# Books you'd like to see as good movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2004, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youd-like-to-see-as-good-movies/275010 "2004-11-16T04:53:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youd-like-to-see-as-good-movies/275010/1 "2004-11-16T04:53:13Z")
I add the stipulation ‘good’, because no one wants to see their beloved book turned into a crappy movie. So, let’s say some really good director, who wants to be as true to the book as possible, is given a limitless budget, and can somehow sweet talk anyone into acting in the movie. What book would you want to see on the big screen? Who would play the main characters? Is there a specific director you want? My choice? The Chronicles Trilogy by Margaret Weis and Tracey Hickman. Now that Lord of the Rings is a huge success, the door has been opened for more mainstream fantasy movies. Might as well get ol’ Action Jackson to direct. As for casting: **Tanis** : Hmm…a toughie. How many red-haird actors are their? **Caramon** : Needs to be a somewhat big guy. Maybe Vin Diesel or the Rock? **Raistlin** : Leland Orser. (He currently plays the new surgeon on ER and was the guy who wore the razor-dildo in **Seven**.) **Riverwind** : Is there anyone tall enough? Eh, whichever of the two choices for Caramon wasn’t used, use 'em here. **Goldmoon** : Need a beautiful blond woman…Sarah Michelle Gellar? I really don’t know. **Sturm** : Russel Crow? **Flint** : Old dwarf? John Rhys-davis was good, but we need something a little different here…plus, we don’t want to typecast him as a dwarf. But I have no other ideas. **Tasslehoff** : Ugh. You’d probably have to get a little kid, unfortunately. **Tike** : Kate Winslett **Laurana** : An even MORE beautiful blond woman? Yeesh. I suck as casting. So, dopers, tell me your books-as-a-movie and who you want in it. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youd-like-to-see-as-good-movies/275010/2 "2004-11-16T04:55:22Z")
His Dark Materials. And virtually any Discworld book. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecccb3/32.png) [@Evil\_Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Death)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youd-like-to-see-as-good-movies/275010/3 "2004-11-16T08:53:07Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > His Dark Materials. They’re making one, though good is optional. **Legend** , by David Gemmell, is screaming to be adapted - but Gemmell won’t sell the adaptation rights because last time negotiations came up the exec wanted Druss not to die so they could make sequels. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youd-like-to-see-as-good-movies/275010/4 "2004-11-16T09:00:53Z")
I’d love to see _The Anubis Gates_ by Tim Powers made into a good film. I’m not sure about the cast, but it would have to be directed by a young Tim Burton. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youd-like-to-see-as-good-movies/275010/5 "2004-11-16T09:13:03Z")
_The Silmarillion_, though I doubt it could be done - certainly not the whole book! Perhaps just the Tale of Luthien and Beren, or of Turin… ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youd-like-to-see-as-good-movies/275010/6 "2004-11-16T13:01:10Z")
“A Princess of Mars” I heard Tom Cruise was looking at doing this, I hope it works out. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youd-like-to-see-as-good-movies/275010/7 "2004-11-16T13:11:41Z")
Honestly, I’m at a point in my life now where I’ve read enough books and seen enough movies that I can accept the fact that they’re two different mediums and shouldn’t be mixed. The LotR movies were great and all, but they should’ve just wrote a new story for them and took the brand name off. Calling those movies “The Lord of the Rings” is like calling New Coke “Coke”, in my opinion. They share a name and the can kind of looks the same, but that’s about it. I’m absolutely dreading the **Hitchhiker’s Guide** movie and the long-rumored **Watchmen** and **Preacher** movies (though I’ll see all three :o ) Now _video game movies?_ I’d love to see a **Halo** movie right about now. Preferably computer animated. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youd-like-to-see-as-good-movies/275010/8 "2004-11-16T13:16:33Z")
James Patterson’s “Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas.” Not being a Paterson fan at all, I was amazed by this book. It deserves to be a good movie. ---
**Author:** ![paulberserker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@paulberserker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paulberserker)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youd-like-to-see-as-good-movies/275010/9 "2004-11-16T13:17:00Z")
‘The Descent’ by Jeff Long would make a cracking film if done right. I’m still waiting to see if Finchers going to do Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C Clarke. House of Leaves would do as well, but I read an interview with Danielowski saying he’s not interested in selling the rights to it. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youd-like-to-see-as-good-movies/275010/10 "2004-11-16T13:20:13Z")
I’m hoping that some day they make \*Starship Troopers \* into a movie. What? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youd-like-to-see-as-good-movies/275010/11 "2004-11-16T13:21:45Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I’m hoping that some day they make \*Starship Troopers \* into a movie. If they do, I hope they choose a really good-looking cast, because that’ll make _sure_ the movie’s a classic. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youd-like-to-see-as-good-movies/275010/12 "2004-11-16T13:26:46Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I’m hoping that some day they make \*Starship Troopers \* into a movie. > What? They’d probably end up trying to make it a satire and no one would get it. ---
**Author:** ![paulberserker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@paulberserker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paulberserker)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youd-like-to-see-as-good-movies/275010/13 "2004-11-16T13:28:32Z")
They would, but then they’d end up going over the top about it and getting banned. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youd-like-to-see-as-good-movies/275010/14 "2004-11-16T13:51:40Z")
Watership Down, but only because it’s already been done. I think Pixar might be capable of doing better. Of course, then nobody’ll ever read the damn book again because they’ve seen the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youd-like-to-see-as-good-movies/275010/15 "2004-11-16T14:06:33Z")
Don DeLillo’s “Great Jones Street.” Never happen, unless somebody convinces Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston they’d be really good in the leads. And reads them the book. Like maybe they’ll be trapped in an elevator with a grad student someday. Richard Price’s “Freedomland.” (Home turf: his books take place in the fictional Dempsy; I live in the nonfictional Jersey City.) Maybe they’re working on this. Pynchon’s “Crying of Lot 49.” Terry Gilliam would do a great job. I’d love to see a faithful adaptation of Dashiell Hammett’s “Red Harvest,” and then a whole series of Continental Op movies. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youd-like-to-see-as-good-movies/275010/16 "2004-11-16T14:13:19Z")
**Geek Love** I’m not sure how they would do it. Probably either animated or computer animated. Or through special effects, like they did with Gary Siniese in “Forrest Gump”. I actually read that Tim Burton was thinking about it, but I’m not sure what came of that as of now. It could be like a 21st century version of “Freaks”, except a lot darker. ---
**Author:** ![N.Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f19dbf/32.png) [@N.Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N.Sane)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youd-like-to-see-as-good-movies/275010/17 "2004-11-16T14:14:49Z")
Being the Chaucer geek that I am, I was just thinking this morning that I’d like to see _Troilus and Cressida_ made into a good movie. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youd-like-to-see-as-good-movies/275010/18 "2004-11-16T15:40:37Z")
> [@](#): > > They’d probably end up trying to make it a satire and no one would get it. > [@](#): > > They would, but then they’d end up going over the top about it and getting banned. I’m sure you’re both right. I guess it’ll never happen. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youd-like-to-see-as-good-movies/275010/19 "2004-11-16T15:46:09Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I’m hoping that some day they make \*Starship Troopers \* into a movie. > What? Me too. He did say GOOD movie in the OP, didn’t he? ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youd-like-to-see-as-good-movies/275010/20 "2004-11-16T15:47:23Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > They’d probably end up trying to make it a satire and no one would get it. They’d probably TRY to make it a satire, but fail so miserably that most people would think it’s just brainless action with no content. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youd-like-to-see-as-good-movies/275010.md?page=2)