# The Why isn't this Book a Movie Already Thread? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 21, 2017, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-why-isnt-this-book-a-movie-already-thread/782686 "2017-03-21T14:23:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-why-isnt-this-book-a-movie-already-thread/782686/1 "2017-03-21T14:23:27Z")
I know the usual blah blah blah involves “someone already owns the rights and are sitting on them” crap but there have been several books I read (mostly sci-fi and fantasy) that are compelling stories both on a human level and the Ooo, I want to see that on a screen level. Now there have been a few on screen stinkers like Starship Troopers and several Dean Koontz and Stephen King books but still I’d love to see some great books turned to film. My contenders are: Ariel by Steven R Boyett- It has Post Apocalyptic landscapes, a unicorn with an utterly foul mouth and a peppermint candy fetish, a boyish hero who means well, Japanese swordsmanship, and some really kick ass villains. Plus magic. The Belgariad by David Eddings- More swords and sorcery , interesting characters and probably better in a format like GoT, it would still make a great trilogy of big screen movies. The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen r Donaldson- Again, this would be better as an HBO series but I could see a few big screen movies being made of this. Rite of Passage- Alexei Panshin A great coming of age novel that would slot in well with fans of Hunger Games and Divergent, etc. So what do you think should be a movie or series? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-why-isnt-this-book-a-movie-already-thread/782686/2 "2017-03-21T14:34:24Z")
Simon Green’s Forest Kingdom series, particularly Blood and Honor. Swords, sorcery, demons, dragons, scary monsters. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-why-isnt-this-book-a-movie-already-thread/782686/3 "2017-03-21T14:39:04Z")
Milton’s _Paradise Lost._ It’s been 350 years, Hollywood! Let’s get this on the big screen! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Pork-Chop\_Express](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@The\_Pork-Chop\_Express](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Pork-Chop_Express)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-why-isnt-this-book-a-movie-already-thread/782686/4 "2017-03-21T14:50:43Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Milton’s _Paradise Lost._ It’s been 350 years, Hollywood! Let’s get this on the big screen! There’s an animated film available, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-why-isnt-this-book-a-movie-already-thread/782686/5 "2017-03-21T15:15:17Z")
Ringworld. Now that cgi is at the level that this movie could be done, it should be. Sure, there’s really no plot to speak of, but there wasn’t much of a pot to Titanic, and look how well that did. Visually, it could be a stunning movie. Just the shot of the arch going overhead would be worth the price of admission. For other classic sci fi with the same issues, there could be movies of Childhood’s End Rendezvous with Rama I’m not sure we need everything in Known Space. And reading about a two headed, three legged alien with a voice like Marilyn Monroe works OK, but I think the reality would come across as absurd if you actually make Puppeteers in live action. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-why-isnt-this-book-a-movie-already-thread/782686/6 "2017-03-21T15:17:27Z")
_The Anubis Gate_ by Tim Powers _Stranger in a Strange Land_ by Robert A. Heinlein _The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody_ by Will Cuppy ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-why-isnt-this-book-a-movie-already-thread/782686/7 "2017-03-21T15:18:03Z")
> [@The\_Pork-Chop\_Express](#): > > There’s an animated film available, I think. You’re thinking of the anime that’s an amalgam of Paradise Lost, Purgatorio and Brothers Karamazov. “While its few fans applaud the innovative ‘furries on motorcycles chasing up the sides of the giant crystal Stonehenge’ scenes, none understand even one hour of the 40-hour epic”. Back on subject, a number of moody thrillers: JK Rowling’s _Cormoran Stryke_ trilogy, Lilian Jackson Braun’s _Jim Qwilleran_ books, and Koontz’s _Fear Nothing_ “trilogy”. And why not some old radio detective shows, like _“Broadway Is My Beat”?_ ---
**Author:** ![howye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9adbd/32.png) [@howye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/howye)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-why-isnt-this-book-a-movie-already-thread/782686/8 "2017-03-21T15:32:54Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Ringworld. > > Now that cgi is at the level that this movie could be done, it should be. Sure, there’s really no plot to speak of, but there wasn’t much of a pot to Titanic, and look how well that did. Visually, it could be a stunning movie. Just the shot of the arch going overhead would be worth the price of admission. > > For other classic sci fi with the same issues, there could be movies of > > Childhood’s End > Rendezvous with Rama > > I’m not sure we need everything in Known Space. And reading about a two headed, three legged alien with a voice like Marilyn Monroe works OK, but I think the reality would come across as absurd if you actually make Puppeteers in live action. Childhood’s End was done as a miniseries by SyFy in 2015. I found it to be …acceptable. There were changes but there simply had to be for the story to work. The overall plot was kept. Rama is in production. Last update on IMDB was October of 2016. There are quite a number of classic science fiction titles in one form of production or another. Foundation is supposedly in some sort of development at HBO. Would be surprised to see that happen. Ringworld does keep popping up as in development. But it never makes it to screen, either tv or movie. As a John Scalzi fan, he has three properties in development deals that keep not going anywhere. I would be that today’s new release will be optioned quickly too. The problem is that all of these might make good products by the focus is on easily marketed properties with guaranteed profits. Reboots, sequels, and extensions of known franchises meet those criteria for studio execs even if there are the occasional duds. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-why-isnt-this-book-a-movie-already-thread/782686/9 "2017-03-21T15:40:54Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > _Stranger in a Strange Land_ by Robert A. Heinlein from your lips to. . .[‘Stranger in a Strange Land’ TV Series in the Works at Syfy](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/stranger-a-strange-land-tv-series-works-at-syfy-947671) mc ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-why-isnt-this-book-a-movie-already-thread/782686/10 "2017-03-21T15:44:50Z")
> [@mikecurtis](#): > > from your lips to. . .[‘Stranger in a Strange Land’ TV Series in the Works at Syfy](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/stranger-a-strange-land-tv-series-works-at-syfy-947671) > > mc How many times has this gone from development to development hell so far? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-why-isnt-this-book-a-movie-already-thread/782686/11 "2017-03-21T15:51:21Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Rendezvous with Rama Morgan Freeman has the film rights and has been trying to make this movie for over a decade now. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-why-isnt-this-book-a-movie-already-thread/782686/12 "2017-03-21T16:30:48Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > How many times has this gone from development to development hell so far? Same story for the top book on my movie wishlist, _Neuromancer_. Multiple stops and starts, and it never happens. Just make the damn movie already. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-why-isnt-this-book-a-movie-already-thread/782686/13 "2017-03-21T16:37:02Z")
I’d love to see a series of movies based on the \*Retief \*books. Or even a television series. _Stranger in a Strange Land_ would make an awesome movie (in the right directorial hands), but I can’t see it as a television show! ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-why-isnt-this-book-a-movie-already-thread/782686/14 "2017-03-21T16:41:30Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Morgan Freeman has the film rights and has been trying to make this movie for over a decade now. > [@howye](#): > > Childhood’s End was done as a miniseries by SyFy in 2015… It seems I missed the production of Childhood’s End, so that’s one for Hollywood follow through, but “in production” doesn’t necessarily mean anything. I have old issues of Starlog that talked about a ton of recognizable, popular sci-fi projects that were “in production”, (one of which was Childhood’s End, interestingly enough, but a different production) and over the last nearly 40 years almost none of them came out. Surprisingly, one that never got a single mention as being “in production” was Zelazny’s [Lord of Light](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Argo_poster.gif). That one should have gotten noticed, [because it was designed to get publicity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Caper#Preparation), but I never even saw even a passing reference. Maybe Starlog was on to the game? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-why-isnt-this-book-a-movie-already-thread/782686/15 "2017-03-21T16:44:25Z")
Any of Neal Stephenson’s books, especially _Snow Crash_ and _The Baroque Cycle_. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-why-isnt-this-book-a-movie-already-thread/782686/16 "2017-03-21T16:47:16Z")
The Vorkosigan Saga. Or Bujold’s The Curse of Chalion. StG ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-why-isnt-this-book-a-movie-already-thread/782686/17 "2017-03-21T16:50:29Z")
I’d love to see [Rainbow’s End](https://www.amazon.com/Rainbows-End-Vernor-Vinge-ebook/dp/B004M8SR2O/ref=la_B000APOW0E_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490114741&sr=1-4) as a movie. The politics in Vernor Vinge’s other works would be fascinating, but I don’t really see sentient packs of dogs or giant spiders as viable characters. I’d also love to see [Monkey Wrench Gang](https://www.amazon.com/Monkey-Wrench-Gang-P-S/dp/0061129763) turned into a movie. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-why-isnt-this-book-a-movie-already-thread/782686/18 "2017-03-21T17:07:22Z")
As I’ve argued before, Alfred Bester’s _the Stars my Destination_. I think it can be done, naysayers be damned, and far easier than many other suggestions in this thread. I’ll add in for _Rendezvous with Rama_, which I think would be better than _Chuldhood’s End_ was. I’d like to see a decent movie made out of Mark Twain’s _A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court_. Every adaptation I’ve seen is either a vehicle for the Star At The Time (Will Rogers, Bing Crosby) or changes the novel so completely that you don’t recognize it (PBS, of all groups, various kid’s adaptations, lots of popular movies ostensibly based on it). Dammit, Twain’s highly comic and dramatic scenes – the Destruction of Merlin’s Tower, the Restoration of the Holy Fountain, the Charge of the Knights on Bicycles – deserve to be put on screen. I’d like to see at least one Heinlein novel adapted with something approaching fidelity. There are plenty to choose from, CGI has advanced to the point where you can do it justice. All you need to do is not to be lily-livered about it (_Puppet Masters_) or to have your own philosophy get in the way (\*Stormship Troopers[/I). For the record, I think that _Stranger in a Strange Land_ wouldn’t be a good choice. _Double Star_ might. And I’ve long wanted to adapt Fredric Brown’s classic story _Arena_ for the screen. It’s been done wrong often enough. And you can do it justice (without padding it out) as a movie. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-why-isnt-this-book-a-movie-already-thread/782686/19 "2017-03-21T17:21:16Z")
I wish that so much of the B-plot of _The Doomsday Book_ didn’t revolve around mobile phones not existing But with some structural changes to account for that, I think it could be an amazingly powerful movie. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-why-isnt-this-book-a-movie-already-thread/782686/20 "2017-03-21T17:23:07Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Simon Green’s Forest Kingdom series, particularly Blood and Honor. Swords, sorcery, demons, dragons, scary monsters. Yes, excellent choice, or the related Hawk & Fisher series. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-why-isnt-this-book-a-movie-already-thread/782686.md?page=2)