Books you'd like to see made into a movie

Omaroo (Chris Malikoff) · #1 04-08-2011, 09:48 AM

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 (Peter) · #2 04-08-2011, 09:58 AM

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 (Carl) · #3 04-08-2011, 10:06 AM

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 (Chris Malikoff) · #4 04-08-2011, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poita

I'd love to see Rama, but not on the big screen.

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 · #5 04-08-2011, 10:34 AM

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

Octane (Humayun) · #6 04-08-2011, 10:39 AM

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 (Carl) · #7 04-08-2011, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrevorW

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

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

Poita (Peter) · #8 04-08-2011, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omaroo

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.

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 (Marc) · #9 04-08-2011, 11:17 AM

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.

TrevorW · #10 04-08-2011, 11:25 AM

Anything by Peter Hamilton would work for me also

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #11 04-08-2011, 11:28 AM

"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 (Warren) · #12 04-08-2011, 11:38 AM

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

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #13 04-08-2011, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by supernova1965

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

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

supernova1965 (Warren) · #14 04-08-2011, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjjnettie

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

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

Ric · #15 04-08-2011, 12:35 PM

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 (Geoff) · #16 04-08-2011, 03:14 PM

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 (Carl) · #17 04-08-2011, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by supernova1965

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

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

FlashDrive (Poppy) · #18 04-08-2011, 04:33 PM

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

Screen Production and Special Effects by Flash.

THE END

mithrandir (Andrew) · #19 04-08-2011, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

Lots of possibilities in the SF hotties thread.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrevorW

Anything by Peter Hamilton would work for me also

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 (Doug) · #20 04-08-2011, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoffW1

Hi,

"The Algebraist" by Iain M Banks would be good, with much opportunity for SFX.

Cheers

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