In the boom of the Hollywood making books into films (and sometimes destroying them in the process) I have decided to write a post with my list of books I would like to be turned into films.
Now, I have to be very critical though. Although I want to see these stories and their protagonist come to life on the big screen, due to the film adaptations of the books I have seen recently, I am very sceptical that they would be any good. I think the best book adaptation I have seen so far were Harry Potter films and that only happened thanks to big budgets and being made in UK (sorry US but for some reason you cannot get the film adaptations right!).
Having said that though, here I come with my list of books I think would be awesome as films if they would be made right. And I am not talking only about special effects (because the tech guys can do some incredible stuff these days...), I am taking about the right cast and a take on the story by Hollywood screen writers. They have been pissing me off lately by destroying incredible stories like Divergent, The Book Thief, The Host, The Mortal Instruments...
But I have to say they aren't doing that bad of a job. I have truly enjoyed Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf Of The Wall Street and I heard that 12 Years A Slave is Oscar winning film, but I have to see that for myself. Also I have to mentioned how much I enjoyed Emma Stone's performance and the whole adaptation itself of the book THE HELP.
But let's get down to business and talk about stories I picked to be turned into BIG HOLLYWOOD MONEYMAKERS if created with the right team. I am more than happy to lend them my help if they would ask me :)
ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD by Kendare Blake
Blake's story Anna Dressed In Blood in one of those books which managed to surprise me by blowing my mind away. When purchasing this book I wasn't expecting to fall in love with Cas and the ghost who he needs to kill. I wasn't expecting to love the story so much, that I couldn't put it down and immediately bought the sequel. And of course the sequel managed to be one of the best sequels I have read too. ( And you all know I have a major problem with liking the sequels - they always tend to disappoint me.).
I can see that this book, if taken under qualified and very skill-full wings, can be a great blockbuster. It has everything what can glue you to the screen. Mystery, darkness, thrilling storyline, romance and wit and some paranormal activity. What else do you need from a film? I can see Cas being played by some young Hollywood star with broody image. I think Colton Haynes would be perfect (although he might be a little too old for the role - but when that mattered in Hollywood?). And Anna's character could go to.... hmmm that is hard. Because for some reason the casting directors always pick someone I hate, so I don't know (but not Selena Gomez please!). And Canada would be perfect for the film set so I think with the right script and great cast, this could be a great film version of an excellent book.
ELEANOR AND PARK by Rainbow Rowell
Eleanor & Park is one of my favourite books. One of the best books I have ever read. It reminds me of first love and how love supposed to feel in general. It has been recently picked by one of the film studios which bought the rights and are preparing to turn this beautiful story of first love into a film. I would love for this film to be an indie style film as I think the story would benefit from outside the Hollywood budgeting. Look at the Twilight series! The first one was so much better that the rest of the films in the series. A low budget never means worse film. Usually the opposite is the case and I wish that for Eleanor & Park. I wish they would pick two unknown talents (maybe a worldwide casting for the main roles). But I also wish that whoever takes this story on board, will keep the beauty of this sentimental story and its originality simple without adding any extra Hollywood crap which usually destroys nice stories. This is why I fell in love with the book. It's simple. It's everlasting. It makes you smile. It makes you cry. And it makes you feel every emotion possible. And It would be a great shame if the writers would damaged the story in Hollywood way.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY YOU LOVE ME by Sarra Manning
I can see this as a romantic comedy which would bring together all girlfriends on a girl night. Boys would be left at home to do their many bonding and girls would share a bottle of wine (or two?) and have a trip to the pictures. You Don't Have To Say You Love Me is a perfect recipe for a romantic genre. Humour? Check. Insecure character struggling with loosing weight and poor love life? Check. Plenty of embarrassing situations? Check. Dreamy bad boy who can be reformed? Check. Falling in love when least expected? Check. To be honest, I would love to play the role of Neve. She is one of the most relatable characters I have read in a while and I would love to breathe a life and my own spin into this character (Hollywood just give me a call, I am ready whenever!). Definitely, it would be lots of fun filming this story. And I am sure it would make Valentine's Days playlist in every single girl's household.
THRONE OF GLASS by Sarah J. Maas
Throne Of Glass is one of the books which managed to surprise me this year. I have fallen in love with the story of Celaena, Chaol and Dorian instantly. I can see a big production in the style of Game of Thrones or Hobbit would be the most suitable for this story. Celaena Sardothien is an amusing character. An assassin who was brought from the salt mines to compete in the competition to become King's Assassin. Hot girl. Love triangle. Lots of killing. All set in the fantasy world of magic, old worlds and fairies. This could be good if taken under talented wings.
RECONSTRUCTING AMELIA by Kimberly McCreight
Gone Girl can get stuffed. This is the thriller of the year for me. I loved the story of Amelia who committed suicide at the young and precious age and we follow the story of her mother who is slowly discovering that her daughter had secrets on her own and maybe, just maybe her death wasn't a suicide after all. It is packed with suspense, new discoveries, twists and turns which keep on surprising you all the way through. This could be a great thriller film which would have you glued to the screens.
I have picked these five books as they each represents a different style (genre) of cinematography and I will believe that if the studios would pick the right cast, the writers would write a good script, they all could become blockbusters and permanent members of your DVD collection.
What do you think about my picks? What would be yours? Please leave your picks in the comments below as I would love to hear your opinions on future films inspired by literature.
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