Five Movies Coming Out In 2013 That Are Based On Books
Lately it feels like there is a delicious abundance of adaptations in the theater, but sometimes the big, huge titles drown out the buzz for movies being adapted from “less popular” books.
This list isn’t about the likes of Ender’s Game, Hunger Games, Carrie, The Great Gatsby, The Host, and others. It’s about the “little guys.” Check out my quick list of five movies being adapted to film this year that you might want to read first.
WARM BODIES: This movie is getting a surprising amount of buzz for something I’ve never heard of until recently. Warm Bodies is about a boy who is a zombie (an infected?), but meets a human (healthy?) girl and begins to regain his humanity (be healed?). It’s supposed to be romantic, and scary, and the trailers are making the film look goofy. The book by Isaac Marion and published in 2011 has been described to me as much more deep than its adaptation, and what’s more I think it’s interesting the story is told from the zombie perspective. Warm Bodies is slated to premier in February.
THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST: The Reluctant Fundamentalist follows the story of Changez, a Pakistani man who moves to New York and lands an amazing job after finishing his school career in France. The more he gets involved with America though, the more he looks back at his “fundamentals,” that is, back home. The book it’s based on is written by Mohsin Hamid and was published in 2007. It has received plenty of awards and accolades and has the potential to be a truly insightful film.
BEAUTIFUL CREATURES: Ready for a change of pace? Beautiful Creatures has a more dark theme to it — it’s about some big, fat secrets in a tiny Southern town. The two people in the middle of it all are Lena and Ethan, who meet each other in the midst of fighting their own demons. They team up and set out to uncover the dirty truth behind their own families and their hometown. The book is a part of a series written by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia, and Beautiful Creatures was published in 2009.
I, FRANKENSTEIN: You know the story of Frankenstein and his Monster? Okay, think about that, except this Monster has a mission. It involves a huge all-out battle between humans and the supernatural, which doesn’t sound creative at all, but I, Frankenstein is adapted from what is originally a graphic novel. I’ve found that movies adapted this way can be super interesting visually (think Kick-Ass, Scott Pilgrim vs the World, etc.), so I’m not writing it off just yet. The original story is by Kevin Grevioux, who is also strongly involved in the Underworld series. Oh, and Two-Face (I mean, Aaron Eckhart) is starring as Adam (that’s Frankenstein’s Monster), so I am extra intrigued.
EPIC: Out of all the films on this list, EPIC is definitely the most kid-friendly. It’s based on a childrens book by William Joyce titled The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs. The film takes some liberties with the story and adds the element of a young girl being transferred into the world in her garden, but the basic (book) story is that an old lady who tends to her garden has fallen ill and the bugs go on a quest to save her, and thus, their home.
It seems like a fun one with plenty of heart, even though the old lady doesn’t seem to be a part of the movie at all. Rather, the girl’s father is obsessed with looking for the little men that protect the forest, and she comes across them quite by accident. The music is all dramatic and pretty for the trailer, but the movie itself seems like it’s going to be goofy. Either way, bring your kids.
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Kristina is a freelance photographer and writer with too many hobbies and not a single idea what she wants to be when she grows up. It probably involves sunflowers, books, and a healthy amount of travel. For now, she writes about nerdy stuff. You can learn more about Kristina at geekerydo.blogspot.com or follow her on Twitter (@kriskitten). She is more of a dog person and has never even owned a cat.
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