Books to movies

A Gentleman in Moscow. I really enjoyed it, it was so full of detail and there’d be plenty to put into a film.

I also adored Hamnet and can visualise it being filmed, although I was so immersed in the world of Stratford that maybe no movie could do it justice.

Scrublands by Chris Hammer. It’s set in Australia and opens with a priest shooting dead members of his congregation. The main character is a reporter sent to write a follow up story who ends up investigating and discovering the truth.
It was an amazing book, so well written and really gripping.

The other book I read recently that demands to be turned into a film is City of Windows by Robert Pobi, about a sniper in a snow bound American city. Brilliant.

Infinity2, City of Windows looks like a good read. I don't read very many cop/detective type books, but will pick one up on occasion.

I see Jeanine Cummins American Dirt is "in development". That should be exciting.

I saw Monique Roffey at a recent event. She said she is in discussion about the film rights for her 2020 Costa winner Mermaid of the Black Conch. I didn't get a chance to ask her whether she saw it as an animation - I was imagining something like Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs or, with screen actors, something akin to The Shape of Water.

I'm sure Ken Loach could make a brilliant film version of Shuggie McBain.

I'd like to see Anna Burns' Milkman made into a film. I can picture Saoirse Ronan in the lead.

I’m always, inevitability disappointed by filming of books I have enjoyed; from “Women in Love” to “One Day”. They never imagine the protagonists as I have and very often change lots of bits…l

CanadianGran
If they ruin Where the Crawdads sing I won’t be responsible for my actions.
One of the loveliest stories.

I finished Where the Crawdads Sing on Sunday (after a recommendation from Urmstongran ) not sure if I want to see the film as I have got such strong images of Kya, Tate, Jumpin and Chase look like in my mind.

(It was one of those rare books that I did not want to come to an end, totally unputdownable )

When I read a book I imagine the scenes described in my mind, the film is very different and in several cases is just using the name and a very thin storyline. So I’m unlikely to watch if I’ve read the book.

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes.
I would love to see a film of this.

I have yet to enjoy a film of a book I`ve read, they invariably leave me feeling short changed. And I definitely won`t go and see a Jack Reacher film, after years of reading the books, and falling in love with "big man" Jack Reacher, I just can`t stomach the idea of Tom Cruise playing the part.

As other posters said I am invariably disappointed in the film version of a book I have read. Never seems to match up to the pictures in my mind.

Hellogirl1 - I adore Lee Child and the Jack Reacher books. I’ve got every one he’s written.
Tom Cruise is lovely, but he wasn’t Jack Reacher. I see they’re making a new Amazon Prime series of it but I don’t have that so won’t be watching. Also Lee Child’s brother has taken over writing the novels so the last one was joint authored.
Personally I think you could tell which the authentic Lee Child bits are, but I might be delusional.

Jack Reacher - a real man !!

Except of course he isn’t.
He’s a fictional one.

I’ve only just started on the Jack Reacher books, who the hell cast Tom Cruise?

I remember going to see the film of Angela’s Ashes years ago after I’d read the book and was SO disappointed. I don’t like watching a film or TV version especially if it’s a book I love as the casting doesn’t usually match the images I have in my head. I also hate it when they change the storyline or the ending as often seems to happen! I will, however, read a book if I’ve enjoyed the dramatisation.

Sara1954 - He did !! Tom Cruise !!

Infinity2
Really? He thinks he looks like Jack Reacher?
Has he actually read any of the books?

I think Lee Child is Jack Reacher. Lee Child is a very good looking guy ( at least on his book jackets) ❤️

I read Crawdads - took me a while to get into it, but loved it afterwards. I imagine it will make a great movie Canadiangran

Infinity, it`s Lee Child`s son who`s taking over. I always pictured Reacher as looking like Peter Schmeikel (sp) as he was in his goal keeping days.

You’ve got excellent taste, Hellogirl1 - Peter Schmeichel was another gorgeous looking chap ! I think his son is a goalkeeper as well.
Why did I never meet anyone as gorgeous as these blokes ?
Gosh in my day you thought you’d done well if you met someone who got washed every night ?

Jack Reacher has been played by different people in different films, never the same one twice as far as I can remember. Ben Affleck was another. Far more like the books.

Many years ago as a student I met William Golding and he told some wonderful anecdotes.
The best one was when ‘Lord of the Flies’ was going to be turned into a film and he interviewed several Hollywood film-makers to discuss their ideas. One of them - I forget who, but a very well-known producer - came to him enthusiastically with a stunning option:
“Say, Mr Golding, why don’t we put some girls on this island to give it some hooman interest?”

Lucinda Riley’s ‘Seven Sisters’ series would make a very good TV series.