# Books you'd like to see made into movies



## Big Don (Jan 2, 2012)

jks9199 said:


> It doesn't have to be a truly original thought.   There are literally TONS of books out there that could be made into  movies.


He's right. So, what books would you like to see made into movies? Who would you cast to play the principle characters?
Simon R Green's Deathstalker series would be a hell of  a good franchise, as would David Eddings' Belgariad. As a matter of fact, Simon R Green's Secret History novels would be really fun to watch as well.


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## Steve (Jan 2, 2012)

The Elric novels by moorcock.  


Sent using Tapatalk.  Please ignore typos.


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## MA-Caver (Jan 3, 2012)

Oh Lordy where do I begin. 
I've attempted script treatments for several novels that I've loved over the years. Still planning to write scripts... but the formatting is something I need to make sure of. Knowing that hundreds of scripts get turned in to producers, agents, et al. every month (if not thousands thanks to e-mail). This is just a small list.

Lightning  by: Dean Koontz. He's had several of his books turned to film. Watchers was probably the best known. 

Ice-Rigger by Alan Dean Foster. Irony of this is that the man makes part of his living by turning (original) scripts into novels. He's also (and I don't care WHO says different) is the ORIGINAL author of Star Wars, A New Hope. 
Several other of Fosters novels would make good sci-fi adventures. 

Blind Descent by Nevada Barr, a lady that specializes in writing thrillers that occur in/around popular National Parks... this one (naturally for me) is about the caves in the Carlsbad New Mexico system. 

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant  by Stephen R. Donaldson. This has had a few attempts but like LOTR's trilogy it's going to take a director with a love/knowledge of the series and the computer talents of WETA to accomplish it all. The scope of the entire chronicles is immense... just like Tolkien's work. 

Too fricken many more to list here but those are the ones I wouldn't mind having a hand in writing the scripts.


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## Sukerkin (Jan 3, 2012)

Almost any of the Honor Harrington series - "On Basalisk Station" would be a good place to start .  Finding a leading lady to play Honor might be hard tho'.  Angelina Jolie is one that is often mentioned by some fans (especially after Sky Captain) but I reckon she's too 'latin' ... but that's a problem for casting rather than the script-writers


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## Blindside (Jan 3, 2012)

Sukerkin said:


> Almost any of the Honor Harrington series - "On Basalisk Station" would be a good place to start . Finding a leading lady to play Honor might be hard tho'. Angelina Jolie is one that is often mentioned by some fans (especially after Sky Captain) but I reckon she's too 'latin' ... but that's a problem for casting rather than the script-writers



And too short. And too good looking for the initial role, Honor at the start is described as somewhat of a gawky mess who hasn't grown into herself. Moon Bloodgood has a good look (and the height) to pull off the role, though I'm having a hard time imagining many actresses willing to give themselves a crewcut for the role. I would also suggest they start earlier in the short stories, I would rather see a "Lt. Harrington" before seeing her in a "captain" role, the Hornblower movie series is the logical model for it.

And I would like to see them redo Starship Troopers with powered armor, you know the stuff that made the "Moblile Infantry" mobile...


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## Razor (Jan 3, 2012)

I would like to see the Night's Dawn Trilogy by Peter F. Hamilton made into a film series. I have read that he has been talking to people about it, but it hasn't really gone very far yet. My main reservation is that too much would be cut out of it (its 3 books of 1250 small print pages) or for it to work it would have to become a ridiculous amount of films. Also, since the plot is very complicated with a range of primary, secondary and tertiary characters so it could get quite complex for a general studio audience.


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## Sukerkin (Jan 3, 2012)

Thanks Blindside!  I knew that I'd seen an actress recently that I'd commented would make a good Harrington!  Striking and beautifully strong-featured without being 'pretty', it was indeed Moon Bloodgood who would do admirably for Honor at the time of her life that Basilisk Station happened (except that Honor is supposed to be paley complected).  .  Is she really tall enough tho'?  She looked 'rangy' enough in "Falling Skies" to me - time to do a bit of checking on the Net .  

As a bookish side note, that 'scrawny mess' image is Honor's own view of herself - she doesn't shake it off for quite a while, even with Paul Tankersley's love but I think she had grown into physical 'maturity' by the time the series starts at Basilisk.

I agree also about doing Starship Troopers properly.


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## jks9199 (Jan 3, 2012)

Blindside said:


> And I would like to see them redo Starship Troopers with powered armor, you know the stuff that made the "Moblile Infantry" mobile...



How about just an honest treatment of *Starship Troopers*.  Verhoeven had a agenda, and made a movie that fit his agenda loosely (VERY loosely) featuring elements of the book.

Scalzi's *Old Man's War* would be a good movie in a similar vein.  Lots of action, excuses to feature lots of pretty women and attractive men... dyed green.  Spaceships and warriors and aliens...


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## punisher73 (Jan 4, 2012)

I second the Deathstalker series.

I woud also like to see Santiago by Mike Resnick. I don't think it would be too hard. With the success of Firefly/Serenity, I think there would be a good fan base for that cowboy/sci-fi feel to it.  The copy of the book I have says on the cover that is is "soon to be a major motion picture", but I don't think that it ever happened.

With the success of the LOTR series, I would like to see RA Salvatore's first trilogy (Crystal Shard, Halfing's Gem, Stream of Silver) with Drizzt.  The prequel would be awesome as well.


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## jks9199 (Jan 4, 2012)

How about some of the *Dragonriders of Pern* books?  That'd have some great visuals, exciting drama... and if they stick with it long enough, or start with some of the books set before the era of the original trilogy, even a mix of science fiction and fantasy elements.


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## Bill Mattocks (Jan 4, 2012)

Sci-Fi:

Retief of the CDT - Keith Laumer series
Callahan's Crosstime Saloon - Spider Robinson
Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card

Comic Book:

Luke Cage, Power Man
Iron Fist
Karate Kid (the comic)

Novels:

Henderson, the Rain King - Saul Bellow
Jude, the Obscure - Thomas Hardy (I'd just like to see it done right)


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## jks9199 (Jan 4, 2012)

If you want to move away from science fiction -- David Morrell's got several books that would make good movies.


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## elder999 (Jan 13, 2012)

_The Star Rover,_ by Jack London.


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## jedtx88 (Jan 13, 2012)

Vampire$ by John Steakley.  I know this book was already made into a movie but it really deserves a second chance.


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## granfire (Jan 13, 2012)

Barbara Cartland  :angel:

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, as well as 'the supernaturalists' and 'the Wishlist'

Keys to the Kingdom by Garth Nix. Very unique imagery in that series.

The Five Ancestors by Jeff Stone. Lots of MA potential.


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## sfs982000 (Jan 13, 2012)

The Rising and it's sequel Dead City, by Brian Keene.


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## Blindside (Jan 13, 2012)

Bill Mattocks said:


> Sci-Fi:
> Callahan's Crosstime Saloon - Spider Robinson



I loved the series, but I think any series that largely focused on a bunch of people enjoying Irish Coffee in a bar and punning is going to go over like a lead balloon.  But it would make a great limited run TV show on one of the cable channels.  



> Ender's Game


Would be awesome, and current CGI could actually show null-gee gaming.


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## Blindside (Jan 13, 2012)

I would like to see a higher budget version of Eisler's "Rain" series, at one point I heard Jet Li had optioned the film, but that those rights had expired. The one version that was made was just a bad movie.


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## Em MacIntosh (Jan 13, 2012)

A _proper_ rendition of Dune would be nice.


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## jks9199 (Jan 13, 2012)

jedtx88 said:


> Vampire$ by John Steakley.  I know this book was already made into a movie but it really deserves a second chance.


Another one that deserves a remake by someone who's actually interested in the book & storyline...


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## jks9199 (Jan 13, 2012)

There's an *Ender's Game* movie in the works...  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1731141/  and  http://endersgamemovie.blogspot.com/

What little I've seen/heard about it is promising.

But to make a movie, or even a limited series, of any of the Callahan stories?  I don't think they'd translate well.  I think too much works on the puns, on the unexpected verbal twists (like the twist in who is a time traveler in one of the earliest stories... which I won't say more about to avoid ruining the fun!  Go READ THEM FOR YOURSELF!)


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## Cryozombie (Feb 1, 2012)

"The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death".  Great book.  HBO was interested in it as a miniseries, but dropped the project.  Boo.



> With his teaching career derailed by tragedy and his slacker days  numbered, Webster Fillmore Goodhue makes an unlikely move and joins  Clean Team, charged with tidying up L.A.'s grisly crime scenes. For Web,  it's a steady gig, and he soon finds himself sponging a Malibu  suicide's brains from a bathroom mirror and flirting with the man's  bereaved and beautiful daughter.
> 
> Then things get weird...


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## Tez3 (Feb 1, 2012)

I hate my favourite books being made into films, I never watch them. I have all the characters imagined in my head and I don't want to see someone's idea of my favourites. I hate book clubs for the same reason, I really don't like sharing ideas etc about the books I read. Probably the sign of a book/word addict!


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## Gemini (Feb 1, 2012)

Tez3 said:


> I hate my favourite books being made into films, I never watch them. I have all the characters imagined in my head and I don't want to see someone's idea of my favourites.


I said pretty much the same thing on another thread. If it was a great book, keep it away from the screen. But "if" they could do a decent job of it, I'd like to see some Robin Hobb work such as the Farseer / Tawny Man Trilogy.


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## Randy Strausbaugh (Feb 1, 2012)

I'd like to see Will Thomas' Victorian detective books (Some Danger Involved, To Kingdom Come, The Limehouse Text, The Hellfire Conspiracy, and The Black Hand) on the silver screen.


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## mmartist (May 28, 2012)

The Vor Game by Lois M. Bujold
Any of Honor Harington books by David Webber 
The Mote in God's Eye by Lari Niven and Jerry Pournell 
The Rift War Saga by Reimond Feast


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## Buka (May 28, 2012)

Cryozombie said:


> "The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death".  Great book.  HBO was interested in it as a miniseries, but dropped the project.  Boo.



I really liked that book. Might be a great film with the right cast and director.


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## Kurai (May 29, 2012)

The Necroscope by Brian Lumley
The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King


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## Nomad (May 30, 2012)

The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay
Snow Crash by Neil Stephenson
Axis Trilogy by Sara Douglass
The Gap series by Stephen Donaldson
In Her Name by Michael Hicks

I'd love to see a good high budget adaptation of the Dresden Chronicles that was able to capture the wit and sarcasm of the source material.


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## Blindside (May 30, 2012)

I hadn't thought of Snow Crash, that would be great.

I think Steve Perry's "Musashi Flex" would be a fun sci-fi/martial arts film.


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## jks9199 (May 30, 2012)

Blindside said:


> I hadn't thought of Snow Crash, that would be great.
> 
> I think Steve Perry's "Musashi Flex" would be a fun sci-fi/martial arts film.



There's a pending effort to make a movie of *The Man Who Never Missed*, though it seems to have been rather a long time since any updates...


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## Omar B (May 31, 2012)

I'll think more deeply on this later but to bump the thread I'll mention a couple off the top of my head.

Ender's Game - Already being made into a movie so doesnt count.

Dune - A Dune movie directed by Tarsem Singh would be glorious.

Mack Bolan - Really any of the novels could do, or just write a new one.  Never understood why they never took advantage of the character.


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## Instructor (May 31, 2012)

I would like to see a modern treatment of the Clan of the Cave Bear series.  It's such a massive story that a regular TV show on FX or SciFi would be preferable to a movie.  However if they could get Peter Jackson to create a series of major movies like he did with Lord of the Rings I would be first in line.

I would also like to see a new Wonder Woman movie, ideally directed by Joss Whedon.


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## WC_lun (May 31, 2012)

The Legend of Drizzt series of books by R. A. Salvatore.  Yeah, I know there are a lot of fanboys for those books, but if directed well, I think they'd make a good movie.


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