Book-to-film adaptations to watch out for
From the nine films nominated for the 2012 Academy Award for Best Picture, six of them were based on books. Book-to-film adaptations are a big business and have people flocking to the cinema to see them, whether they are good or bad. We’ve already seen the massive buzz these films can cause, most notably with The Hunger Games which earned approximately US$155 million in North America in its opening weekend. The trend continues for the second half of 2012 with adaptations becoming some of the most anticipated upcoming films. Here are some to watch out for:
1. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Based on the coming-of-age novel by Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower explores the awkward adolescent years of narrator “Charlie” in a series of letters he writes to an anonymous receiver. The film has been written and directed by Chbosky himself, and will star Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Paul Rudd, Mae Whitman and Ezra Miller.
2. Life of Pi
Yann Martel’s Life of Pi is perhaps an odd choice for a book-to-film adaptation, and the decision to make it a 3D feature is even more intriguing. In a time where most 3D films to hit the cinemas are cartoons or superhero flicks, this largely philosophical story is sure to stand out. However if anyone can pull it off it would be director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain).
3. Cloud Atlas
Another interesting choice, David Mitchell’s collection of interlinked short stories observes the consequences of actions throughout time. Under the eye of three directors (Tom Tykwer and the Wachowski siblings) the film boasts an impressive cast: Tom Hanks, Hugh Grant, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, James D’Arcy, Ben Whishaw, Susan Sarandon and Keith David.
4. Lawless
Despite being set in prohibition-era Virginia, the adaptation of Matt Bondurant’s 2008 novel The Wettest County in the World is set to cause a special buzz in Australia. The film is written by Nick Cave (who also wrote the soundtrack), directed by John Hillcoat and is set to star Aussie actors Guy Pearce and Mia Wasikowska.
The thirteenth film adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina will star Keira Knightley in the title role alongside Jude Law, Aaron Johnson and many other familiar names. Director Joe Wright has earned a number of Oscar nominations for his period drama adaptations (Atonement, Pride & Prejudice) so the standard has been set high.
If you’re really after a period drama fix then you might want to check out Great Expectations as well. This adaptation is written by David Nicholls (author of One Day and Starter for Ten), directed by Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) and features a top-notch British cast lead by Jeremy Irvine, Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter.
In 1989 Roger S. Baum, wrote a sequel to his great-grandfather’s classic book The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy of Oz continues from L. Frank Baum’s original with Dorothy returning to Oz to find it in danger. Unlike the 1939 film, Dorothy of Oz will be animated (in 3D) and voiced by a long list of stars including Glee’s Lea Michele as Dorothy Gale, Bernadette Peters as Glinda and Kelsey Grammar (Frasier) as the Tin Man.
8. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
It’s not uncommon to reach for a copy of your favourite classic in a bookstore to find you have picked up a remixed version featuring sea monsters, demons or zombies. In fact, these mash ups have become so popular that there are a couple of expected adaptations due for release starting with Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Seth Grahame-Smith’s (who also wrote Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) novel is being produced by Tim Burton with Benjamin Walker (beating Nicolas Cage) as the vampire-slaying Lincoln.
The third installment of Christopher Nolan’s dark Batman film series is highly anticipated whether you’re a fan of the original comics/graphic novels or not. The film sees the introduction of Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) and villain Bane (Tom Hardy) alongside all the regular favourites including Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman.
10. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Nine years after the completion of the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy, Peter Jackson is back with a two part adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Martin Freeman (Love Actually, The Office, Sherlock) will star as Bilbo Baggins, only one member of a very high-profile cast including Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Armitage, Stephen Fry and many familiar faces from the Lord of the Rings films.
Finally, an honourable mention has to go to Baz Luhrmann’s new adaptation of The Great Gatsby. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire, the film was shot in Australia but isn’t set to be released here until next year. However the trailer was released last week – have a peek below:
Posted on 4 June 2012, in MWF staff musings. Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.
Melbourne Writers Festival blog 
The film industry. Where would they be without us?
Hey this is kinda of off topic but I was wondering if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or
if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding knowledge so I wanted to get guidance from someone with experience. Any help would be enormously appreciated!