22 Jan 6 of the Best Books to be Turned into Films
Books and films have enjoyed a close relationship for over a century now. Ever since the earliest days of cinema, filmmakers have looked to literature, from classic novels to popular genre fiction, for stories and characters to bring to life on the big screen. While not every film adaptation lives up to the book that inspired it, the best ones manage to capture the essence of what made the source material so compelling in the first place.
But which books truly lend themselves to great film adaptations? Here are six of the most cinematic, visually engaging books that deserve to get the full Hollywood treatment. These are stories that seem destined for the big screen. If they inspire you, why not try the best free video editor tool and see what you can create?
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
This 2011 sci-fi novel is arguably one of the most inherently cinematic books of the past decade. Set in a dystopian future where humanity escapes into a vast virtual reality called the OASIS, it’s chock full of 1980s pop culture references and virtual reality adventure. The book was turned into a Steven Spielberg blockbuster in 2018, proving just how tailor-made it was for the big screen. With its high-concept premise, action-packed plot, and geeky nostalgia, Ready Player One is a thrilling read that leaves you eager to see its virtual world brought to visual life.
The Martian by Andy Weir
Andy Weir’s smash hit debut is scientifically detailed hard sci-fi at its most cinematic. Stranded alone on Mars, astronaut Mark Watney uses his botany and engineering skills to survive on an inhospitable planet lightyears from home. As gripping as a wilderness survival thriller, The Martian is a love letter to human ingenuity and the can-do spirit of space exploration. The 2015 film starring Matt Damon captured that perfectly while visually realising the stark beauty and danger of Mars. With epic scope, quick pacing, and one-liners, The Martian is entertainment with brains that works just as well on page and screen.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman’s fantasy novel seamlessly blends mythology and modern America into a road trip adventure for the ages. When ex-con Shadow Moon takes a job as bodyguard for the mysterious Mr. Wednesday, he’s pulled into a brewing war between the Old Gods and New Gods, ancient deities and contemporary idols fighting for relevance. It’s a sprawling story touching on immigration, faith, technology and America’s own storied past. While challenging to adapt, the book’s vivid imagery and colourful characters make it ideal for visual media. The Starz TV series captured its magic realist essence.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Donna Tartt’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 2013 novel is an emotive coming-of-age drama ripe for adaptation. When a terrorist attack at an art museum leaves 13-year-old Theo Decker motherless, the subsequent story traces how this tragedy shapes his life. The loss and grief Theo experiences is tied to his complex relationship with a stolen painting that connects him to his mother. With rich character development and emotional depth, The Goldfinch is the kind of literary novel that deserves a stylish, introspective film adaptation.
World War Z by Max Brooks
World War Z reinvents the zombie genre as a gritty, global geopolitical thriller told through firsthand survivor interviews. Chronicling the devastation of a worldwide zombie pandemic, Max Brooks’ novel is more than just gory action. It uses its unique format to world-build and explore thoughtful sociopolitical themes rarely seen in horror fiction. The 2013 movie captured the epic scale of the zombie war while streamlining the more complex source material. But as an immersive, episodic limited series, World War Z would really shine.
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
This classic work of science fiction from 1950 offers a masterclass in visual storytelling. Interweaving short stories and vignettes, Bradbury chronicles mankind’s colonisation and terraforming of Mars from the perspective of humans and native Martians alike. Primed for an inventive anthology-style adaptation, these mini-stories run the tonal gamut from wondrous to melancholic to disturbing. Bradbury’s lyrical prose conjures Mars as a full-fledged character, an eerie alien landscape of endless possibility. His visionary tales beg to be brought to cinematic life through artful directing and futuristic world-building.
There are so many great books out there ripe for film or TV adaptation. While Hollywood doesn’t always succeed in translating stories to the screen, the books on this list seem destined to make fantastic films thanks to their innate cinematic qualities. Whether thrilling sci-fi adventures, magical fantasies, or harrowing dystopias, these novels have the scale, visual flair, and emotional hook to truly come alive when adapted by the right creative vision.
