Top Ten Tuesday: Anticipated 2019 Book-to-Film Adaptations (& A Few I Missed)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly book blog meme now hosted by Jana over at The Artsy Reader Girl!

This week's topic is: Book-to-Film Adaptations

There are so many different interpretations for this topic, so it was hard to decide what direction to take! In the end, I kept it simple and decided to feature a small handful of 2019 adaptations I'm looking forward to, as well as another small handful of 2018-2019 adaptations I still need to catch up on.

Anticipated 2019 Book-to-Film Adaptations:

Agatha Christie's ABC Murders

Adapted from: The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie

Release Date: January 31st, 2019

Starring: John Malkovich, Rupert Grint, Andrew Buchan

Format: TV (Amazon Prime)

Call of the Wild
Adapted from: The Call of the Wild by Jack London
Release Date: December 25th, 2019
Starring: Karen Gillan, Dan Stevens, Harrison Ford
Format: Movie

The Personal History of David Copperfield

Adapted from: David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Release Date: December 5th, 2019

Starring: Dev Patel, Gwendoline Christie, Tilda Swinton, Ben Whishaw, Hugh Laurie

Format: Movie

Catch-22

Adapted from: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Release Date: December 25th, 2019

Starring: Saoirse Ronana, Florence Pugh, Timothee Chalamet, Emma Watson, Meryl Streep, Laura Dern

Format: Movie

Good Omens

Adapted from: Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

Release Date: May 31st, 2019

Starring: Michael Sheen, David Tennant, Adria Arjona

Format: TV (Amazon Prime)

The Goldfinch

Adapted from: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Release Date: September 13th, 2019

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Sarah Paulson, Ansel Elgort, Finn Wolfhard

Format: Movie

The Aftermath

Adapted from: The Aftermath by Rhidian Brook

Release Date: March 15th, 2019

Starring: Kiera Knightley, Ned Wills, Pandora Colin

Format: Movie

...and the ones I need to catch up on!

The House With a Clock in Its Walls

Adapted from: The House With a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs

Release Date: September 21st, 2018

Starring: Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Owen Vaccaro

Format: Movie

The Nutcrcker and the Four Realms

Adapted from: The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffmann
Release Date: November 2nd, 2018
Starring: Mackenzie Foy, Keira Knightley, Morgan Freeman
Format: Movie

Mary Queen of Scots

Adapted from: Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart by John Guy 
Release Date: December 21st, 2018 
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie, Jack Lowden 
Format: Movie

The Umbrella Academy
Adapted from: The Umbrella Academy by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá 
Release Date: February 15th, 2019 
Starring: Ellen Page, Tom Hopper, David Castaneda, Robert Sheehan 
Format: TV (Netflix)

Have you read any of these books? Are you looking forward to any of these adaptations or any I didn't mention? Let me know!

Book-to-Film Adaptations to Look Out For In 2019

A new year means new movies and TV shows, many of which are often adapted from books we love (and some we don't)! We all know that for the most part the book is almost always better than the movie (with a few exceptions--The Princess Bride is an example of something that's perfect on both page and screen, of course), so it's always interesting to see how things are interpreted.

I personally always have mixed feelings about book to movie/TV adaptations. Everyone has different interpretations of a book, so the adaptation is most likely going to be a bit different from whatever we might have imagined. There are also some aspects of books that just don't translate well from page to screen, so changes have to be made. With that said, there are definitely some adaptations that make unnecessary changes and create a rather horrible outcome, so it's important to remember: no matter what, you always have the original!

 I decided to collect a list of a few different adaptations that have caught my eye recently because I've actually read the books, so I thought it would be fun to make a post to explore a small selection of what's coming next year. I also went ahead and posted the small movie description that can be found on the adaptation's IMDB page to give an idea what the film will focus on, since it sometimes differs from the book.

The Turning (The Turn of the Screw) by Henry James
Release Date: March 28th, 2018
Starring: Mackenzie Davis, Finn Wolfhard, Barbara Marten
Director: Floria Sigismondi
Format: Movie
IMDB Description: "A young governess is hired by a man who has become responsible for his young nephew and niece after the deaths of their parents. A modern take on Henry James' novella 'The Turn of the Screw'."

I was tentatively excited for this one until I saw that it was a "modern take" on Henry James' novella. A lot of people would probably prefer that, but modern settings just aren't my favorite thing, especially when it's a book set in another time period--and are governesses still a thing these days? I'd say not so much in the US at least, but I suppose I don't really know. That being said, it will still be interesting to see how this turns out! 

The Call of the Wild by Jack London
Release Date: December 25th, 2019
Starring: Karen Gillan, Dan Stevens, Harrison Ford
Director: Chris Sanders
Format: Movie (Animated)
IMDB Description: "A sled dog struggles for survival in the Alaskan wild." (wow, descriptive!)

I just recently saw this one mentioned and I'm pretty excited for it! It appears that this will be an animated adaption, which sounds like it could be pretty neat and might lend to some more creative aspects. I'm also a huge Harrison Ford fan (ever since I saw those Indiana Jones movies back in the day he's been a favorite, what can I say), so I'm curious to see what his role is.

Catch-22 by James Heller
Release Date: 2019
Starring: Christopher Abbott, Kyle Chandler, George Clooney, Hugh Laurie
Director: ?
Format: Limited TV series
IMDB Description: "[None posted at time of making this]"

I read this so long ago and honestly didn't care for it, but it should be interesting to see it afapted. It hasn't been adapted since the 1970s, I believe, which I guess is an acceptable length of time for a remake (but honestly the amount of remakes these days is insane). I'm also a bit of a Clooney fan, so that intrigues me.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Release Date: December 25th, 2019
Starring: Saoirse Ronana, Florence Pugh, Timothee Chalamet, Emma Watson, Meryl Streep, Laura Dern
Director: Greta Gerwig
Format: Movie
IMDB Description: "Four sisters come of age in America in the aftermath of the Civil War."

The first thing I thought when I saw this one was, "another one!?" There were two adaptions just this year alone (a TV mini series and a movie)! Neither of the two from this year were that great, so maybe this one will be better. I'm not sure how many more iterations of Little Women I can stand, but I do like Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan, and Timothee Chalamet (and the other stars are big names) so maybe this will be worth the watch.

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Release Date: 2019
Starring: Ilan Galkoff, Michael Sheen, Sam Taylor Buck, David Tennant
Director: Douglas Mackinnon
Format: TV Series
IMDB Description: "A tale of the bungling of Armageddon features an angel, a demon, an 11-year-old Antichrist, and a doom-saying witch."

I probably have the highest hopes about this one because Neil Gaiman worked a lot with the creators on it, so if it's something he signs off on, then I think it's going to be good. Plus, all the bits that have been teased already look fantastic. Really can't wait for this one!

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Release Date: October 2019
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Sarah Paulson, Ansel Elgort, Finn Wolfhard
Director: October 11th, 2019
Format: Movie
IMDB Description: "A boy in New York is taken in by a wealthy Upper East Side family after his mother is killed in a bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art."

I won't lie, I'm judging this one hard. Everyone went crazy when they announced Ansel Elgort as Theodore because he was "perfect' for the role, and all I have to say is what?? He's absolutely not. I don't like it, but hey, I'll wait to give me full judgment until I've seen the movie. Maybe Elgort will surprise me (but no pressure). Nicole Kidman and Sarah Paulson, though? That's a strong cast.

Native Son by Richard Wright
Release Date: January 24th, 2019
Starring: Nick Robinson, Margaret Qualley, Sanaa Lathan
Director: Rashid Johnson
Format: Movie
IMDB Description: "A young African-American man comes of age in the South Side of Chicago during the 1930s."

It's been a long time since I've read Native Son, but I'm excited to see how this turns out. I only remember vague bits of the plot and characters so I don't have any strong feelings on the casting, and I really haven't heard this adaptation mentioned anywhere yet. It looks like a pretty coming-up release, though!

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Release Date: August 9th, 2019
Starring: Judi Dench, Hong Chau, Mirdanda Raison, Josh Gad
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Format: Movie
IMDB Description: "Artemis Fowl II, a young Irish criminal mastermind, kidnaps the fairy LEPrecon officer Holly Short for ransom to fund the search for his missing father in order to restore the family fortune."

Full disclosure: I've never read the Artemis Fowl books. I mainly have secondhand excitement because my sister loved these books when we were kids and it makes me excited that they are adapting these and to see my sister excited. I don't love the new book covers though, and neither does she. I'm sure this will be a fun adaptation, so I look forward to it!

Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke

Release Date: 2019

Starring: Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Felicity Jones, Freddie Highmore, Patrick Stewart
Director: Tomer Eshed
Format: Movie (Animation)
IMDB Description: "A young silver dragon teams up with a mountain spirit and an orphaned boy on a journey through the Himalayas in search for the Rim of Heaven."

I just think that this is going to be so fun! I have a soft spot for animated films like these, partially because I'm a little animation geek and partially because they help me relax and just enjoy a movie. Plus, dragons!

Have you read any of these books? Are you looking forward to any of these adaptations or any I didn't mention? Let me know!

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Top Ten Anticipated Book-to-Television Adaptations

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly book blog meme hosted by the lovely girls over at The Broke and the Bookish. 

This week's Top Ten Tuesday prompt is anything related to Fall TV, so in honor of that I am listing my top ten most anticipated TV shows based on the book. Now, this was sort of odd for me to make, because I generally am rather skeptical of book-to-TV adaptations, but in the spirit of this topic I decided to overlook that and pick the ones that are based off of some books I enjoyed and that could potentially be great. So let's dive in!

     

1. American Gods

Adapted from: American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Air Date: 2017

Available on: Starz

I'm actually legitimately excited for this one because the cast looks incredible and so far the trailer is amazing! I love how much involvement it seems Gaiman has had during the filming, so I'm hoping this one lives up to expectations.

     

2. Lucifer

Adapted from: Lucifer by Mike Carey and The Sandman by Neil Gaiman

Air Date: 2015

Available on: Fox

Okay, so I know that this is technically already out, but I've yet to sit down and watch it and it looks like a great adaptation.

     

3. A Series of Unfortunate Events

Adapted from: A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

Air Date: 2016

Available on: Netflix

I have wanted a remake of this series for years. The movie was always so odd to me since it seemed to combine all three books into one, which was just plain confusing. I'm super excited this is given a second chance with what seems to be more detail and quality put into it. (Though I did love the actor and actresses that played the children in the movie!)

4. His Dark Materials

Adapted from: His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman

Air Date: TBA
Available on: BBC

Another one in which the movie didn't quite cut it for me. I generally trust BBC with making good mini-shows, so I'm expecting this to be much better than the movie!

5. The Handmaid's Tale

Adapted from: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Air Date: 2017

Avilable on: Hulu

I'm super skeptical of The Handmaid's Tale being made into a television show because I just have no idea how it can be done. I never pictured this on a screen, but I am really interested to see how it works out.

 

6. Brave New World

Adapted from: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Air Date: TBA

Available on: Syfy

There is very little information regarding this one that I can find online, but it is supposedly going to be adapted to air on Syfy by Amblin Television. If they make this into a successful series, this could be really weird and also really awesome.

7. Hyperion

Adapted from: Hyperion by Dan Simmons

Air Date: TBA

Available on: Syfy

I have never made it through the book Hyperion, so maybe a TV show would help me gather the confidence to finally get through it... or maybe I'll just watch and enjoy the TV show!  Either way, I think this could be a stunning creation if adapted correctly. Bradley Cooper will be the producer, and apparently he has been wanting to turn this into a series for years - who knew?

8. Strange New Things

Adapted from: The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber

Air Date: TBA

Available on: TBA

I'm excited and also anxious about this potential adaptation. Like others, it's still in the incredibly early stages from what I can tell, and I have absolutely no idea how they would make this a movie, but I loved Faber's book and am interested to see how they handle it. Though, the track record of Faber adaptations isn't great... 

     

9. Riverdale 

Adapted from: Archie Comics 

Air Date: October 2016

Available on: The CW

I remember reading the Betty and Veronica comics when I was extremely young and having such a blast. I don't remember a whole lot, but I think this adaptation could be a ton of fun, and I'm excited to see how it is developed!

10. The Kingkiller Chronicles

Adapted from: The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss

Air Date: TBA
Available on: TBA

Look, the odds of this happening anytime in the somewhat near future are slim to none, but I'd still be pretty excited to see how they handle Kvothe's story in a television format. It will supposedly be produced by Lionsgate and will be written by Lindsay Beer, known for writing Transformers 5. That's not overly encouraging to me, but hey, let's just wait and give it a chance before we start to judge - plus, I'd like to give Ms. Beer props for writing in such a male-dominated field.


LAST MINUTE UPDATE: Apparently V. E. Schwab's A Darker Shade of Magic is also going to be a television series, so I am beyond excited for that!



Are you excited for any book-to-TV adaptations? Are you also skeptical of your favorite books being moved into film? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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