# Books you would like to see as films **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 14, 2002, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063 "2002-06-14T18:02:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mr.Frink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Mr.Frink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Frink)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/41 "2002-06-16T07:23:58Z")
With yet _another_ big screen adaptation of a work by **Phillip K Dick** (Minority Report), he seems to be more popular dead than he was alive. But they still haven’t touched my favorite book by him: **VALIS**. Although its full of meaty theological musings, so it really wouldn’t lend itself to a live-action flick. But it might be captured well via animation. If not that book, then I’d like to see Dick’s **Radio Free Albemuth** on the big screen. Actually in **VALIS** the main characters go see a movie with a plot identical to **Radio Free Albemuth** , so the two books might be able to be combined in a movie. **PKD** also has a _ton_ of short stories that would do well cinematically… ---
**Author:** ![Improv\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b3f665/32.png) [@Improv\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improv_Geek)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/42 "2002-06-16T18:44:58Z")
Rumor has it that this book is in the works, but I want to see _Ender’s Game_ by Orson Scott Card as a movie. I just love the whole story, though I will admit the rest of the series loses my attention by the third book. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/43 "2002-06-16T18:52:13Z")
I came to say the Discworld books by Terry Pratchett, but someone already coverd that. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/44 "2002-06-16T22:36:28Z")
The Owen Meany book has been made into a movie- Simon Birch. They had to change the name because they couldn’t get permission, or something…but I’ve heard it is sort of based on it. And “The Stand” was made into a miniseries, with four two hour parts. It’s not too bad, but it’s not the type of book that translates itself easily to a film. I’d like to see a movie based on anything by Ruth Rendell. Though I think they may have made some Mystery! series on her books, in which case I’m mistaken. I know P.D. James has had movies made about some of her books, but I’d really like to see Original Sin on the big- or little- screen. Great novel. ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/45 "2002-06-16T22:43:02Z")
**Zoggie** , read if you haven’t read A Prayer for Owen Meany, then do so. It’s a treasure. Then rent “Simon Birch” and watch it. As adaptations go, it’s a farce. There’s hardly a single scene in the movie that can be directly traced to a scene in the book. “Simon Birch” is sort of based on Owen Meany in the same way that “Armageddon” is based on a textbook on orbital mechanics. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/46 "2002-06-16T22:45:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zoggie \* > \*\*The Owen Meany book has been made into a movie- Simon Birch. They had to change the name because they couldn’t get permission, or something…but I’ve heard it is sort of based on it. > > \*\* True. The movie had gotten so far away from the book that Irving had his named removed from the project. The only reference to the novel is a “Inspired by the novel “A Prayer for Owen Meany” by John Irving” ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/47 "2002-06-16T22:48:13Z")
**The Corrections** , by Jonathan Franzen, though I fear that it would wind up as a TV miniseries and most likely suck. And \*\*Under the Skin, \*\* by Michel Faber, if they could find somebody who understands satire. ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/48 "2002-06-17T02:52:15Z")
I would love to see a Discworld film, but since so much of the humor of the books is derived from the narrative style and the footnotes, I think it would be very difficult to adapt them properly. I own the _Wyrd Sisters_ tapes, they came off as very mild to me, but the Witches aren’t my favorite characters anyway. I’d second _Snow Crash_ just for the “Maybe they’ll listen to reason,” scene. He had to write that with a film in mind. Other books on my wish list: _The Stainless Steel Rat_ - with all the scifi action flicks being made these days, this seems like a natural. CGI, action, humor, a hero who’s a slick criminal; it seems tailor made for George Clooney. I read an interview with Harry Harrison in _Starlog_ in the late 80s where he said that the book has been optioned several times since it first came out, but something always falls through. He said it had been optioned so far back that for a long time his dream actor for the role was Steve McQueen. _Anno Dracula_ - The Kim Newman book with Dracula marrying Queen Victoria and a vampire ruling class controlling England with lots of appearances by real and fictional characters from history and literature. It would be a fun (but expensive) miniseries for SCIFI to do. Lots of cool roles and juicy cameos, so a miniseries would be needed to fit most of the characters in. The Carpathian Guards breaking up riots by shooting the vampirized poor of London with silver bullets would be awesome. _Blood Meridian_ - Cormac McCarthy’s savage, surreal, hellish tale of the Old West. It would be difficult to do the book justice without getting an NC-17 kiss of death however. Most people say that you would have to bring back Sam Peckinpah from the dead to direct it, but I’d want Alejandro Jodorowsky to do it. _Heavy Weather_ - by Bruce Sterling. It could be a cool movie about tornado chasers, unlike that stupid brainless piece of crap _Twister_. Not to mention better characters who aren’t made out of cardboard. The F6 scene is made for CGI. _All I Need Is Love_ - Klaus Kinski’s withdrawn autobiography. I’d like to see someone try a biopic of Kinski. It would be X-rated for sure, and who could ever play the lead role now that the great madman himself is gone? I read somewhere that they are trying to make a film adaption of Nicholson Baker’s _The Fermata_. Good luck with that one. Heh heh heh. It’s sure to be the date film of the year. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![grendel72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/91b2a8/32.png) [@grendel72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grendel72)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/49 "2002-06-17T04:45:30Z")
You’re shitting me, The Fermata is being even considered as a film… It would require special effects and be a guaranteed NC-17, I don’t see how it could make any money, although, with the right cast and director I’d want to see it… I’m thinking Cronenberg as director. ---
**Author:** ![JessEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cdc98d/32.png) [@JessEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JessEnigma)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/50 "2002-06-17T05:42:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Number Six \* > > **Holes** by Louis Sachar Being filmed right now. [Holes](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0311289) I got a postcard about auditions for that a few months ago…March, I think it was. My little brother was excited because that’s his favorite book. jessica ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/51 "2002-06-17T07:59:37Z")
**grendel72** , I posted a few months ago, in a similar thread, about how they couldn’t make a mainstream studio version of _The Fermata_. The same day I went to [scifi.com](http://scifi.com) and at the end of a story on the SCIFI Wire was a mention that whoever the story was about (sorry I can’t remember who) was working on a script for that very same book. I couldn’t believe it either, who knows if it would ever get greenlighted or what they would do to it. I’d like to see Spike Jonze or maybe Wes Anderson direct, after seeing _Being John Malkovich_, I think it would take that kind of sensibilty for such a film to have any chance at all. ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/52 "2002-06-17T08:27:59Z")
Ashtar stole the words out of my keyboard with the idea of a _Good Omens_ movie. But the funny thing was, I was thinking to myself, “Who would be a good director for this?” and Gilliam immediately leaped to mind. So Eutychus, thanks for the link! It better be good when it comes out! ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/53 "2002-06-17T10:38:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by widdershins \* > \*\* > _The Stainless Steel Rat_ - with all the scifi action flicks being made these days, this seems like a natural. CGI, action, humor, a hero who’s a slick criminal; it seems tailor made for George Clooney. I read an interview with Harry Harrison in _Starlog_ in the late 80s where he said that the book has been optioned several times since it first came out, but something always falls through. He said it had been optioned so far back that for a long time his dream actor for the role was Steve McQueen. > > [: \*\* This wou;ld be cool but only if they they used first two books and the later ones The third one with the time travel back and forth seemed out of place Now the trick would be how to make it not be boring since in the books the rat is too perfect , althouhg this has always been my critisim of the books , ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/54 "2002-06-17T11:52:43Z")
acc > [@](#): > > elfkin477 > Wally Lamb’s I Know This Much is True and/or She’s Come Undone I can’t find a site quote, but I read this weekend that _She’s come Undone_ is being made! ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/55 "2002-06-17T18:02:50Z")
\ Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time. If he ever finishes the bloody thing. It can’t be a film. It would be 200 hours long. BUT a well done, 7 or 8 season TV show, with a sufficiently big budget? Think Babylon 5, with Trollocs. Maybe? ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/56 "2002-06-17T19:47:01Z")
**nightshadea** , I agree about just using the early books or maybe _TSSR Is Born_ or_TSSR Gets Drafted_. In most of the others he is too perfect, since he’s never in a situation that he can’t get out of, there’s no tension to those stories. It’s the main reason I quit reading the newer ones that have come out. ---
**Author:** ![Judith\_Prietht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b19c9b/32.png) [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/57 "2002-06-17T19:50:30Z")
**Broken Doll** , look [here](http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=12119) for an article on Ridley Scott attached to direct a film adaptation of **Perfume**. I’m as eager as you are to see in onscreen. My personal vote, though, goes to Caleb Carr’s **The Alienist**. ---
**Author:** ![Judith\_Prietht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b19c9b/32.png) [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/58 "2002-06-17T20:10:25Z")
**Broken Doll** , look [here](http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=12119) for an article on Ridley Scott attached to direct a film adaptation of **Perfume**. I’m as eager as you are to see in onscreen. My personal vote, though, goes to Caleb Carr’s **The Alienist**. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/59 "2002-06-18T00:26:57Z")
Semi-hijack: Tim Burton’s next project, due 2003, is an adaptation of a book called **Big Fish**. It’s on the IMDB. Question is: has anyone read this book? I hadn’t even heard of it before yesterday, so I can’t tell whether or not it’s his kind of material. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/60 "2002-06-18T03:31:34Z")
According to previews ive seen as of last summer ther are supposed to be making a film of the alienist … The preview dodnt show much except like the words on the back of the book and some mood music the pic on the paperback and then the title … I do hope it comes out since its one of my favorite thrillers … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063.md?page=4)