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Movie adaptations of books are always as tricky thing. Sometimes, they work, as in the case of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings, and sometimes, they don’t (how many times has Dune been remade?). I’m a big fan of speculative fiction, and there’s a lot of genre movies based on literature that’s going to be released this year. Here’s a brief roundup of some of them:
The Woman in Black (Alliance Films, Cross Creek Pictures)
Adapted From: The Woman in Black by Susan Hill (1983)
Cast: James Watkins (director), Daniel Radcliffe, Janet McTeer, Ciarán Hinds
Summary: A wronged woman haunts a village in her quest for revenge.
Outlook: The novel has actually been adapted to various mediums several times before, but everyone’s eyeing the current film due to Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe in the leading role. Hopefully they retain the novel’s original, creepy ending.
The Secret World of Arrietty (Disney)
Adapted From: The Borrowers by Mary Norton (1952)
Cast: Gary Rydstrom (director),Bridgit Mendler, Amy Poehler, Will Arnett
Summary: A young boy discovers a race of tiny people who “borrows” items to survive and must keep their existence a secret.
Outlook: While perhaps not an instant classic as some of Studio Ghibli’s other films, the screenplay was co-written with Hayao Miyazaki. It’s only very loosely based on the novel, but that’s been the track record of Studio Ghibli movies.
John Carter (Disney)
Adapted From: A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (1917)
Cast: Andrew Stanton (director), Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Willem Dafoe
Summary: Civil War veteran John Carter gets transported to a Wild West-type Mars and becomes their hero - think Avatar, only more original.
Outlook: It’s an old franchise — celebrating its centennial this year — but fans of the series have high hopes as Pulitzer-winning author Michael Chabon and Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton are involved in the project.
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (BBC Films, Kionsgate)
Adapted From: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday (2006)
Cast: Lasse Hallström (director), Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt, Amr Waked, Kristin Scott Thomas
Summary: Salmon fishing… in the desert.
Outlook: The concept alone sounds about as fun as Cool Runnings (and has the same tone as well). But with an all-star cast.
The Hunger Games (Larger Than Life Productions, Lionsgate)
Adapted From: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (2008)
Cast: Gary Ross (director), Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth
Summary: Teenagers battle to the death on reality TV.
Outlook: For people hiding under a rock, The Hunger Games is currently one of the most popular YA out there. And it’s not a rip-off of Battle Royale, trust us.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (Bazelevs Productions, Tim Burton Productions)
Adapted From: Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith (2010)
Cast: Timur Bekmambetov (director), Benjamin Walker, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Dominic Cooper
Summary: The title says it all, doesn’t it?
Outlook: This is possibly the first in a salvo of literary mashup movie adaptations, but hey, Tim Burton is producing!
Trailer: none yet
Total Recall (Rekall Productions)
Adapted From: "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick (1966)
Cast: Len Wiseman (director), Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel
Summary: Factory worker cum spy doesn’t know which side he’s working for: Euromerica or New Shanghai.
Outlook: The original film was memorable due to Arnold Schwarzenegger and its Martian landscape. This remake eschews those elements and instead channels the paranoia Dick has been known for (it’ll bear absolutely no resemblance to the short story though).
Trailer: none yet
Warm Bodies (Make Movies, Mandeville Films, Summit Entertainment)
Adapted From: Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion (2011)
Cast: Jonathan Levine (director), Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, John Malkovich
Summary: A zombie love story.
Outlook: Actually looks interesting, although whether audiences will be receptive to films that aren’t easily as marketable (remember Jennifer’s Body?) remains to be seen.
Trailer: none yet
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (Summit Entertainment)
Adapted From: Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
Cast: Bill Condon (director), Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Summary: Bella gives birth and must protect her half-vampire child from vampires.
Outlook: It’ll probably be as successful as part 1.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (MGM, New Line Cinema)
Adapted From: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (1937)
Cast: Peter Jackson (director), Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Richard Armitage
Summary: Bilbo goes adventuring with some dwarves… and meets Gollum.
Outlook: Those nostalgic for Lord of the Rings will die to see this film. Whether it’ll deliver — especially considering the two-movie split — remains to be seen.
World War Z (Plan B Entertainment, Apparatus Productions, Paramount Pictures)
Adapted From: World War Z by Max Brooks (2006)
Cast: Marc Foster (director), Brad Pritt, Mireille Enos
Summary: A United Nations employee must prevent the Zombie pandemic.
Outlook: While drastically different from the novel’s concept (a post-zombie war reportage), the film has Brad Pitt. Yes, another good book got the Hollywood treatment.
Life of Pi (Fox 2000 Pictures)
Adapted From: Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Cast: Ang Lee (director), Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Tobey Maguire
Summary: Cast Away with animals.
Outlook: The novel is actually much more complex than the summary, but it remains to be seen how the film will translate the nuances of the book.
Trailer: none yet
John Carter poster used here for purposes of review. Copyright is believed to belong to the graphic artist or distributor.
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