5 Books That Must Be Converted into Movies

Hollywood seems to be running out of ideas for original movies as of late. The film industry has turned to remakes, television adaptations, and superhero movies for its major blockbusters. Some of the greatest movies of all time have been based on books though, and Hollywood has progressively been moving back to them as a source of inspiration. Today we'll be exploring some fantastic books that we believe have what it takes to become blockbuster sensations.

* Stranger in a Strange Land

A tale of alienation and adaptation that is an allegory for our consumerist and media-driven culture, the novel tells the story of a human raised on a different planet by a different culture, returning to Earth. Learning to deal with ideas and ideals that are new to him, surrounded by corruption and put on a pedestal as a celebrity, it is a look at how one man copes, or doesn’t. As an extension of this, it challenges and reevaluates institutions such as religion, monogamy, and our fear of death, and would provide for a film that would force movie-goers to reevaluate how they look at these institutions.

* Artemis Fowl

Seen by some as the next Harry Potter, the Artemis Fowl series of books are a mix of science fiction and fantasy, with elements of crime novels and thrillers mixed in. While aimed at young adults, the series has also drawn a fair share of adults as fans, which would allow a possible movie adaptation to cross between the audiences as well. The base theme of the books is that of a bright child growing up and developing into a man, learning and changing; themes that have been at the base of movies for almost as long as they have existed.

* Darkness at Noon

One of the great novels of the 20th century, Koestler’s allegory of life in the USSR can be translated to work under any totalitarian dictatorship, whether past, present, or future. While it is specifically written about the disillusionment of Soviets under Communism, the story of a man arrested and tried for treason against a government which he helped to create can ring true in any political environment. At its base, it is really a story about a man who wants the truth to be told, but is oppressed by a force that creates a lie about him, until he must fold under their weight. Such an idea would lend itself well to a dark, independent film – this would not be a summer blockbuster, but instead a brooding, contemplative Oscar hopeful.

* The Stainless Steel Rat series

Not a single book, but a series that would present itself well as a movie, mini-series or television series. Combining science fiction, con-man crime novels, dark humor and satire, the main character calls to mind an actor like Robert Downey Jr., and many of the plots are ready-made for a snappy two-hour movie. There is also a philosophical bent to the books that would help keep a movie adaptation from simply being just another caper movie set in the future.

* Good Omens

Collaborative novels rarely produce such a fandom as this work, which was done in concert by two talents early in their careers. Putting the fate of the world in the hands of four children, a witch, two bumbling angels and a rookie witch hunter, a number of comic situations ensue, meshing fantasy with reality. Gaiman has already demonstrated that his works translate to the silver screen, while a number of Pratchett’s Discworld novels have been made into television movies. Good Omens has been thrown about as a film project, with names such as Johnny Depp, Robin Williams, and Terry Gilliam attached to it, but it still has not reached any sort of production.