I saw a video from Kim at Middle of the Book March about books that should be turned into movies (go check out her list, it’s great). That got my old hamster wheel turning, and I decided to do a response. Some of these have been adapted in some form before but either deserve a newer version or deserve a full-fledged theatrical adaptation. But here are the books that I would like to see adapted for the big (or small) screen.
Just as a note: Percival Everett’s James has had an adaptation announced, so I’m not including it here. But I hope they do make the movie, and I hope they do it justice. And The Guncle by Steven Rowley has already been optioned as well, but they need to do it and they need to cast Michael Urie.
Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee, Casey Cep
Give Harper Lee the Capote treatment! It would work so well. You could use a crime to hook people in, and the trial allows you to use a single episode in Harper Lee’s life to tell her entire life story and why she never published another book after To Kill a Mockingbird (no, I don’t count Go Set a Watchman).
The Murder at the Vicarage, Agatha Christie
Stop with the Hercule Poirot adaptations. It’s enough. I’ve always preferred Miss Marple, and I would love to see her get her due in a big movie adaptation.
Do Tell, Lindsay Lynch
This would make such a fun, interesting movie. The tone is more serious that The Devil Wears Prada, but while I was reading it I absolutely got vibes of that adaptation because of the way it portrays powerful people behaving badly and in the way it follows a woman trying to navigate having a successful career while keeping her soul intact. And it’s set in old Hollywood, which would be so fun to see onscreen.
My Ántonia, Willa Cather
We have so many adaptations of books by Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, Edith Wharton, and Mark Twain. Where are the Willa Cather adaptations? Can you believe My Ántonia has only been adapted as a TV movie in the 1990s? Fix it!
Rubyfruit Jungle, Rita Mae Brown
There are aspects of this book that haven’t aged super well, but how fun would it be to see a novel that is described as a lesbian female Huckleberry Finn onscreen? Especially since it’s about a woman growing up in the mid-1900s who refuses to compromise who she is and keeps moving about to find a way to live in the world without being told no.
Tom Lake, Ann Patchett
I feel like it wouldn’t be easy to capture the things that are most beautiful about Tom Lake because the things that really recommend it are things that are difficult to convey without words. But with the right screenwriter and/or director (I’m thinking Sarah Polley or Greta Gerwig), it could be done. And the perfect lead for the movie is already the narrator of the audiobook: Meryl Streep. Get it done!
Tin Man, Sarah Winman
I finally read Tin Man in June and have been thinking ever since that with the right cast, screenwriter, and director, it would be a tremendous movie–and in her video, Kim agreed. I don’t want to keep suggesting the same directors, but I do feel like Sarah Polley or Greta Gerwig would be great (or maybe even Chloé Zhao).
The House in the Cerulean Sea, TJ Klune
This would be such a powerful and wonderful animated movie. I’m honestly kind of astonished it hasn’t happened yet. Get a great voice cast and a great artist to bring their characters to life in drawings or CGI, and you’re set.
The Round House, Louise Erdrich
I feel like most of Louise Erdrich’s books would be very difficult to adapt. There’s magical realism, large casts of characters, stories that rely on a lot of history and context, and more. I think The Round House is the novel of hers that would most easily lend itself to an adaptation, and I think it would make a good one.
Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame, Olivia Ford
When Joel and I read this book, about an older woman who competes on a Great British Bake Off-style TV show, we kept talking about how fun it would be to see it as a movie–and who we would cast.
The Secret Life of Albert Entwhistle, Matt Cain
Speaking of British cinnamon bun stories with older protagonists, my heart would be so happy if there were a film version of The Secret Life of Albert Entwhistle.
The Bandit Queens, Parini Shroff
I feel like this would be such a fun and serious movie. It would make you laugh, it would make you cry, it would have everything.
My Sister, the Serial Killer, Oyinkan Braithwaite
I honestly don’t know how this hasn’t been adapted yet. Fix it!
Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World, Benjamin Alire Saenz
You have to adapt the sequel before the cast of the first adaptation gets too old. Make it happen! Just don’t do my one complaint about the first adaptation: don’t feel like you can’t be any longer than an hour and a half. I would take another half an hour of screentime to get more of the emotional beats from the book that make it so great.
Fingersmith, Sarah Waters
Okay, there have been adaptations of Sarah Waters novels before–but they’re mostly BBC adaptations that aren’t widely available. If you live in the US, you might not even know that there are film versions at all. I was actually pretty mixed on Fingersmith when I read it, but a lesbian Victorian-era psychological crime thriller would be a natural fit for the screen. I can only assume that the lesbian angle is the only reason Waters’ novels haven’t already had more major adaptations, and the world should get over that.
Only This Beautiful Moment, Abdi Nazemian
This would make a gorgeous multigenerational movie and I would buy tickets to see it tomorrow if I could. Like a Love Story would also make a good movie from this author, but I think the three timelines examining three generations of men in a family would make for a better movie–if I had to pick just one from this author.
The Country Girls, Edna O’Brien
Both the first and second novellas in this trilogy were adapted a long time ago, but do it again, do all three, and do them justice. And get the Irish equivalent of Sarah Polley or Greta Gerwig to direct. 😉
Kindred, Octavia Butler
Yes, I know there was a TV adaptation recently. It changed a lot, and not for the better. In part, that’s because it was trying to stretch out the story to last across more than one season. Don’t do that. Just adapt the book.
The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland, Jim DeFede
This story (not necessarily this book) was already adapted into a wonderful musical called Come From Away. You could really make an emotionally powerful movie out of this story. I would love it and, oh boy, would I cry. It would rip my heart out and then put it back together.
The Rain Heron, Robbie Arnott
Part of me wants to say that Hollywood should stay away from this book, but I think an adaptation could be done and could be incredible. I almost think computer animation would be the way to go, but I’m not sure. It would have to be done well, but if it can be pulled off, a movie would be incredible.
Small Joys, Elvin James Mensah
Speaking of adaptations that could easily go off the rails, I’m almost not sure I should include Small Joys because if they don’t get it right, I would be upset. Especially if they didn’t cast the role of Muddy well. That would be heartbreaking.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon
There have been attempts to adapt this book since before it was even published, when the rights were first optioned. It’s never come together. And I see why: it would be difficult to adapt this hefty novel and make it good. But I feel like it would be so interesting to see someone try. If they pull it off, it would be incredible.
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, Alison Bechdel
This also inspired a hit musical, and I think it would make a wonderful animated movie. The visual style is right there in the graphic memoir. Get Alison Bechdel on board and make it happen.
Excellent Women, Barbara Pym
Going back to my complaint about Willa Cather: how have Barbara Pym’s novels not been adapted more? The only one I’ve read (so far) is Crampton Hodnet, which would be great–but from fans, I think Excellent Women is the adaptation people would most like to see.
Less, Andrew Sean Greer
I know, I’m iffy on the book. I even went on record in my Pulitzer Prize deep dive on it to say that I think it borders on toxic thinking. If an adaptation were to reckon with that part better, a film version could actually be fun.
There There, Tommy Orange
This might be better suited to a series adaptation to cover the multitude of stories that are told in the book, and it would be great to see.
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, James McBride
Just like There There, this feels like something that would have to go to series in order to capture the whole scope of the story. Done well, it would be so good.
All the King’s Men, Robert Penn Warren
The 1949 film adaptation was great (I think–I saw it twenty years ago) and won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The 2006 adaptation? Not so much. But what I think would be really interesting would be to modernize this story about politics and corruption. I think it would be fascinating to see this story told through the modern era of politics but also to really dig into how social media can be used to craft a narrative. Get on that, Hollywood.
Just For the Summer, Abby Jimenez
Remember when we pretty routinely had movies like When Harry Met Sally or Moonstruck in theaters? Bring back good rom-coms! Just For the Summer would be a fun place to start.
Here We Go Again, Alison Cochrun
… and don’t forget Alison Cochrun (because queer people deserve rom-coms, too). I’m thinking Here We Go Again would make the best movie, but don’t count out Kiss Her Once For Me or The Charm Offensive.
Books I Haven’t Read But Still Want to See Adapted
Razorblade Tears, S.A. Cosby
One of the most fun things about this book is watching people who have read it debate who they want to be cast in a film version, because every single person who has read this book seems to want to see it adapted.
Travels With Charley, John Steinbeck
Joel recommended this one when I told him what I was going to be filming, and although I haven’t read it I was immediately on board. Get the right actor to play John Steinbeck and send him on the road with a poodle dog, and I would watch all day.
City of Thieves, David Benioff
The most consistent thing I hear about this book is that it’s cinematic. That’s not surprising since Benioff works in Hollywood and helped bring Game of Thrones to TV. But it does make the fact that there’s no adaptation feel strange.
Year of Wonders, Geraldine Brooks
Whenever I hear people talk about this book, I get very strong images of what they’re saying. That makes me think that this would be a staggering movie.
The Secret History, Donna Tartt
People love this book, and I think they would absolutely lose their minds if there were a movie adaptation.
Supposedly Fun 