There is a lot of hype lately surrounding the exciting movie news with YA books being turned into movies. From The Mortal Instruments Series, to Divergent, The Hunger Games and more. When it comes to books vs movies, I'm #TeamBooks all the way. I feel like a lot of what I love about a book is lost when it's made into a movie. I've yet to watch a movie that was inspired by a book or a series that captured everything I loved about it in the movie. Nor do I think I'll every feel that way, because a movie can't capture all the things that I imagine or feel about a book. That's not to say I won't go watch the movie or enjoy it, but when it comes down to it I love my books more than movies.
I love what Screen Gems has done w/ the The Mortal Instruments Movie casting so far, in the fact that they've worked with Cassie and they're not rushing in their casting choice. To me as a fan, the speaks volumes that they want to make sure they get the right cast together. All to often the casting of YA movies makes or breaks the movie for me. Take the Twilight movies for example. I know there's a lot of things that didn't match the books, but the cast made the movie for me.
Here's a list of YA books that are currently optioned for movies:
* The Mortal Instrument Series by Cassandra Clare
* Divergent by Veronica Roth
* Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
* Wake by Lisa McMann
* Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
* Delirium by Lauren Oliver
* Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
* The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
* Wings by Aprilynne Pike
* The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
* Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
* Firelight by Sophie Jordan
* The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
* Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
* The Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
* Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
* Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
* Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
* Heist Society by Ally Carter
* The Last Apprentice by Joseph Delaney
* Legend by Marie Lu
* The Maze Runner by James Dashner
It's true I've not finished reading the Harry Potter series *gasp* so I can't compare the books to the movies, but from the few movies I've seen from the series and from the first three books I read, I liked what they did. New Moon and Eclipse are other movies I thought they did a good job with some what staying true to the books.
Here's a list of some recent MG and YA books that have made into movies:
* The Harry Potter Series
* The Chronicles of Narnia series
* The Twilight Series
* Beastly
* I Am Number 4
* Red Riding Hood
* Percy Jackson
* The Diary of a Wimpy Kid
* The Golden Compass
* Eragon
* Nick & Nora's Infinite Play List
* Avalon High
* Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
* Princess Diaries
* Coraline
I'm sure there's some books and movies I've accidentally left off both lists (please leave me a comment letting me know if I left off your favorite book or movie and I'll add it).
What are your thoughts on books being made into movies? What YA book being turned into a movie are you most looking forward to seeing?
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OMG someone else who hasn't finished the Harry Potter series! Go us!
ReplyDeleteI started watching The Golden Compass last night and simply found it less exciting than the book, if that makes sense. Sometimes movies honestly just can't beat the power of the human imagination!
Eragon was supposedly made into a film but it was a fiasco, they changed absolutly everything!!
ReplyDeleteJessi- CHEERS to us! LOL I've not seen that movie yet, but I just added it to the list. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteNathiel- I've not seen Eragon, but I heard that nothing matched the book at all. Thank you for your comment. I also added this movie to the list.
The movies completely ruined Beastly and Eragon, but I'm being optimistic because I Am Number Four and the Harry Potter movies weren't ruined too bad. However, if they ruin the Mortal Instruments, Vampire Academy, Firelight or Paranormalcy I will not be a happy camper.
ReplyDelete@Nathiel: Totally agree. Eragon was so bad it was kind of funny. Really disappointing, actually. The books are some of my all-time favorites.
ReplyDeleteWhen you read books, it's kind of a personal experience, no matter how many read-alongs you do, or how many analysis questions you answer. In the end, the way you perceive the book is your own. Movies can't capture exactly how you pictured the book. So... I'm not much of a book-movie person.
By the way, I don't know what you guys are all waiting for. There isn't going to be an eighth HP book, so get reading!
Ooohh, you forgot to mention Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher! I don't know if you've read it or not but, if you haven't, do so! It's great and quick, and its being made into a movie makes me really happy!
ReplyDeleteJuan,
Geeks & Books
I read in PW that the Grimm Legacy has been optioned.
ReplyDeleteOther books to movies:
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Flipped
Avalon High
Princess Diaries
Lemonade Mouth
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Whip it
Scott Pilgrim (graphic novel)
Inkheart
City of Ember
Coraline
Cirque Du Freak
Great post. Glad they are looking at great books to do. I found that I have to view to movie as something kind of separate from the book or I'll never enjoy it.
ReplyDeletePaper Towns, Looking For Alaska, Let it Snow, Before I Fall, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares, Beautiful Creatures, If I Stay, Fahrenheit 451, Shiver, Thirteen Reasons Why, Uglies, and Wake have been optioned as well. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist was also made into a movie already.
ReplyDeleteI think books and movies are a totally different experience for me. Books give me something to think about while most movies based on books are just fun to watch. So I enjoy both but in different ways. :)
The Nine Lives of Chloe King by Celia Thompson is a book turned TV show which seems to be an interesting concept. Given the success of True Blood, I think that you might actually get more of the story accuracy with TV Shows.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all your comments!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the book and movie titles I didn't mention. I just added many of them to the post.
Lucia- lol Sophie read the HP series as it came out and I waited, but now that they're are so many other books being released, I keep pushing off on finishing the series.
I love seeing books turned into movies so that list excites me! That said, the book is always better and it won't stop me from reading the books first. :)
ReplyDeleteI often find it easier to enjoy the movie if I haven't read the book yet. Being the reader I am, though, that almost never happens, and the book is always better. This doesn't usually stop me from seeing the movie version, but I know going in that there are going to be elements that will disappoint. As Lucia pointed out, too, the reading experience is personal; it can be difficult for movies to live up to readers' expectations.
ReplyDeleteOne note: Red Riding Hood was actually based on the movie's screenplay, not the other way around. This is so rare that I found it interesting.
I am both fearful and delighted when books I love are turned into movies. I usually just have to remind myself that they are two separate things and not to nitpick and I am good! If it is a book I am just middling on, I usually really like to see how it can be adapted to film and welcome the changes.
ReplyDeleteDont feel bad I havent even started the Harry Potter series i want to listen to it with my kids. And you know they will srew up the movies one way or another they cant keep everybody happy i agree with Jessi they just cant compare to our imagination. Here are some titles I found on the IMBD web site: Beautiful Creatures Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, Fallen Lauren Kate, Before I Fall and Delirium Lauren Oliver, The Graveyard Book Neil Gaiman, Legend Marie Lu, The Looking Glass Wars Frank Beddor, The Invention of Hugo Cabret Brian Selznick, A Great and Terrible Beauty Libba Bray, Forgotten Cat Patrick, Shiver Maggie Stiefvater, Uglies Scott Westerfeld, Maze Runner James Dashner, The Last Apprentice Joseph Delaney, Maximum Ride James Pattereson, Heist Society Ally Carter, Valiant Holly Black, The House of Night P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast. But I sooooo wish wish wish that Tiger's Curse Colleen Houck and Strange Angels Lili St. Crow would be picked up for movies
ReplyDeleteI've found that if I don't read the book first, I won't read it after I see the movie. For some reason seeing a movie before reading the book ruins the book for me. Which is part of the reason why I've not finished Harry Potter. I feel like I already know everything that's going to happen and I picture the movie in my head as I'm reading it and it ruins it for me.
ReplyDeleteGreat comments on books and movies being separate things. I completely agree. I read books when I want to escape and I watch movies to be entertained. There's quite a few books optioned for movies right now and I'm excited to find out which ones will actually get turned into movies.
Thank you for the list. There's a few on the IMBD page that have been optioned for a few years and nothing is happening with them, which is why I didn't list them on the post. Libba's is one of them. Being optioned for a movie does not mean it will be made into one. I hope that many of those on the list turn into movies.
Wow! Some of these I didn't know about, so thanks for the heads up! I tend to always like the books better, but I get excited about movie adaptations as well. Looks like we'll have a lot to look forward to in the future!
ReplyDeleteIt's Kind of a Funny Story was recently made into a movie as well. I was surprised it was a YA book since I saw the movie first. I liked it though and I'm sure the book's great too.
ReplyDeleteUnwind and Everlost have been optioned as well.
ReplyDeleteYay! I've been dreaming of Uglies being made into a movie. Ooh I can't wait to read Legend, but man it's not even published yet and its going to be made into a movie! Wow.
I'm still waiting for Hush, Hush to be made into a movie! Such a good book!
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