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Movies Based on Books 
Read the Book Before You See the Movie. Which is better? You decide. Start browsing our year-by-year lists of movie adaptations of classic novels. See the menu on the right.
Upcoming Movies Based on Books
What Should I be Reading?
Each year an average of thirty novels are made into movies for the big screen. Authors watch tensely as their stories are filtered through the hands of screenwriters, directors, cinematographers, and studio chiefs. If they're lucky, these film adaptations do the original story justice. However,
it is often the case that the book is significantly better than the movie. Here, we present upcoming movie adaptions of classic novels to keep you up-to-date on what books are being adapted for the big screen. See the right column for yearly movie and a novel listings.
 (Buy Book)
| ASSOCIATE, THE (2010) (Legal, Thriller, Law Firm, Yale, Lawsuit, Adaptation)
 
PLOT: Starring Shia Labeouf, The Associate is based on John Grisham's legal thriller, which centers on a student who is about to graduate from Yale Law School. The young man is manipulated into accepting a job at a prestigious law firm and given privileged information about a multibillion-dollar lawsuit. AUTHOR:
John Grisham
|  (Buy Book)
| CORALINE (2009) (3D, Stop Motion, Animation, Alternate World, Get Back Home, Adaptation)
PLOT: The 3D animated movie Coraline is based on the graphic novel by Neil Gaiman. It tells the story of a young girl who walks through a door in her house that leads her to an alternate world. If you're thinking Narnia, you'd be wrong. Coraline is a much darker story, from the director of A Nightmare Before Christmas. Coraline features the voices of Dakota Fanning and Teri Hatcher. AUTHOR:
Neil Gaiman
|  (Buy Book)
| WATCHMEN (2009) (Comic Book, Superhero, Murder, Friends, Investigation, Adaptation)
PLOT: Watchmen is based on the graphic novel of the same name, which critics often herald as the greatest comic ever written. The story is as sophisticated as any novel. The setting is a gritty and alternate 1985, a time when the glory days of costumed vigilantes have been brought to a close by a government crackdown. However, after one of the masked veterans is brutally murdered, an investigation into who is responsible begins. The reunited heroes set out to prevent their own destruction, but in doing so they discover a deeper and far more diabolical plot. AUTHOR:
Alan Moore
|  (Buy Book)
| ANGELS & DEMONS (2009) (Religion, Secret Society, Mystery, Murder, Adaptation)
PLOT: The movie's story follows world-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), who is summoned to a Swiss research facility (CERN) to analyze a mysterious symbol seared into the chest of a murdered physicist. Langdon discovers evidence of the rebirth of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati. At the same time, he and the deceased physicist's daughter, Vittoria (Ayelet Zurer), uncover clues that lead them to a weapon that could kill millions. AUTHOR:
Dan Brown
|  (Buy Book)
| THE NO. 1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY (2009) (Detective, Africa, Culture, Mystery, Crime Solving, Adaptation)
PLOT: Airing on HBO in 2009, the movie, directed by Anthony Minghella, tells the story of a plus-size Botswana woman, who starts up the country's first female-owned detective agency. Mma Ramotswe's love of Africa, her wisdom and humor, shine through these pages as she shines her own light on the problems that vex her clients. The first book has led to a series of novels under the same title. AUTHOR:
Alexander McCall Smith
|  (Buy Book)
| CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC (2009) (Shopping, Debt, Romance, Adaptation)
PLOT: 25-year-old Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fisher) has everything she wants, or does she? Rebecca is a shopaholic up to her heels in credit card debt. Ironically, she writes for a magazine called Successful Saving. Rebecca's "imaginative" solutions to her debt attract the attention of Luke Brandon (Hugh Dancy), a multimillionaire PR representative for a finance group that is often featured in Successful Saving. AUTHOR:
Sophie Kinsella
|  (Buy Book)
| SPIRIT, THE (2009) (action, vigilante, crime, comic book, detective, Adaptation)
PLOT: Based on the 1940s comic book created by the legendary Will Eisner, The Spirit tells the story of detective Denny Colt, who returns from a coma-like state of suspended animation. He comes back as a masked vigilante, who fights crime with the blessing of the city's police commissioner. Starring Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Mendes, and Jaime King. Graphic novelist Frank Miller directs. AUTHOR:
Will Eisner
|  (Buy Book)
| MY SISTER'S KEEPER (2009) (Family, Sisters, Illness, Courtroom, Transplant, Adaptation)
PLOT: Kate Fitzgerald has a rare form of leukemia. Her sister, Anna, was conceived to provide a donor match for procedures that become increasingly invasive. At 13, Anna (Abigail Breslin) hires a lawyer so that she can sue her parents for the right to make her own decisions about how her body is used when a kidney transplant is planned. Meanwhile, Jesse, the neglected oldest child of the family, is out setting fires, which his firefighter father, Brian, inevitably puts out. Cameron Diaz stars as Sara Fitzgerald, the mother of the children. AUTHOR:
Jodi Picoult
|  (Buy Book)
| WOLVERINE (2009) (Comic Book, X-Men, Action, Adaptation)
PLOT: Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) lives a mutant life, seeks revenge against Victor Creed (who will later become Sabertooth) for the death of his girlfriend, and ultimately ends up going through the mutant Weapon X program. The movie, a comic book adaptation, also stars Liev Schreiber and Dominic Monaghan. AUTHOR:
Len Wein
|  (Buy Book)
| DARK FIELDS (2010) (Sci-Fi, Techno, Thriller, Drugs, Intelligence, Adaptation)
PLOT: Eddie Spinola (Shia LaBeouf) is hooked on MDT-48. It's Viagra for the brain-a designer drug that's redesigning his life. But while MDT is helping Eddie achieve the kind of success he's only dreamed about, it's also chipping away at his sanity-splitting headaches, spontaneous blackouts, violent outbursts. And now that he's hooked and his supply is running low, Eddie must venture into the drug's dark past to feed his habit. AUTHOR:
Alan Glynn
|  (Buy Book)
| WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE (2009) (Children, Imagination, Mother Son, No Place Like Home, Adaptation)
PLOT: Max is so mad at his mother one evening, when she puts him in his room, he sails off for a year, venturing out where the wild things are - huge, strange looking creatures with terrible eyes and terrible claws, who dance by the light of the moon. Fearful of Max, the creatures crown him as their ruler. The movie adaptation features the voices of Forest Whitaker, Paul Dano, Catherine Keener, and James Gandolfini. The script was penned by director Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers. AUTHOR:
Maurice Sendak
|  (Buy Book)
| JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA (2009) (Comic Book, DC Comics, Action, Adventure, Teamwork, Adaptation)
PLOT: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, the Flash and other superheroes unite to to fight against evil forces. The original Justice League first appeared in 1960. However, the team roster has rotated throughout the years to include such recognizable characters as Green Arrow, Atom, Hawkman, Black Canary, Captain Marvel, Plastic Man and dozens of others. AUTHOR:
Gardner Fox
|  (Buy Book)
| LOVELY BONES, THE (2009) (Drama, Murder, Rape, Heaven, Investigation, Family, Adaptation)
PLOT: Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings) directs this adaptation of the Alice Sebold novel. The story surrounds a young girl named Susie (Saoirse Ronan) who was brutally raped and murdered. She watches the effects of her death on her family from Heaven. In her family's search for her lost body, her parents drift apart, her father becomes obsessed with vengeance and her sister grows into the woman she would never have the chance to be. Also starring Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz. AUTHOR:
Alice Sebold
|  (Buy Book)
| WHIP IT (2009) (Teen, Drama, Comedy, Sports, Roller Derby, Adaptation)
PLOT: Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page) is a teenage misfit stuck in a dead-end town outside Austin, Texas. To release her frustrations with life, she decides to compete in a Roller Derby league. The movie marks Drew Barrymore's directorial debut. AUTHOR:
Shauna Cross
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Classic Movies Based on Books
Past Film Adaptations of Classic Novels
Books Just Added - Our archive of movie adaptations is always growing. Here,
we present memorable movies from the past that have recently been added to our database of movies based on novels. Whether you are familiar with the film version or not, experience the story
in it's most classic form, and then enjoy the filmmaker's vision of the author's work.
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| GEORGE WALLACE (1997) (Politics, Segregation, Alabama, Divorce, Adaptation)
PLOT: This epic bio directed by John Frankenheimer stars Gary Sinise as American politician George Wallace. The four-term Alabama Governor is best known for his pro-segregation attitudes during the American desegregation period, convictions he modified later in life. Wallace also ran for U.S. President four times, running as a Democrat three times. Angelina Jolie stars as Cornelia Wallace, George's second wife whom he also divorced. AUTHOR:
Marshall Frady
|  (Buy Book)
| READER, THE (2008) (WWII, Nazi, Affair, Sex, Older Woman, War Crimes, Adaptation)
PLOT: The Reader, which gained popularity after being an Oprah's Book Club selection, tells the story of law student Michael Burk, who is reunited with his former lover Hanna (Kate Winslet) as she defends herself in a Nazi war-crime trial, post WWII. Michael's long, obsessive affair with the older woman Hanna began when Michael was 15, and it's been nearly a decade since they've spoken. Will his lingering feelings for his former lover help him to overlook her unspeakable war crimes? AUTHOR:
Bernhard Schlink
|  (Buy Book)
| DUCHESS, THE (2008) (18th Century, Devonshire, Scandal, Marriage, Affair , Adaptation)
PLOT: A chronicle of the life of 18th century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who was reviled for her extravagant political and personal life. The Duchess falls passionately in love with an ambitious young politician after putting up with her husband's live-in mistress. The movie adaptation stars Keira Knightley as the Duchess. Actor Ralph Fiennes portrays her husband, the Duke of Devonshire. AUTHOR:
Amanda Foreman
|  (Buy Book)
| HAUNTING, THE (1963) (Horror, Supernatural, Haunted House, Suspense, Adaptation)
PLOT: Dr. Markway, doing research to prove the existence of ghosts, investigates Hill House, a large, eerie mansion with a long history of violence, death, and insanity. With him are the skeptical young Luke, who stands to inherit the house, the mysterious and clairvoyant Theodora and the insecure Eleanor, whose psychic abilities make her feel somehow attuned to whatever spirits inhabit the old mansion. Soon, the ghostly presence in the house manifests itself in horrific and deadly ways. AUTHOR:
Shirley Jackson
|  (Buy Book)
| LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (2008) (Horror, Vampire, Friendship, Love, Morality, Murder, Adaptation)
PLOT: Oscar, an overlooked and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl who turns out to be a vampire. Eli needs to drink other people's blood to live. How much can one person overlook a loved one's wrongdoing? The movie, based on the book by Swiss author John Ajvide Lindqvist, took top honors at the Tribeca Film Festival. AUTHOR:
John Ajvide Lindqvist
|  (Buy Book)
| TRUE BLOOD (2008) (Vampire, Society, Discrimination, Telepathy, Louisiana, Adaptation)
PLOT: The HBO television series follows Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), a barmaid living in Louisiana who can read people's minds. Her life is turned upside down when the Vampire Bill (Stephen Moyer) walks into her place of employment two years after vampires 'came out of the coffin' on national television. AUTHOR:
Charlaine Harris
|  (Buy Book)
| CITY OF EMBER (2008) (Underground, Ancient City, Technology, Light, Friendship, Adaptation)
PLOT: For generations, the people of the underground City of Ember have flourished in an amazing world of glittering lights. But Ember's once powerful generator is failing ... and the great lamps that illuminate the city are starting to flicker. Now, two teenagers in a race against time, must search Ember for clues that will unlock the ancient mystery of the city's existence, and help the citizens escape before the lights go out forever. Starring Bill Murray and Tim Robbins. AUTHOR:
Jeanne Duprau
|  (Buy Book)
| GOLDEN COMPASS, THE (2007) (Orphan, Parallel Universe, Kidnap, Talking Animals, Adaptation)
PLOT: In a parallel universe, young Lyra Belacqua journeys to the far North to save her best friend and other kidnapped children from terrible experiments by a mysterious organization known as The Magisterium. The movie, starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, bares the name of the first novel in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, The Golden Compass. The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass round out the series of books. AUTHOR:
Philip Pullman
|  (Buy Book)
| HOUSE (2008) (Horror, Killer, Vacation, Trapped, Haunted House, Adaptation)
PLOT: The horror movie House is based on the book by authors Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker. Two couples vacationing in Alabama are pursued by a maniac killer. They flee deep into the woods and take refuge in an old house that has been vacated for years, or so they think. They soon discover that they are not alone and that the killer has purposely lured them to this house. It seems that the killer and the house are somehow working together. They try to leave, but the house won't let them. AUTHOR:
Ted Dekker
|  (Buy Book)
| ANGEL (2007) (Teenager, Poverty, Author, Success, Adaptation)
PLOT: The movie is based on the novel by Elizabeth Taylor (not the famous actress). Fifteen-year-old Angel (Romola Garai) writes stories that allow her to escape the poverty around her and retreat to a world of romance. She knows she is different, that she is destined to become a feted authoress, owner of great riches and of Paradise House. After reading The Lady Irania, publishers Brace and Gilchrist are certain the novel will be a success, in spite of—and perhaps because of—its overblown style. But they are curious as to who could have written such a book. Also starring Sam Neill. AUTHOR:
Elizabeth Taylor
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A good book is the best of friends, the same today and forever.
~Martin Farquhar Tupper
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