It’s no secret that modern entertainment is characterized by great collaborations between media.
Game tie-ups, book tie-ups, comic book tie-ups, you name it — some of our most popular media is the result of adaptation.
Probably one of the more famous pairings is literature and film.
We’ve had dozens of successful film adaptations that were based on books:
- the Harry Potter series,
- the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and
- Jurassic Park.
Even the famous James Bond first came to life on paper before he got to the big screen.
Books and film are a powerful combination, and below we’ve listed out five books that we think would look amazing on the silver screen. Check them out and let us know if you agree.
Amatka
Originally published in Swedish and then later translated into English, Amatka by Karin Tidbeck is a wild piece of sci-fi that took readers around the world on a mind-bending trip.
It’s just as likely to do the same if adapted to film. Tidbeck’s writing is full of hidden clues, twists, and turns that make for a thrilling watch.
Amatka’s world is full of surreal, and sometimes grotesque, visuals. In the novel, citizens need to repeat the names of certain objects, or else they turn into gloop.
In the hands of a skilled production crew, the effect could be especially haunting for viewers.
The Secret History
Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch has already gotten the film treatment, but it’s her earlier novel The Secret History that has fans clamoring for an adaptation.
The novel, about a group of friends who have a dark secret between them, is filled with rich characters, thrilling scenes, college debauchery, and mysterious events.
The Secret History has the potential to be a great psychological thriller onscreen, with the literary bent of Dead Poets Society and the intrigue of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, another successful book-to-film adaptation.
Educated
One of the most popular memoirs of the last five years, Educated brings to light a fascinating, almost one-of-a-kind story.
Tara Westover was born to Mormon parents but manages to study her way out of their religious fundamentalism and into a PhD at Cambridge.
Educated is a fascinating look at another side of American society and could be a meditative film about the burden of love and memory.
In an industry where flashier films usually stand out, this one could be a breath of fresh air.
The Keeper of Lost Things
There’s always a space for whimsy in movies, and The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan could be a great example.
It’s a novel that traces the stories of two protagonists, one in the modern era and one in the 1970s.
One of them, Laura, is soon tasked with the responsibility of returning lost things to their owners.
The Keeper of Lost Things is a fun bit of storytelling that brings together magic, love, and wit.
While not as expansive a universe as heavy hitters like Harry Potter, it has the potential to be as charming as beloved films like Paddington and Mary Poppins, if with a much older audience.
Perdido Street Station
China Miéville is famously difficult to adapt. His speculative fiction novels are a bit out of the box, even for the genre.
Still, his writing is incredibly entertaining, filled with memorable characters, worlds, and philosophies that have delighted readers for years.
His novel Perdido Street Station could do the same if adapted to film — it portrays a dense, dynamic world full of magic, technology, and one-of-a-kind characters.
It’s a grittier look at a sci-fi fantasy world, and if adapted well could eventually be as iconic as sagas like Star Wars or Star Trek.
Plus, with advancements in CGI it’s easier than ever to immerse viewers into Miéville’s layered worlds.
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