10 Books I’d Pay A Lot to See Adapted into Movies
Books are being dragged to the theater over here and it’s not been the worst. I definitely have my opinions about most adaptations (see Persuasion and The Other Bennet Sister) so you’d think I’d be cautious saying anything out loud; I need to be careful what I wish for because Hollywood has a history of being stupid. But I’m a glutton for punishment and want to see more of my favorite books turned into movies or TV shows. I just love movies and books and seeing characters and worlds come to life. It’s fun, but has its downsides. Anyway, over the years I’ve read many books I’d pay a lot to see adapted into movies.
What Book-to-Movie Adaptations Need to Get Right
Above all else, the point of turning a book into a movie is to see the story translated from words to physical things. And I mean directly translated. So many stories are butchered on the silver screen because Hollywood writers and directors try to get fancy with it and think they know better than the author who wrote a world-renown book popular enough to be turned into a movie in the first place.
Screen writers need to start trusting their audiences. Book fans will go see their favorite story in movie form if it looks like the source material was honored, loved, and respected. You are guaranteed an audience—don’t disappoint them.
Creative teams also need to start using the full spectrum of the color wheel. Lately, it’s like we’re all dogs seeing only black and white when we watch our movies. Personally, I’m sick of the drab color palettes. You can make a moody, soft, and aesthetic movie with color. Go on, use red, yellow, green, and blue, they won’t bite. If we can imagine colorful, vibrant, and interesting worlds from just reading words, you can do it with a couple million dollars and a team of creatives.
10 Books I’d Pay a Lot to See Adapted into Movies
Reading these books, I’d construct a dream cast and could see, in my mind’s eye, the best-case scenario in the case that any of them would be adapted. I loved these books and feel like they’d make great movies.
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
I mean, Shakespeare, mystery, and Dead Poets Society come together and it’s perfect. A good director would dominate this!
Villette by Charlotte Bronte
If they want gloomy, moody, and slow-moving, Villette is the one for them (and by them, I mean the powers that be in Hollywood and beyond). This is a beautiful story about loneliness and love—perfect for the gray color palettes.
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
This twisty, half-fantasy, half mythical story is so much fun and so magical. A good mini-series would really capture the ethereal beauty and fast-paced action of this book.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
It’s been a while since I read this book, but I think about it a lot. The Night Circus would be a really interesting mini-series with like six episodes tops. Short and sweet, with a lot of punch and magic that drags you through this world in a wild and almost overwhelming ride you know you’ll need to watch more than once in order to catch all the details.
The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods
I’ve really started to like Evie Woods’ books and this one just felt like a natural candidate for a movie. This genre is kind of having a moment right now, and with some clever storytelling and good casting, The Lost Bookshop would really capture movie-going audiences, even those who haven’t read the book.
King of Scars & Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo
Hey, Netflix, you should finish Shadow and Bone and then give us the rest of the series! We need it, please! Netflix did something good and then canceled it—tale as old as time. Both of these books expand on the Grisha universe even more and focus on one of Bardugo’s best characters. Even if they don’t finish the Shadow and Bone series, someone should try and adapt this duology.
The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King
Since this book is one of a large series, it would be fun to have it explored in a 10-episode per season series where each season covers one book. The Beekeeper’s Apprentice would also work great on the heels of the Enola Holmes series which has gotten a lot of positive attention.
The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty
I loved this series and feel like it never got the hype it deserves. So much fun with all the tropes people love most done in a clever and logical way that didn’t feel trite or condescending as a reader. These books introduce you to a beautiful universe based in real culture and myth and have a lot of action and cliff hangers watchers would love.
The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
A gorgeous work that could be beautifully cast, The Little Paris Bookshop would be a fun hour and a half of love, French countryside, companionship, self-discovery, and forgiveness.
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
This gritty novel would be perfect for the Laika production company who animated and produced The Box Trolls and Paranorman—I just feel like it would fit that style really well.
Adapted Movie Wish-List
At the end of the day, all I want is a good movie adaptation of the stories that have stuck with me. I want there to be intelligent interpretations, creative directing, and correct costuming. I want these stories to be loved in every way and beautifully retold on the big screen. My movie adaptation wish-list is long, but I’m willing to add more—let me know what other movies should be adapted!
Read more about my favorite Jane Austen adaptations, and books I never see on BookTok.