Books Becoming Movies in 2019 (Part Two)
It has already been established that books make for great source material when it comes to movies and there are plenty of blockbusters that can back up this fact. As seen in the first part of our article, 2019 is definitely shaping up to be another year that is going to be bursting at the seams with books based on movies. In this second part we will be taking a closer look at even more books that are making the transition from page to screen. It is quite an impressive selection and doesn't even include all the comic book adaptations that are also all the rage lately.
The Sun is also a Star
by Nicola Yoon
The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon was published in 2016 the Jamaican-American author, Nicola Yoon, and quickly became a bestseller. It also won numerous book of the year awards, so it was really just a matter of time before it got the movie deal that it deserved. The protagonists of the story are Natasha Kingsley, who will be played by Yara Shahidi in the upcoming movie and Daniel Bae, who will be portrayed by Charles Melton. After ten years of living in New York City, Natasha finds herself on the verge of being deported back to Jamaica due to the authorities discovering that her family are undocumented immigrants. Daniel, on the other hand, strives to get into Yale, to live up to the expectations of his family who emigrated to the United States from South Korea and expect him to become a doctor. Despite the fact that the two of them appear to have nothing in common, they meet on the final day that Natasha has left in the U.S and end up spending it together.
The Goldfinch
by Donna Tartt
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt was published in 2013 and caused quite a stir in the literary world. Some people loved it, while others were less enthusiastic about the story, but it eventually went on to win the Pulitzer Price for Fiction in 2014. It also spent more than thirty weeks on the bestseller list of the New York Times, which drew the attention of Warner Bros. Pictures and director John Crowley. For the upcoming film, Ansel Elgort will play the role of Theo Decker, the young man who nearly perishes in a terror attack that takes place at an art museum. His mother does not survive the attack, but Theo in the confusion of the aftermath, leaves with a small painting that he takes from the rubble of the museum. It is this painting that goes on to play an important role in his life.
After
by Anna Todd
After by Anna Todd has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide and became a bestseller in a number countries, which is not bad for an author who got her start on Wattpad. It started out as fan fiction about Harry Styles from the boy band One Direction, but the amount of views it got on Wattpad got the attention of Simon & Schuster, which landed Todd a publishing deal. After is the story of Tessa Young, who will be played by Josephine Langford in the film. Hero Fiennes-Tiffin will be stepping into the role of Hardin Scott, the brooding rebel who sweeps Tessa off her feet when she starts college. However, it is far from a typical romance, so expect things to get more than a little tumultuous. Anna is co-producing the film herself, which means it should be in safe hands.
The Knife of Never Letting Go
by Patrick Ness
Patrick Ness is no stranger to movie adaptations of his books as his 2011 novel, A Monster Calls, already got the big screen treatment in 2016 with big names such as Sigourney Weaver and Liam Neeson starring in it. However, The Knife of Never Letting Go, which was published in 2008, was actually his first young adult novel and it is now getting its own film. The protagonist of the book is a 12-year old boy named Todd Hewitt, who lives in a town here everyone is able to hear the thoughts of others. All his life Todd has been told that the germ causing this phenomena was also responsible for wiping out the female population, but shortly before his thirteenth birthday he learns that things are not quite that simple. Doug Liman, known for The Bourne Identity and American Made, is set to direct the film while Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley will be in the starring roles.
The Good Shepherd
by C. S. Forester
One of the oldest novels to receive the film treatment this year is The Good Shepherd by C. S. Forester. This historical novel was first published in 1955 and it is the story of Commander Krause, who is the captain of a US Navy ship during World War II. What made the novel unique is that Krause has never been engaged in a wartime mission despite spending a career in the Navy. However, he finds himself in command of an entire escort force, with captains that have much more experience than him despite being lower in rank as well as much younger. Krause must deal with his own self-doubts while keeping the convoy of ships safe from the German U-boats that have set their sights on them. The film version of The Good Shepherd is called Greyhound and with Tom Hanks setting into the shoes of Commander Ernest Krause, it promises to be a must-watch.
Conclusion
In addition to the movies mentioned above, there are quite a few others that will also be joining the line-up this year and beyond. These include Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, Where'd You go, Bernadette by Maria Semple and even a new version of The Call of the Wild by Jack London. What are the movies based on books that you are most looking forward to, or dreading, this year? Also, let us know what movies you think deserve to make the transition, whether it is brand new books that has never been featured or film or older books that deserve a second shot after a less than stellar adaptation.
