Despite there being a film version of O’Connor’s first novel, Wise Blood, her masterpiece remains untouched by Hollywood. The young Francis Tarwater is sent to live with his secular uncle Rayber, where his calling as a prophet is called into question by Rayber and by a devilish lavender man in a cream-colored car. The spectacle of Tarwater’s visions, juxtaposed with the classic good-vs-evil battle for Tarwater’s soul, would make for powerful cinema, though O’Connor’s uniquely Christian themes might not fly over well with mainstream Hollywood.
Cast: Asa Butterfield as Tarwater, Dylan Baker as Rayber
Amid the ongoing vogue for superhero films, this wildly imaginative mythology by the King of Comics has everything – high-concept science fiction, brilliantly colorful costumed characters, lofty monomythic archetypes, and the reassuring promise that freedom will always triumph over tyranny. Most of DC Comics’ most interesting characters came from the pen of Jack Kirby in this four-year cycle of comics, including the evil god Darkseid, hellbent on conquest and death; escape artist Mister Miracle and his bride Big Barda; the Forever People, a team of hippie teens who can morph into the singular soldier Infinity Man; and Orion, the warrior god with a temper and a dark past. Come to think of it, in the wake of Daredevil and the anticipation of the rest of Marvel’s TV projects, the Fourth World could comprise a wonderful set of Netflix series!
Cast: Clancy Brown (voice) as Darkseid, Liev Schreiber as Orion, Michael B. Jordan as Mister Miracle
The film sells itself – think science fiction meets Toni Morrison’s Beloved, and you’ve got a crossover hit. Through forces beyond her control, Dana Franklin is thrown into the past to the antebellum plantation where her ancestors were held as slaves. Between the ongoing national conversation on race and recent cinematic efforts like Django Unchained and 12 Years a Slave, Butler’s moving novel is ready and waiting for someone to breathe life into this beautiful story about how our past and our present are more closely conected than we permit ourselves to recall.
Cast: Kerry Washington as Dana, Domnhall Gleason as Rufus
Another slave narrative, Middle Passage ought to appeal to Pirates of the Caribbean fans for its portrayal of the illegal slave trade on the high seas, of freeman Rutherford Calhoun’s voyage with the mad yet thoughtful Captain Ebenezer Falcon in the latter’s attempt to enslave a lost African tribe, the mystic Allmuseri, and their god. The blurred line between reality and insanity, combined with the wild storms at sea, make Middle Passage both a page-turner and a deeply affective novel, and it’d be a spectacle to see.
Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor as Rutherford Calhoun, Peter Dinklage as Ebenezer Falcon
Honestly, how this long-running fantasy comic hasn’t been adapted into a trilogy of children’s movies is beyond me. The exaggerated linework of Jeff Smith creates radiantly fun characters like Fone Bone and his cousins Phoney and Smiley while populating the setting with a rich mythology and backstory that unfolds over the story’s 1,000 pages. Plus, think of the merchandizing to be had from plush Bones and quiche recipe books! You could do Bone as an animated feature or as a live-action/animated hybrid, but the youthful wonder of Fone Bone needs to be felt by as many people as possible.
Cast: Billy West as Fone Bone, Bradley Cooper as Phoney Bone, Frank Welker as Smiley Bone, Emma Stone as Thorn
This might be my favorite novel of all time, so I’m especially biased about this one. Chabon’s novel is a tour de force – think Moby Dick but with superhero comics, as cousins Sammy Clay and Joe Kavalier create their own superhero in 1930s New York while the specter of war looms overseas. Kavalier & Clay is a modern epic animated by the fervor surrounding the birth of the American superhero comic book. What’s more, Stan Lee makes a cameo! This is a book that demands to be read, and a film would reach a wide audience; Michael Chabon’s had some box office success before, and his greatest novel deserves the same attention.
Cast: Miles Teller as Sammy Clay, Andrew Garfield as Joe Kavalier, Natalie Portman as Rosa Saks
Another entry in the canon of “comic book realism,” Oscar Wao is a beautiful novel about a self-proclaimed nerdboy who, like Sammy and Joe above, finds escape in superhero comics and fantasy literature. But Díaz’s greatest narrative strength is in the way he blends past and present, high and low culture, in a novel that demonstrates how inextricable we all are from each other. The witty narration by Yunior would make me rethink my policy on voiceover narration, especially if it manages to capture Díaz’s sense of humor and wonder.
Cast: It’s got to be a cast of unknowns, to capture the novel’s slice-of-life universality
Rowell’s debut novel is the story of two outcasts who find love on the school bus, facilitated by Park’s comic book collection and Eleanor’s longing for a life other than the one she has. There is something of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars here in this star-crossed romance, though without the weepy sentimentalism or the throngs of cult-like devotees. Rowell displays a gift for turns of phrase that capture the quotidian majesty of true love, “how she went from someone he’d never met to the only one who mattered.” You can see the tagline now.
Cast: Another cast of unknowns, because the youth of the characters is so important
In a genre where it often seems like all the good ideas have already been taken, Ms. Marvel is an amazing breath of fresh air. Kamala Khan, superhero fangirl and all-around likeable lass, is empowered by a mysterious mist which allows her to transform into her idol, Ms. Marvel. Kamala’s journey of self-discovery, combined with Wilson’s wry and peculiar humor, remind us that the best hero to be is yourself (even if her high heels are “politically incorrect”). Though Alphona’s drawings are much of the fun of Ms. Marvel, the character’s spunky personality ought to transfer easily to film, especially given the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s proven track record and gift for the comedic.
Cast: I plead ignorance for Kamala Khan (Hollywood, you must not whitewash this girl)
I’m a smidgeon too late on this one, having just read it’s been optioned for a movie already – then again, so have most of the books on this list, at one point or another. Either way, McCloud’s latest work of fiction is a heartrending story of ambition and the very human need to make life significant as artist David Smith trades his life for greatness before falling in love with Meg. While Meg borders on manic-pixie-dream-girl, her relationship with David draws out the clever subversion of that trope, and the staggering visuals of David’s art would look glorious on a big screen.
Cast: Dane DeHaan as David, Shailene Woodley as Meg
Thanks for joining us this Monday! What are your favorite books that haven’t been made into films just yet?
2 comments:
All these sound interesting, but Bone is the one I'd really love to see. They could also make it a TV or stream series, and if they do it right, it'd be a rare show that kids and adults love (in my experience, most kids shows are hated by parents).
I liked this post so much that I looked to my own bookshelf and thought about what books would make good movies or shows. Most of them already were or are in the process of being adapted. Still, they inspired a few ideas:
The Running Man by Stephen King: I love the Schwarzenegger adaptation, but the book is much more intense and exciting, and would be awesome to see adapted accurately on the big screen. It’ll never happen, though, because it’s so incredibly violent, angry, cynical, and frankly too nasty for Hollywood (also heavily dated in its technological ideas, though you could write around this in creative ways). Moreover, the ending would never fly in a post-9/11 world.
Sandman by Neil Gaiman: I know there’s apparently a movie going forward with Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Dream, which sounds promising. But my fear is that any live action version would be turned into a mess of CGI. For that reason, I’d do it in animation. Adult animation is more common around the world, but in America, it’s mostly relegated to South Park and Adult Swim shows. This title could take the medium’s next step into real maturity.
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck: Since the only screen adaptation to date is from 1940, it’s high time for a fresh take. Since standards have changed drastically since then, a new one could really depict the depths of poverty of the Okies and be more blatantly politically and socially charged. Spielberg says he wants to make it, but while I don’t doubt his craft, I do fear he might go too sentimental. A hallmark of Steinbeck is his characters, so you’d need someone who really knows character development. Maybe I’m just biased, but…David Milch? Despite all the f and c-bombs in Deadwood, those characters were some of the best in TV history.
It by Stephen King: The proposed new adaptation is apparently dead, which is disappointing. The book is absolutely terrifying because It is less a character than an inescapable evil presence that never sleeps. Pennywise the Clown is just one of the forms it takes. If a film (or series, as it’s quite long) took that approach, it’d be soooo scary. Not to mention the fact that by today’s standards, the old Tim Curry TV movie is about as scary as an episode of that old Goosebumps TV show.
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