# Why haven't these books been made into movies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [July 22, 2020, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-these-books-been-made-into-movies/916036 "2020-07-22T17:23:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-these-books-been-made-into-movies/916036/81 "2020-07-25T05:14:20Z")
I’ve always thought that John Christopher’s Tripod novels would make a great YA film franchise. ---
**Author:** ![Bonum\_Legatum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bonum_legatum/32/6183_2.png) [@Bonum\_Legatum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonum_Legatum)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-these-books-been-made-into-movies/916036/83 "2020-07-25T11:29:39Z")
The Venusian novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs. The protagonist is more nuanced as compared to his usual “manly WASP”. ---
**Author:** ![Bonum\_Legatum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bonum_legatum/32/6183_2.png) [@Bonum\_Legatum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonum_Legatum)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-these-books-been-made-into-movies/916036/84 "2020-07-25T11:38:30Z")
How did I forget: “Tales of the South Pacific” by James Michener. That musical doesn’t really count, there were too many story arcs that were dropped. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-these-books-been-made-into-movies/916036/85 "2020-07-25T12:07:14Z")
Only a fraction of Elmore Leonard’s work has been used to make movies, how about the rest? ---
**Author:** ![Tomyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@Tomyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tomyros)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-these-books-been-made-into-movies/916036/86 "2020-07-25T12:13:28Z")
A long maxi-series (like “The Crown”) with the epic story of “The Mahabharata”. As a creation story that still entertains and teaches, it is full of flawed heroes, huge armies and battles, wisdom and a lot of humour. Plus you get to see what happens when the gods and humans were partners and magic existed. ---
**Author:** ![Ryz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryz/32/13213_2.png) [@Ryz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryz)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-these-books-been-made-into-movies/916036/87 "2020-07-25T12:32:40Z")
The BBC did a two season series in the 1980s. There are differences from the books though. > **[The Tripods (TV series)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tripods_(TV_series))** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > > The Tripods is a television adaptation of John Christopher's The Tripods series of novels. It was jointly produced by the BBC in the United Kingdom and the Seven Network in Australia. The music soundtrack was written by Ken Freeman. > Series one of The Tripods, broadcast in 1984, had 13 half-hour episodes written by Alick Rowe, the author of many radio plays, and covers the first book, The White Mountains; the 12-episode second series (1985) writt... ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-these-books-been-made-into-movies/916036/88 "2020-07-25T15:04:22Z")
> > Jim DiGriz / Stainless Steel Rat books I loved these as a kid. They could make for some seriously good movies. As for who should play “Slippery Jim…” That’s a tough one. He needs to be hollywood handsome, but have a goofy, humorous personality, not built around an angry/profane vibe (as I get from Ryan R). A much younger Steve Martin might do the trick, but I dunno… Now, Angelina, _she’s_ the one that needs the angry, deadly vibe. How hard is it to find an actress who can pull that off properly? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-these-books-been-made-into-movies/916036/89 "2020-07-25T16:36:48Z")
Mahabharata been made as a TV series, more than once. ---
**Author:** ![Tierce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@Tierce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tierce)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-these-books-been-made-into-movies/916036/90 "2020-07-25T19:34:50Z")
> [@steepone](#): > > I think Anne McCaffrey’s Dragon Rider books would make a great series of movies Agree - as long as the screenwriter realizes that they’re about politics, not dragons. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-these-books-been-made-into-movies/916036/91 "2020-07-25T19:43:47Z")
Ya know, back in the day I had a friend who was really into Babylon 5. At some point he loaned me his VHS of the first season; he had taped them and then edited out the commercials 😃. I watched and enjoyed the show; when he asked what I liked most I told him “I like that it’s a royal court drama and not a science fiction show.” ---
**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:** [July 25, 2020, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-these-books-been-made-into-movies/916036/92 "2020-07-25T20:15:57Z")
Somebody did slap together an amateurish version of Atlas Shrugged a few years ago, but it didn’t look like they were very serious about it. I’d still like to see a good version of that filmed. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-these-books-been-made-into-movies/916036/93 "2020-07-25T20:53:55Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I’m eternally surprised that Matt Wagner’s [_Mage_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mage_(comics)) hasn’t been movie-fied yet. I know it was in pre-pro a couple of times but it seems to be one of those projects that just never gets going. > > For straight up book fiction, I’ve long thought that [_Dream Park_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_Park) would make a fantastic movie. Excellent choices. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-these-books-been-made-into-movies/916036/94 "2020-07-25T21:12:08Z")
Maybe not _Dream Park_ itself, but using the setting. My reading of Humanity in General is that nobody will go see a movie with a Cargo Cult game in it, unless there is lots of nudity and probably not even then. Maybe a Martian Maze game. You could cast The Rock in one of the roles, but isn’t it just _Jumangi_? ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-these-books-been-made-into-movies/916036/95 "2020-07-25T21:21:44Z")
> [@Brayne\_Ded](#): > > Patrick O’Brian novels? As a series, no doubt, given that once you have the ships for one film, you can use them again.Maybe. > “Master and Commander” was apparently a mashup of more than one book. > > But on a wider level, if you have a yen for Nelson-era naval heroes, the Hornblower series could be redone. The 1950s version of one book was utterly cringeworthy. And my favorite of this genre is the Ramage series, by Dudley Pope. I would prefer the Richard Bolitho books, by Alexander Kent (Douglas Reeman). Agree on Piper’s “Fuzzy” books. _Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen_ would also be an excellent choice. I’d like to see Johnny Fedora and Matt Helm, my two favourite secret agents, as movies. (And while you’re at it, destroy all copies of those Dean Martin abominations.) Finally, I’d like to nominate _Wildside_, by Steven Gould, and _Conquistador_, by S M Stirling. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-these-books-been-made-into-movies/916036/96 "2020-07-25T21:25:19Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > and _Conquistador_ , by S M Stirling. This I would like to see, but maybe as a miniseries on HBO. For that matter, the first three _Dies The Fire_ books would make a great three-season and not one second longer no matter what the money show for Prime or Netflix. Hell, put in a lot of “Gee these primitives don’t wear many clothes, do they?” and you could turn the Nantucket Trilogy into a new _Game of Thrones_. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-these-books-been-made-into-movies/916036/97 "2020-07-25T21:29:42Z")
_Dream Park_ is great as written, IMO. It manages to make the obligatory introduction of characters very interesting, because it treats the Park as a character. The actual adventure doesn’t really matter much; it’s just an excuse for costumes, role-play dialogue and the action & puzzle sequences. And no, there’s no place for Dwayne Johnson in this movie. IMO most of the casting choices in this thread are the worst kind of typecasting. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-these-books-been-made-into-movies/916036/98 "2020-07-25T21:29:50Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > For that matter, the first three _Dies The Fire_ books would make a great three-season and not one second longer no matter what the money show for Prime or Netflix. Hell, put in a lot of “Gee these primitives don’t wear many clothes, do they?” and you could turn the Nantucket Trilogy into a new _Game of Thrones_ . How about the “Lords of Creation” books? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-these-books-been-made-into-movies/916036/99 "2020-07-25T21:31:53Z")
The Rock wasn’t a casting choice. It was a comment on the fact that 90% of what makes Dream Park Dream Park was covered in the _Jumangi_ movies. That’s why you need a killer game for the hook. The very first critic review of DP will say it is a rip-off of _Ready Player One_, _Jumangi_ and a couple of cable TV shows. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-these-books-been-made-into-movies/916036/100 "2020-07-25T21:36:53Z")
I disagree and think you should re-read the book. It’s not about a group of adventurers having an adventure. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-these-books-been-made-into-movies/916036/101 "2020-07-25T21:38:11Z")
So? It’s then a police procedural with a security guard in the lead role. It still won’t work without a hook. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-these-books-been-made-into-movies/916036.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-these-books-been-made-into-movies/916036.md?page=6)