Books you'd like to see made into a movie

[Omaroo]

Gawd... there are a few movie-related threads going at the moment so I thought I'd over-populate the theme and add another.

What book or series of books would you love to see made into a well-financed movie or series?

I have two that immediately spring to mind:

1) "Rendezvu with Rama" - Arthur C. Clarke

It's well known that Morgan Freeman is super-passionate about this being accomplished, but it's such an overwhelmingly-huge undertaking that apparently the logistics are too difficult to manage at this stage. Not sure of the specifics, but I'd love to see these overcome and (ultimately) a series of four movies realised - Rama II, Garden of Rama and Rama Revealed. Then maybe Gentry Lee's additional two following these. Wow.

2) "Dragon's Egg" - Robert L. Forward

My favourite book of all time. Forward used real physics to describe his civilisation surviving, living and evolving on a neutron star. Sheer brilliance.

[Poita]

I'd love to see Rama, but not on the big screen.
I find that books work *much* better as a series, like Game of Thrones, movies are like a haiku, they can be interesting and compelling, even moving, but true depth is difficult in under two hours.
A well done, well funded series can be much deeper and satisfying, plus you get the suspense each week. It takes good 'movie hygiene' to enjoy films these days, I lock myself away from any reviews, making ofs, discussions until I have seen the movie, with fresh eyes and no preconceptions and not having already heard the best lines and I'm enjoying them much more.

I'd love to see Cryptonomicon as a series or movie, but it would be a gargantuan effort to pull that off.

[renormalised]

The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov. That would be an epic production!!!.

The Stainless Steel Rat - Harry Harrison (or one of them, at least).

[Omaroo]

:shrug: Explanation required... what's your rationale in saying this? Not on the big screen? Of anything that Clarke has written, excluding 2001, I believe Rama deserves as big a screen as it can get.

[TrevorW]

EE "Doc Smith"-Skylark series, has it all sex, violence, humour original space opera

[Octane]

For the last 15 years I have wanted to see Raymond E. Feist's Magician realised.

I have always wondered who would play the role of Carline.

H

[renormalised]

Or the Lensman Series...the animated comic wasn't much.

[Poita]

Sorry, I meant not as a 90 minute movie at the cinema.

I watch everything on the big-screen, I have a NEC CRT Projector on a 3.5m wide screen, so I'd personally prefer to see Rama in HiDef done justice over a 4-10 part series, rather than a cut-down experience.

I agree, that RAMA lends itself wonderfully to a 'big screen' experience, the opening reveal would be awe-inspiring, but I'd be happy in 1080P at home with friends with the focus sharp, the screen large, the audio loud and clear and no exit signs and washed out image to deal with.

[multiweb]

Although I, Robot was a concoction of many stories I reckon Asimov short novels would render beautifuly on the big screen. Jules Vernes material would be pretty epic too.

The comic scene in Europe is also pretty intense. Especially coming from Belgium. There's a massive pool of material to pick from people like Enki Bilal, Fernand Dineur, Jean Van Hamme, Grzegorz Rosinski to only name a few. This must sound like gibberish to most of you guys. :lol:

[TrevorW]

Anything by Peter Hamilton would work for me also

[jjjnettie]

"Have Spacesuit, Will Travel" by Robert A Heinlein
What a ripping kids movie that would make.
I'd go see it.

In fact just about any of his novels would translate well onto the big screen.
I believe that Bowie owned the rights to Stranger in a Strange Land at one stage, with the hope of playing Valentine Michael Smith.

[supernova1965]

The seven books of Clan of the Cave Bear series and the three books Red Mars, Green Mars and Blue Mars

[jjjnettie]

ooooh, I've only read Red Mars. But yes!! Space elevators and domed environments. Space Cookies!!!

[supernova1965]

JJJ you have to read the last two they really are great:thumbsup:

[Ric]

I'd like to see "Cold war in a country garden" by Lindsay Gutteridge.

Synopsis:

The garden was seven miles long. A puddle was a lake..a shower of rain a flood. Flowers were giant trees. Ants, centipedes, wasps were deadly predators. Matthew Dilke and his platoon were less than a quarter of an inch high, pioneers in a daring experiment to solve the problem that could destroy humanity. Then came the summons - and Dilke was sent on a mission..to the heart of Eastern Europe.

I loved this book as a kid, I reckon with todays CGI it would make a great Sci Fi adventure.

[GeoffW1]

Hi,

"The Algebraist" by Iain M Banks would be good, with much opportunity for SFX (that's...S F X).

Then "Hyperion" by Dan Simmons. It might be a bit difficult to follow on the screen, but I'd like to see how they do the Shrike.

Cheers

[renormalised]

Red, Blue and Green Mars would make an excellent trilogy series. Great books too:)

[FlashDrive]

Jack and Jill .... apparently they went up some hill ..:D :rofl: :rofl:
and The Owl and the Pussy Cat went up some creek in a beautiful "pea green " boat ...:lol:

Screen Production and Special Effects by Flash.

THE END :lol:

[mithrandir]

Lots of possibilities in the SF hotties thread.



The Mindstar ones or the Confederation ones? Similarly frustrating to the latter, Steven Donaldson's "Chronicles of Thomas Covenant". Covenant's continual whinging annoys me. Also "The Gap" books. Lots of SFX possibilities in all of them.

Andrew

[dugnsuz]

Agreed - the 'culture' would make great cinematic fodder.

Just finished "The Strain" by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan - a skewed version of the classic vampire tale, but a million miles removed from Twillight et al - good gory stuff, CSI meets Nosferatu!!!

Given Del Toro's SFX track record in movies like Pan's Labyrinth, The Strain is one I'd love to check out.

http://www.thestraintrilogy.com/

Doug:thumbsup:

[Liz]

What a wonderful array of books mentioned, and some I havent heaard of which I will purchase ..... now!!

Loved Rendezvu with Rama, and the Foundation series, the 3 Mars books ( have just bought Galileo's Dream by Kim Stanley Robinson which is supposed to be fabulous).

[chich0]

George R.R. Martins series

A Game of Thrones, A clash of kings, A storm of swords and a feast for crows!

One of the best fantasy series i have ever read!

[shelltree]

The Wheel of Time, for sure. Well, Jase and I were discussing it last weekend actually and he proposed that it would have to be done by HBO or nothing at all. And it couldn't be done as just twelve seperate movies, it really needs to be a television series with a few seasons. If not, no one should ever attempt otherwise, it would just wreck the entire feel of the books.

Also, the "Gentleman B**tard" series that includes "The Lies of Locke Lamora", "Red Seas Over Red Skies" and the new title "The Republic of Thieves". Honestly, these three books have to be the only books I have ever read that have actually made me burst out in laughter and ball my eyes out. Would be great to see them turned into movies or a series, again, only if they could be done well.

Also, the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik would make some amazing movies and the Sarah Douglass series "The Axis Trilogy".

And The Hobbit but that's already being made :D

Also, though this is a little childish... I would absolutely love to see movies made about The Folk of the Faraway Tree, those books were amazing to read as a kid! I had really high hopes for C.S Lewis' books but was sadly disappointed and they even missed The Magician's Nephew, which was by far my favourite book :(

[barx1963]

"Have Space Suit Will Travel"! My that takes me back.

Any hoos, "Fatherland" by Robert Harris, they did "Enigma" a few years back and was not a bad effort.
Heinlein's "Tunnel in the Sky" or Le Guins "Earthsea" trilogy also spring to mind.
Oh or Heinleins "Orphans of the Sky"

Malcolm

[Waxing_Gibbous]

The "Calculor" series by Ozzie writer Sean McMullen: Post-apocalypse Australia where Librarians run the show and you don't want to 'save the whales'!

The "Marrow" books by Robert Reed: Solar-system sized space-ship appears from no-where and humans capture it.
Much mayhem ensues

&

"The Catclysm" by RC Sherriff: Moon hits earth - more mayhem.
Written in 1938, it has a surprisingly contemporary political sub-plot.

All would make great TV series as lots goes on between the characters as well as more 'situational' action.

[mithrandir]

Twelve? I have 13 volumes and am still waiting for the 14'th. It took almost 5 hours to do justice to Dune (the SciFi channel version). Just Dune, not like the David Lynch movie that runs into other books. Dune is a similar size book, so you're looking at at least 60 hours, even after minimizing the time spent on braid pulling and shawl twitching.

[ballaratdragons]

I would love to see a top movie made of my absolute favourite book 'Rogue Male'.

The BBC did make a B&W one in the 70's, but it was crap.
It is a fantastic story which deserves to be produced properly. :thumbsup:

Also I'd like to see a movie version of 'Frankensteins Monster meets Mary Poppins', but no-one has even wrote the book yet :lol:

[jjjnettie]

There is a movie version coming out of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies". The book instantly gained cult status on it's release. :D
It has all the lovable characters from Jane Austens most popular book, but with Zombies and Ninjas.
I've loaned the book to my sister, but from memory, I think 23 people were slaughtered in a Zombie attack on the first page. LOL
The movie is due for release in 2013.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_and_Prejudice_and_Zombies

[renormalised]

It's a wonder this didn't come from the vaults of Tarantino....sounds like something he'd write and star in:):P

[ballaratdragons]

That's pretty bizzarre!!! :lol:

and I just noticed my terrible Grammer: "but no-one has even wrote the book yet" :P

[Octane]

Grammar, too. :P

H

[Omaroo]

Actually - just "grammar". ;)

LOL.. sorry Ken. :)

[keni]

Hi Ken,
I thought I had seen an older version so I did a quick search.
There was another movie starring Walter Pidgeon and George Sanders made in 1941 called "Man Hunt" based on the book.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_Hunt_%281941_film%29
It was much better than the '76 version.
Amazingly Amazon have it in stock.

Cheers,
Ken.

[shelltree]

Ahh, my bad mate, I got confused with how many I've read and how many there are haha! Haven't read the last two part book yet, I really want to re-read them all first and have them fresh in my mind :)

I laughed out loud at the braid pulling and shawl twitching hahahaha, so very true :lol: I like to say I'm Aes Sedai at times, I'm just that awesome :P

[TrevorW]

Chung Kuo by David Wingrove

[lacad01]

Baudolino by Umberto Eco

[seeker372011]

I am looking at this book on my table (which I hasten to say belongs to my son at Uni) and think this absolutely deserves to be made into a movie

""Investment valuation -Tools and Techniques for Determining the Value of Any Asset"

[seeker372011]

its important to get the casting right so that the emphisis on Any is retained..so often we see Hollywood lose the plot in going from the printed word to celluloid...

[spacezebra]

My recommendation, and a book that I am currently reading:

"The First Man - the life of Neil Armstrong"

Cheers Petra d.

[Omaroo]

I have it on my shelf too Petra, Heavy book. I didn't realise just how religious Neil Armstong's upbringing was - and him trying to balance that with his captaincy on Apollo 11 with Buzz Aldrin along for the ride.

[OICURMT]

1) Rama Series is a go... I prefer the trilogy. The 1st book (standalone) was too lethargic in print, can't imagine it doing well at the movies...

2) Dragon's Egg... completely agree, sheer brilliance.



Other contenders...

1) A remake of "I am Legend", the true novel version, not the Will Smith version...

2) Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars

3) If you want to really confuse the general public... the "Hyperion" series. I read it when it came out... confusing as... hard to follow but great writing.

[ballaratdragons]

No, I spelt it right!

Just ask this bloke :P http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001288/

[ballaratdragons]

Thanks Ken, I might have to hunt that down :thumbsup:
The book is fantastic. I have read it about 6 times now, and I will re-read again soon :)
There have been hints by experts that it may actually be a true story! which is pretty amazing if you know the story.

[spacezebra]

Hi Chris

I agree, re his faith, imagine the discussions on board A11! Only up to Chapter 6, but really enjoying it.

Other than that - not sure how you can make a movie from the Deep-Sky Observers Handbook LOL.



Cheers Petra d.

[jjjnettie]

Geek. :nerd:

[spacezebra]

And proud of it! Lol

Petra d.

[jjjnettie]

We wouldn't want you any other way Petra. :D

[Ray?]

Larry Niven's 'Ringworld' series and even some of his others.

Cheers

Ray

[Blue Skies]

Your wish has already come true - I was only reading an article the other day about the tv series made of the first book, and there were screen shots accompanying it. Looked good, I might even take the plunge and start reading it. One to keep your eyes peeled for, no idea when its going to reach here, though.

[spacezebra]

At least you would have eight movies :P

[astrocookie]

beautiful malice by rebecca james.

deffinatly one of my favorite thrillers!!!

it would make an epic movie:thumbsup:

[bartman]

+1 to both of those suggestions, especially Magician. Lots of potential for multiple movies.

Another I think would be good ( depending on which angle they take -dark and heavy or fantasy) is Lord Foul's Bane ( and the following trilogies) by Stephen Donaldson.

Good Topic!
Bartman

[mikerr]

"The Bog People" by P V Glob. Would really bring the characters to life!

Michael.

[barx1963]

Yes Bartman I thought of the Thomas Covenant books, not sure they would translate well to the screen without losing the soul of the story completely. Thomas C was such a miserable chap, the film would end up being a bit miserable as well.

Malcolm

[blink138]

asimovs foundation series but i dont think it is at all possible unless it could be somehow serialised and even then it would need a two year series i reckon
i loved dune and the movie actually wasnt a bad effort overall
asimovs short stories would be fantastic my favourite was "a boy and his dog" (god i think it was asimov anyhow)
pat

[bloodhound31]

I would like to see the "Galactic Warlord (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Legionary#Galactic_Warlord_.28 1979.29)" series of four books done as a movie.

This, "Last legionary" series was followed by "Deathwing Over Veynaa" and then "Day of the starwind." Last, was "Planet of the warlord".

Epic.

[hotspur]

Without a doubt-any one of the 'Flashman' series by George MacDonald Fraser.

Although,in kinda sort off way.George has done this with his script the 1983 Bond movie 'Octopussy',Those that have read 'Flashman' and seen then movie 'Octopussy' will see that the movie is a similar style to the books,albeit in a different era.

I think the pick of the 'Flashman' books for a movie would be 'Flash for Freedom'.

Actually.these books should be compulsory at school,the history content is very accurate.George-you are a very clever man-unfortunately he passed away not all that long ago-approx two years.

[RobF]

They're a bit soapy perhaps, but the Dragon-Riders of Pern books might just come across well.




Hmmm - a was a lot more worried when the princess Anita got hit with the poisoned crossbolt in Silverthorn. What were they thinking :eyepop: :)
Great books for sure Humayun.

[mithrandir]

A few more I reread when I want something I know I'll enjoy and will like to see on screen.

Stephen Donaldson's "Gap" series

Sara Douglass' "Axis" and "Wayfarer Redemption" series.

Terry Goodkind's "Sword of Truth" series.

Julian May's "Saga of the Exiles" and "Galactic Milieu"

Patrick Tilley's "Amtrak Wars"

Andrew