Let's say, for sake of reasoning, you were a famous writer or director and you had the chance to make a film out of a novel, what would you choose?

I'd make a version of a James Herbert book called 'The Spear'. It's a bit dated but I think it could be rejuvenated into a good script. I'm almost tempted to write it but it's pointless without the rights I suppose.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1250307.The_Spear

Probably LOOKING FOR ALASKA by John Green.

It's a young adult novel that one multiple awards upon its release.  The novel won the Michael. L Printz Award from the American Library Association.  The storyline is so great.  Something I have always wanted to adapt into a screenplay.

Paramount acquired the rights back in '05 but due to lack of interest it's been shelved indefinitely.  Which is sad, because this story has so much potential.  Sofia Coppola could make this beautiful.  She's the only director who I'd like to see direct a movie adaption if it were to ever come about again.

But for me, yes, Looking For Alaksa is the novel I would adapt.

Curt

I don't know about novels, but I've always wanted to produce an R-rated film about Samson. Guy killed a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey. It's a movie that begs to be made. Properly.

It's already been optioned, but I would adapt Old Man's War by John Scalzi.  It's one of my favorite reads recently and would translate well to a screenplay.

When I read 'The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher' I thought, I'd love to write this is a screenplay, and as I thought about it I heard it had been made in to a TV drama. lol.

The Snowman by Jo Nesbo; one of the best crime novels I've ever read.

Heard Scorsese was on board to direct an adaption of it for a while, but for whatever reason, that fell through.

I'm just waiting for the film companies to give me a call asking me if I'd like to come on board instead :P

A load of my favourite novels wouldn't lend themselves too well to adaptions, but I would still love to try and adapt some early Hemingway. For Whom The Bell Tolls would be one of the easier ones, as the narrator in that actually has a clear goal that he is working towards. I'd love to try and adapt The Sun Also Rises, but that one might be a little more tricky...

Quoted from Toby_E The Snowman by Jo Nesbo; one of the best crime novels I've ever read.

I'd co-write that one with ya.

Failing that I'd choose just about anything by Michael Connelly, especially anything with Harry Bosch, though if it was up to me I'd make them into a TV series rather than a film.

My first choice however would be any of the Jack Reacher novels. In particular I would choose 'The Enemy', which is a prequel where Reacher is still in the army.

Quoted from oJOHNNYoNUTSo It's already been optioned, but I would adapt Old Man's War by John Scalzi.  It's one of my favorite reads recently and would translate well to a screenplay.

I was interested in reading that actually but I'm pretty particular with reading Sci-Fis. What sort of timespan does it cover? As in does the story run for a few years or a few weeks etc. Also, are all the characters old people?


Love the Fallout icon too. When's 4 due?

In my late-teens and early-20's, I adapted a couple books into screenplays just to get a feel for rhythm and pacing.

'The Partner', by John Grisham, which ended up clocking in at 184 pages.  I knew even then I'd have to scale it back some.

I also turned the short story 'God Grant that She Lie Still', by Cynthia Asquith, into a feature spec.  It was done as a one hour episode on some show in the 60's, but mine I turned into a full-blown feature.  It had a great creepiness to it.

And, even though it's been done a couple times, I still don't think there's a version that does the book properly...  'Flowers for Algernon', by Daniel Keyes, will be my passion project, and is my ultimate goal one day.

Unfortunately, all those were lost in a computer crash, but I'd still work on every one of those again if given the chance.

One I'm seriously considering writing just so I could cut my teeth on a little bit of fantasy, is 'The Horrific Sufferings of the Mind-Reading Monster Hercules Barefoot; His Wonderful Love and His Terrible Hatred'.  I'll just cut it down to 'Hercules Barefoot', though.  I think it'd be a great Burton film

I feel really comfortable adapting stories to film, though.  Even my shorts were written as short stories first, then I adapted them as a screenplay.

-  Mark

It'd be fun to finish Clarke's "Sentinel" series, with 2061: Odyssey Three and 3001: The Final Odyssey. Maybe they could be done as one movie, making a trilogy? From what I remember of both books, that'd be cramming a lot of crap into one script, doing a disservice not just to Kubrick's 2001, but even Hyam's decent 2010.

Quoted from the goose I was interested in reading that actually but I'm pretty particular with reading Sci-Fis. What sort of timespan does it cover? As in does the story run for a few years or a few weeks etc. Also, are all the characters old people? Love the Fallout icon too. When's 4 due?

I'm not huge into science fiction either, but it was highly recommended and it was worth it.  It was a few years back since I've read it, but the story takes place in the near future.  It follows a good portion of the protagonists military career, from boot camp to war.  A Full Metal Jacket vibe.

It actually has a great concept that has become increasingly trendy in Hollywood lately IMO.  The way the concept is explored is humorous, but reminding.  Not all of the characters are "old" but the idea of going back into your youth with old knowledge has always resonated with me.  

Fallout 4? You tell me, lol!  I'm guessing when the new consoles come out.  I can't wait to waste 200+ hours of my life again.  I'm an addict.

I'd probably go with a Roald Dahl book. I never felt like any of the live action adaptations of his books got the tone right.

But apparently Quentin Tarantino is planning to write novels when he retires from directing. Can you imagine how awesome it would be to adapt a Tarantino book?

Carnivore by Leigh Clark.

It's Jurassic Park meets John Carpenter's The Thing.

Quoted from AmbitionIsKey Probably LOOKING FOR ALASKA by John Green. It's a young adult novel that one multiple awards upon its release.  The novel won the Michael. L Printz Award from the American Library Association.  The storyline is so great.  Something I have always wanted to adapt into a screenplay. Paramount acquired the rights back in '05 but due to lack of interest it's been shelved indefinitely.  Which is sad, because this story has so much potential.  Sofia Coppola could make this beautiful.  She's the only director who I'd like to see direct a movie adaption if it were to ever come about again. But for me, yes, Looking For Alaksa is the novel I would adapt. Curt

You could always do your own version of it, just change the character names and locations, write up your own twists, etc.

The Rainbow Cadenza, or The Stainless Steel Rat.  (Used to be Dream Park, but similiar things have been done...)

Coldheart Canyon by Clive Barker, even though it'd be impossible to produce.

A more sober aspiration would be Frankenstein. It's been done but I would be all over that if given a chance. I think a really solid version of the novel has yet to exist.

Carrion Comfort - Dan Simmons. Would prolly need to be a mini series

Doomsday Book - Connie Willis

The Power Of The Dog - Don Winslow

I'd like to see George R. R. Martin's Wild Cards series be produced as an HBO series.  There's no way it could be made as a movie (or even a trilogy); it's too big.


Phil

A re-boot of Relic by Preston Douglas and Lincoln Child (since that movie butchered the source material)...then that movie would serve to start franchise with the lead character - Special Agent Pendergast of the FBI.

Any of Daniel Silva's book that features Gabriel Allon.

(non-fiction) Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live by Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad. They could probably only focus on the show's first few years but even that would be an epic and crazy-entertaining: network politics, assemblying the cast, fights with censors, drugs, bigger-than-life personalities, the human tornado that was John Belushi, the pressure that came with turning out the shows and the live broadcasts every week, dealing with fame (the chapter on Chevy Chase's departure could be it's own movie). It would be the movie Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip wanted to be...but couldn't quite get there.

I'll give you a top 3. Can I do that?

No#1

First published in 1997, It's a little dated right now, (it's pre 9/11 and the late Saddam Hussein has a cameo) but I always thought a novel called Knight Hawk by Pat O' Connell would make an interesting action film.  It's about a female pilot who goes beserk in a F-15 and threatens to take out NYC. Another female fighter pilot attempts to stop her. If adapted, a few things would be switched about, of course, but it would be the essence oif the book.

No#2
"The Select" (aka The Foundation) by F/ Paul Wilson.
Kind of like 'The Firm' for med students. Only they use subliminal messages to get you to think like they do in regards to a contreversial medical program.

No#3
The Night Boat by Robert R. McCammon.
Nazi zombies from an old U Boat attack an island in the present day Carribean.
Need I say more?