Astonishing Adaptations Discussion #2

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

Is there a favorite book of which you wish a movie (or adaptation) would be made? What is the book -- and what concerns would you have if a movie was made of it? Do you have a favorite actor to play the role(s); is there something in the story line which you feel important to retain in the movie? (minimum number of words to count - 100)

Note: Any books not made into movies don't count towards the reading goal; this Discussion is simply a 'wish list' of books we'd love to have made into movies!

[Rhaneyra Black]

A book I wish was made into a movie would be the underworld series by Meg Cabot. However I do have some concerns here, books when made into movies, have this way of becoming whitewashed, the directors and producers seem to pick characters that are not what matches the descriptions given in the book, also the story line needs to be kept intact. The entire book is about these two teenagers, one whose human and the other a ruler of hell, trying to keep their relationship, while the boy protects the girl from his life. The actors I would like to be playing the main characters would be Samantha Bosacarino and the male actor to be Timothee Chalamat.

[Anne-Marie Gagne]

A book that I wish would become a movie (or even a TV series) would actually be a series of books. The Children of the Red King by Jenny Nimmo. The books are about children that have certain powers and the main character, Charlie Bone, is always in the middle of all the events that happen. Worries I have about any adaptations are that they'll put too many story lines in the other books into the first movie, if they make it a movie, and if they do a TV series that they'll take out a lot of the important themes because they want to make it too kid friendly.

[Aura Nightmoon]

A friend recommended that I read the Throne of Glass series, so I started reading it earlier last year. I would like to see a movie adaptation. I still have to read the final book in the series, but I slowed down because the fifth book was a bit too much for me with certain scenes and details that could have really been left out. I think the series would make a better show than a movie since there is a lot to it, and movies would leave out crucial details. However, certain things that could be left out of the movies or show would be all the romance stuff between two of the characters. The idea that they're in a relationship is necessary but just give the idea. No need to include everything else. I think the best live-action part of this series would be the Ironteeth witches. I have a picture of them in my mind, but I think they would be awesome to see visually.

[Kalgri Sicaria]

I would love for Garth Nix's Keys to the Kingdom series to be made into films. These were some of my favourite books as a child and I always wanted to be able to see the places described in the House. It would be costly to do as the number of special effects required would be considerable and few locations are re-used from book to book, meaning that locations and sets would not be re-used to save money. I'm not sure who I would choose to act the parts of the main characters as they are children, but I think that Gwendoline Christie would be a perfect Superior Saturday, and maybe David Thewlis as Grim Tuesday. The stories would probably work better as a TV series, as there is a lot to fit in that is important to the story and I would be worried that the ending may not be a satisfying conclusion if too much is left out.

[Prof. Sky Alton]

Another vote for a Garth Nix adaptation here, though my first pick would be one of his lesser known books, Newt's Emerald. It's a really fun historical fantasy based in regency London, where magical jewlery is commonplace (unsurprisingly, it's a jewel heiste romance mashup). I can imagine the costume and set design departments having an absolute field day with the fabulous fashions and interiors. The plot romps along at a really good pace to sustain a movie (there's plenty of action) and I feel like it could be easily covered in a couple of hours, where other books I love are too complicated for a movie to do them justice. No idea about casting the protagonists but I think Patricia Routledge would make a wonderful Lady Badgery.