardy. Shot in sequence over a nightmarish eighty-day schedule at sub-zero temperatures, this Western is partly inspired by the true story of legendary explorer Hugh Glass (played by DiCaprio) who is knocked out near-fatal by a wild bear and left to die by members of his own hunting team. The film is as much as a story of survival as it is of the grief that Glass has to endure thanks to the betrayal of his close aide, John (played by Hardy).
Paper Towns, John Green
Director: Jake Schreier. Cast: Natt Wolff, Cara Delevingne.
It’s from the bestselling writer John Green who made young adults and some not-so-young adults shed copious tears in The Fault in Our Stars. So it’ll be interesting to see how director Jake Schreier (very impressive in Robot & Frank) handles this one. This coming-of-age story – thankfully no more sick-lit – tells the story of Quentin and his search for his charming neighbour Margo, who, after an exhilarating night of fun and mischief with him, disappears mysteriously. It’s already won a bagful of honours at the Teen Choice Awards.
In The Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, Nathaniel Philbrick
Director: Ron Howard. Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson.
Based on the true story that inspired Moby Dick, the film is an adaptation of a book that chronicles the bizarre and tragic encounter in 1820 of a ship that was repeatedly assaulted by a sperm whale, leaving its crew stranded at sea for almost ninety days. All men aboard had to weather not just the mammoth whale’s temper, but also rain, storms, starvation and utter despair. The trailer is spectacular and since Oscar-winning filmmaker Ron Howard (Rush, A Beautiful Mind) is the man calling the shots, we think this one’s going to be a major big-screen attraction.
Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie
Adaptation: Pan. Director: Joe Wright. Cast: Hugh Jackman, Rooney Mara.
Hollywood can’t get enough of origin stories, can it? After origin stories of Batman (Batman Begins), Wolverine (X-Men Origins: The Wolverine) and Fantastic Four, producers Warners Bros take us to the origins of Peter Pan and Captain Hook in Pan. The original novel by JM Barrie has been adapted a number of times on screen, stage, animated film, but one can look forward to this one purely to see how actor Hugh Jackman plays Blackbeard. Neverland looks stunning in this trailer and promises to be a treat for families.
The Profession of Violence: The Rise and Fall of the Kray Twins, John Pearson
Adaptation: Legend. Director: Brian Helgeland. Cast: Tom Hardy, Emily Browning.
There’s no such thing as too much Tom Hardy. After being noticed in Christopher Nolan’s Inception and following it up by playing Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, Hardy is slowly becoming the go-to man for sought after roles (Mad Max: Fury Road, Locke, The Drop, The Revenant, Child 44). Going by the trailer alone and double-role he essays, Legend could very well be the defining performance of his career. He plays Ronald Kray and Reginald Kray, the notorious twin gangsters who ruled London in the 1950s and 1960s. The two characters couldn’t be more different from each other, and for a change, we get to see Hardy play the not-so-cool guy for a change.
Dark Places, Gillian Flynn
Director: Gilles Paquet Brenner. Cast: Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Christina Hendricks.
An adaptation of what many believe to be a better book than the globally successful Gone Girl, this dark, mysterious story of crime and secrets by Gillian Flynn stars Charlize Theron. Co-written by Flynn and director Paquet Brenner (Sarah’s Key), the movie will demonstrate whether Flynn’s run of success after the box-office success of Gone Girl continues.
Room, Emma Donoghue
Director: Lenny Abrahamson. Cast: Brie Larson, William H. Macy.
The story of a five-year boy held captive in a small room with his mother, Room won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and was shortlisted for several international writing awards. Given that author Emma Donoghue herself has adapted the book for screen, it will exciting to see how Lenny Abrahamson (director of the superbly quirky Frank) handles this somewhat unfilmable novel. One can be optimistic because we thought the same way about Life of Pi, and look what Ang Lee did!
Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer
Adaptation: Everest. Director: Baltasar Kormakur. Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Sam Worthington, Josh Brolin, Jason Clarke, Emily Watson, Keira Knightley, Robin Wright, Emily Watson.
Into Thin Air is the work that shot Jon Krakauer to global fame. The true story of an eventful expedition to Mt Everest in 1996, when eight climbers were caught in a blizzard and killed and several others were stranded due to an avalanche – possibly the worst climbing disaster on the world’s tallest peak – Everest features a fine ensemble cast. Going by the trailer, promises to be an edge-of-the-seat entertainer. Our tip: watch it in IMAX 3D.
Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
Director: Thomas Vinterberg, Cast: Carey Mulligan, Michael Sheen, Matthias Schoenaerts.
Thomas Hardy’s enduring tale – the story of the fiercely independent Bathsheba Everdene and her three very different suitors: Gabriel, a sheep farmer; Frank, a reckless Sergeant; and William, a well-off bachelor – has been adapted to the screen a number of times, but two things make this version immensely attractive: Carey Mulligan (perfectly cast) and the stewardship of Thomas Vinterberg, acclaimed director of The Hunt. It also appears to me that the more we leave the Victorian England in the annals of time, the better the studios get at their production design in replicating that era.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Susanne Collins
Adaption: Mockingjay – Part 2. Director: Francis Lawrence. Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Liam Hemsworth.
The Hunger Games movies have been consistently impressive with two things: the sincerity of their book-to-screen adaptations and the solidity of each instalment as a standalone feature film. One would want to credit director Francis Lawrence, but it’s not just he who makes the finale of the franchise so exciting. It’s also Jennifer Lawrence, now in the A-league of Hollywood actresses. She’s the new cool. As Katniss Everdeen and District 13 go all out in their fight against Capitol, we’re hoping this trilogy finishes as brilliantly as the Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings films did. Expect this one to be an action-packed rollercoaster.
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Here’s a sneak peek at some of the most eagerly awaited book-to-film adaptations for movie buffs to enjoy over the next twelve months.
The Martian, Andy Weir
Director: Ridley Scott, Cast: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kate Mara, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig.
After playing an astronaut who is left alone on an ice planet in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, Matt Damon jumps into the same role yet again and lands up with similar consequences, this time on planet Mars. He plays Mark Whatney, part of a human mission to the red planet, but when a storm jeopardises their plans and makes his fellow crew members leave, he is presumed dead. Left with only minimal supplies, he must now find a way to contact Earth and return home. Coming from Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Aliens, Gladiator, Black Hawn Down) the film is expected to live up to its promising trailer, although Scott has been a bit off the mark in the recent past (Exodus, Prometheus, Robin Hood).
Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson
Director: Danny Boyle. Cast: Michael Fassbender, Seth Rogen, Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels.
Written by acclaimed screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network, Moneyball, A Few Good Men) and directed by Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, Trainspotting), the movie couldn’t have asked for a better writer-director duo. They’ve adapted the best-selling biography to bring to screen the life of Steve Jobs, a personality who dwelled between two extremes – modern-day genius and arrogant dictator.
This is the possibly second major feature film in the past two years about the tech icon (Jobs starring Ashton Kutcher opened to lukewarm reviews last year). However, given that this one is written by Sorkin, and adapted from an authentic biography, we’re hoping it will be the definitive biopic we’ll remember Jobs by. If one goes by the trailer alone, expect an extremely verbose screenplay, full of bite and mud-slinging, similar to what we witnessed in David Fincher’s The Social Network. The casting for the title role was also a major news event: both Christian Bale and Leonardo DiCaprio turned down the title role, and Michael Fassbender was eventually signed on.
The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge, Michael Punke
Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy.
Will Leonardo win the Oscar for this one? Only time will tell. But for now, we can rejoice the coming together of Oscar-winning director Alejandro Inarritu (Birdman, Babel, Biutiful, Amores Perros), Emmanuel Lubezki – possibly the greatest living cinematographer of our time – and two incredible actors, DiCaprio and Tom Hardy. Shot in sequence over a nightmarish eighty-day schedule at sub-zero temperatures, this Western is partly inspired by the true story of legendary explorer Hugh Glass (played by DiCaprio) who is knocked out near-fatal by a wild bear and left to die by members of his own hunting team. The film is as much as a story of survival as it is of the grief that Glass has to endure thanks to the betrayal of his close aide, John (played by Hardy).
Paper Towns, John Green
Director: Jake Schreier. Cast: Natt Wolff, Cara Delevingne.
It’s from the bestselling writer John Green who made young adults and some not-so-young adults shed copious tears in The Fault in Our Stars. So it’ll be interesting to see how director Jake Schreier (very impressive in Robot & Frank) handles this one. This coming-of-age story – thankfully no more sick-lit – tells the story of Quentin and his search for his charming neighbour Margo, who, after an exhilarating night of fun and mischief with him, disappears mysteriously. It’s already won a bagful of honours at the Teen Choice Awards.
In The Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, Nathaniel Philbrick
Director: Ron Howard. Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson.
Based on the true story that inspired Moby Dick, the film is an adaptation of a book that chronicles the bizarre and tragic encounter in 1820 of a ship that was repeatedly assaulted by a sperm whale, leaving its crew stranded at sea for almost ninety days. All men aboard had to weather not just the mammoth whale’s temper, but also rain, storms, starvation and utter despair. The trailer is spectacular and since Oscar-winning filmmaker Ron Howard (Rush, A Beautiful Mind) is the man calling the shots, we think this one’s going to be a major big-screen attraction.
Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie
Adaptation: Pan. Director: Joe Wright. Cast: Hugh Jackman, Rooney Mara.
Hollywood can’t get enough of origin stories, can it? After origin stories of Batman (Batman Begins), Wolverine (X-Men Origins: The Wolverine) and Fantastic Four, producers Warners Bros take us to the origins of Peter Pan and Captain Hook in Pan. The original novel by JM Barrie has been adapted a number of times on screen, stage, animated film, but one can look forward to this one purely to see how actor Hugh Jackman plays Blackbeard. Neverland looks stunning in this trailer and promises to be a treat for families.
The Profession of Violence: The Rise and Fall of the Kray Twins, John Pearson
Adaptation: Legend. Director: Brian Helgeland. Cast: Tom Hardy, Emily Browning.
There’s no such thing as too much Tom Hardy. After being noticed in Christopher Nolan’s Inception and following it up by playing Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, Hardy is slowly becoming the go-to man for sought after roles (Mad Max: Fury Road, Locke, The Drop, The Revenant, Child 44). Going by the trailer alone and double-role he essays, Legend could very well be the defining performance of his career. He plays Ronald Kray and Reginald Kray, the notorious twin gangsters who ruled London in the 1950s and 1960s. The two characters couldn’t be more different from each other, and for a change, we get to see Hardy play the not-so-cool guy for a change.
Dark Places, Gillian Flynn
Director: Gilles Paquet Brenner. Cast: Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Christina Hendricks.
An adaptation of what many believe to be a better book than the globally successful Gone Girl, this dark, mysterious story of crime and secrets by Gillian Flynn stars Charlize Theron. Co-written by Flynn and director Paquet Brenner (Sarah’s Key), the movie will demonstrate whether Flynn’s run of success after the box-office success of Gone Girl continues.
Room, Emma Donoghue
Director: Lenny Abrahamson. Cast: Brie Larson, William H. Macy.
The story of a five-year boy held captive in a small room with his mother, Room won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and was shortlisted for several international writing awards. Given that author Emma Donoghue herself has adapted the book for screen, it will exciting to see how Lenny Abrahamson (director of the superbly quirky Frank) handles this somewhat unfilmable novel. One can be optimistic because we thought the same way about Life of Pi, and look what Ang Lee did!
Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer
Adaptation: Everest. Director: Baltasar Kormakur. Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Sam Worthington, Josh Brolin, Jason Clarke, Emily Watson, Keira Knightley, Robin Wright, Emily Watson.
Into Thin Air is the work that shot Jon Krakauer to global fame. The true story of an eventful expedition to Mt Everest in 1996, when eight climbers were caught in a blizzard and killed and several others were stranded due to an avalanche – possibly the worst climbing disaster on the world’s tallest peak – Everest features a fine ensemble cast. Going by the trailer, promises to be an edge-of-the-seat entertainer. Our tip: watch it in IMAX 3D.
Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
Director: Thomas Vinterberg, Cast: Carey Mulligan, Michael Sheen, Matthias Schoenaerts.
Thomas Hardy’s enduring tale – the story of the fiercely independent Bathsheba Everdene and her three very different suitors: Gabriel, a sheep farmer; Frank, a reckless Sergeant; and William, a well-off bachelor – has been adapted to the screen a number of times, but two things make this version immensely attractive: Carey Mulligan (perfectly cast) and the stewardship of Thomas Vinterberg, acclaimed director of The Hunt. It also appears to me that the more we leave the Victorian England in the annals of time, the better the studios get at their production design in replicating that era.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Susanne Collins
Adaption: Mockingjay – Part 2. Director: Francis Lawrence. Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Liam Hemsworth.
The Hunger Games movies have been consistently impressive with two things: the sincerity of their book-to-screen adaptations and the solidity of each instalment as a standalone feature film. One would want to credit director Francis Lawrence, but it’s not just he who makes the finale of the franchise so exciting. It’s also Jennifer Lawrence, now in the A-league of Hollywood actresses. She’s the new cool. As Katniss Everdeen and District 13 go all out in their fight against Capitol, we’re hoping this trilogy finishes as brilliantly as the Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings films did. Expect this one to be an action-packed rollercoaster.