If $$$ was not a problem, what novel would you make into a movie?

Frizzle Fry said:
I'm surprised it hasn't been done already ... What a great novel, with tons of great action!
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I know! I am thinking about getting a script together.

Personally I find the novel too long and repetitive and would improve from being cut down to a film... by me :grin:
 
And maybe you could add a story. :-)

Sorry...but that novel was a big disappointment for me after the rest. Seemed more like "Damn! My contract says I have to release another novel this year."

Dan
 
Jonathan Lethem's "Gun with Occasional Music." Not only would it be a stellar movie, but you gotta admit, that's a great title!
 
Talking of Heinlein books, there have been movies of "The Puppet Masters", and "Starship Troopers", both of which were awful. Puppet Masters was arguably closer to the intent of the book than Troopers, but was still very lame. Not only was Troopers very different to the book, but it portrayed opposite viewpoints to the book, making it a satire on the book, rather than an adaption of it. That said, Moon is a Harsh Mistress would probably make the best movie from a Heinlein book, and it's story is all the more important today than it's ever been.

Graeme
 
Remake Gorillas In The Mist..even though it was a movie...lol that movie is so weird..but funny in my opinion.. muahhaha

Another good book would be 1984
 
Check out Migel Kneale's adaption of 1984 for the BBC in 1954. It's crude, live and black and white. starring Peter Cushing, but superbly acted and still one of the best pieces of television ever made...

Graeme
 
blckhawk542 said:
Remake Gorillas In The Mist..even though it was a movie...lol that movie is so weird..but funny in my opinion.. muahhaha

Another good book would be 1984
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Yeah, I'd love to do "1984", but I think Michael Radford's version ( brilliantly photographed by Roger Deakins) is outstanding and would be a tough act to follow.

I'd love to do an anthology of Bukowski's short stories. I do love the novel "Post Office" also.
 
I don't see the logic in making a Farenheit 451 movie. It's a book about the virtues of the written word. People should be reading it, not watching it passively in a theater...Plus, so much of what makes Bradbury's work great is the poetry of his words, not necessarily the story being told, and I don't know how you translate that to the screen. I'm of the opinion that if a book is great, truly great, which Farenheit is, then it's already in its highest form of expression, and all a movie can do is give us a lesser version. That being said, I think good and even mediocre books can make great films (Jaws, The Godfather). Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash would make a great movie if the 3rd act (which the book doesn't have) could be worked out. Also, you can't beat the Lensman series for pulpy entertainment, although a faitful adaptation would be ill-advised considering the author's shameless misogyny.
 
Batutta said:
I don't see the logic in making a Farenheit 451 movie. It's a book about the virtues of the written word. People should be reading it, not watching it passively in a theater...Plus, so much of what makes Bradbury's work great is the poetry of his words, not necessarily the story being told, and I don't know how you translate that to the screen. I'm of the opinion that if a book is great, truly great, which Farenheit is, then it's already in its highest form of expression, and all a movie can do is give us a lesser version. That being said, I think good and even mediocre books can make great films (Jaws, The Godfather). Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash would make a great movie if the 3rd act (which the book doesn't have) could be worked out. Also, you can't beat the Lensman series for pulpy entertainment, although a faitful adaptation would be ill-advised considering the author's shameless misogyny.
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You are right, "Farenheit 451" is a great book, but so far has been made into an ok movie (wich I've noted by past posts is debatable). However, this is a forum for moving picture makers and when I asked the original post, I was interested in what books this group was interested in adapting.

You are also right about mediocre books making great films. Just look at "The Maltese Falcon". From stories I've heard, John Huston adapted the book almost verbatim, yet he rises the contents from pulp novel to damn near masterpiece, IMHO.
 
The Long Walk - Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman).

I'd heard somebody was making this into a movie... that was a few years back and have heard nothing since.

GO GO GARRATY NUMBER 47
 
Movies I'd do if money no object

Movies I'd do if money no object

"John Carter of Mars" ...with Hugh Jackman as the lead, but who to cast as Dejah Thoris? Patricia Velasquez maybe? Famke Janssen? Nope. I would want one of those 'Boris Vallejo Voluptuous Chick' girls...

Oh man. I just did some googling and see that JCoM is already in pre-production.

Other books:

Any of the "Doc Savage" stuff.

Any of Poe's Cthulhu Mythos material.
 
The House of Leaves by Daniel Z. Danielewski - This is a dream project for me. This is the scariest book, film, any form of medium, work of art I have ever experienced. I literally would lay awake at night freaked out, and it totally disoriented me... never had anything grip me in such a way. A film if done right would reinvigorate the horror genre and make people stop saying that 'movies aren't scary anymore' (which they really aren't).

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson - You thought The Matrix was cool? This would blow it away and truly bring cyberpunk to the big screen.

And finally, this is more of a 'graphic novel', but I'd kill to do PREACHER, by Garth Ennis.
 
speedbump said:
Oh man. I just did some googling and see that JCoM is already in pre-production.
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And has been for umpteen years. Don't give up. You might still have a chance to make one of your own. :laugh:

Me, if I were to do it, I'd get Michael Whelan as production designer. Or, at least, use his covers from '79 Del Rey paperback editions as a guide.

Who cares about Dejas Thoris? I want Thuvia. Mmmmm....

Dan
 
Batutta said:
Also, you can't beat the Lensman series for pulpy entertainment, although a faitful adaptation would be ill-advised considering the author's shameless misogyny.
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A full adaptation would require a cable series. Fun fun fun.

Especially if you "complete" the series with Kim & Kit...something Smith couldn't do, back then.

Dan
 
Batutta said:
I don't see the logic in making a Farenheit 451 movie. It's a book about the virtues of the written word. People should be reading it, not watching it passively in a theater...Plus, so much of what makes Bradbury's work great is the poetry of his words, not necessarily the story being told, and I don't know how you translate that to the screen. I'm of the opinion that if a book is great, truly great, which Farenheit is, then it's already in its highest form of expression, and all a movie can do is give us a lesser version.
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I totally agree about Bradbury's stories being strongest in written form. Just look at the past productions based on his work... there have actually been a LOT! Sadly, they have not been translated to screen well. Some of the short stories work out sometimes, and his Twilight Zone stuff is good... but overall people seem to have a hard time conveying the same experience visually. Bradbury's strengths lie in how he uses words and his masterful grasp of metaphor. There seems to be a huge challenge in adapting this literature to a visual medium.

HOWEVER!!

Since Bradbury is my favorite author I would love to be included in that long line of folks who got to take a crack at his work. He does write for the screen and has adapted his own work... it just seems that other people think they know better than the author. I should have said "I'd love to take a crack at Fahrenheit 451 and use a screenplay written by Bradbury himself!"

I read the book before I saw the Truffaut film. While the film is interesting when looking at Truffaut, it doesn't do the novel justice IMO. That book is full of visually stunning sequences and excitement that just don't make it into the Truffaut film. MANIACAL ROBOT DOGS ANYONE?! The film does do one interesting thing... there are no written titles. Everything is spoken during the opening rather than placing words on screen. Fits well with the book... though I'd probably opt for going ahead with the text on screen and maybe having it start to burn or something.

I'd also love to do "Dandelion Wine," but I think that would prove an even greater challenge than 451.
 
speedbump said:
Any of Poe's Cthulhu Mythos material.
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Is Cthulhu mythos not from H.P. Lovecraft ?

But I agree, most of Lovecraft stories would make great movies.
 
Alright

I changed my answer.

I'd make The Bible

I'd do a 3 Part Trilogy with each one being like 3 Hours long

That would be cool.

(And I'm not even considered a religious dude for the record)
 
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