It is hard to be a lover of both books and film, and not think after reading a really great book, “Wow, they should really make this into a movie.”  As I have discussed in past posts, the transition from the page to the screen can be something that is done remarkably well (for example, Stephen King’s “The Green Mile”), or with abysmal results (Demi Moore’s “The Scarlett Letter” always comes to mind).

Here is a list of films that I would love to see on the big screen someday.  I will just have to keep my fingers crossed that should any of these books receive a big screen adaptation, the resulting product will be fantastic cinema, and not a major disappointment:

The Alienist by Caleb Carr

Producer Scott Rudin purchased the film rights for this bestseller even before the book was published, and Carr admits while writing the film, he could envision a film adaptation with Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson.  However, budget costs, major conflicts over scripts and other delays have left this project languishing in development hell for more than 15 years.  Set in 1896 in New York City, this fast-paced thriller about two men and a determined woman who race to solve a series of brutal murders is my number one pick to see on the big screen, but ONLY if the project ends up in the right hands (which means there is no need to rewrite the storyline or the characters)!  While over 500 pages, this tight, suspenseful tale of a barbaric serial killer will keep you up at night turning pages to the fantastic ending!  If you haven’t read this book, do it, now.  Come on Hollywood, a film version of this book is long overdue!

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Fans say this is the mother of all historical fiction books and have loudly voiced their desire to see a screen adaptation.  However, for all the rumors, there seems to be no solid word of a film any time in the near future.

Set in 1945 and 1793, “Outlander” is a time-travel romance about Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, who is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon.  When she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles, she is suddenly a Sassenach–an “outlander”–in a Scotland torn by war and raiding Highland clans in the year of 1743.

Unfortunately, it looks like fans will have to wait a while longer to see a screen version of this popular novel.  Author Diana Gabaldon posted this comment on her website regarding the possibility of movie:

“There really isn’t any to speak of, but I know by this time that the fact that I don’t say anything isn’t sufficient to convince y’all that nothing’s going on. The option held by Essential Entertainment has expired, but they want to renew it, and we want to let them. So once that’s done, if anything’s changed or develops further, I’ll tell you, OK?”

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

Davidson’s debut novel kept me up late two nights in a row and made it hard to focus at work, even days after I finished the book. Beautiful and haunting, “The Gargoyle” tells the story of a nameless narrator who struggles to find his way after a fiery car accident robs him of his past life, a life of a handsome, but narcissistic, sex-obsessed drug addict.  Horribly scarred from the accident, he waits out his days in a burn ward, waiting for the time that he can be released so that he can finally kill himself and end the life he feels is no longer worth living.  But his life begins to change when a beautiful, but clearly unhinged, sculptress of gargoyles by the name of Marianne Engel appears at the foot of his bed and insists that they were lovers in past lives.  As Marianne nurses him back to health, and spins mesmerizing stories of deathless love in Japan, Iceland, Italy, and England, he finds himself drawn back to life. Yet as our narrator’s life seems to be coming together, Marianne’s is spinning wildly out of control.

Make no doubt about it, this page-turner could be a promising film.  Davidson’s detailed, visceral, emotional writing leaves lays the groundwork for scenes that could be breathtaking on the big screen.

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Listen to the Mustn’ts,child,
Listen to the Don’ts
Listen to the Shouldn’ts
The Impossibles, the Won’ts
Listen to the Never Haves,
Then listen close to me –
Anything can happen, child, Anything can be.

One of my all-time favorite books, “Where the Sidewalk Ends” is Shel Silverstein’s collections of poems and drawings that are not just quirky, good fun, but also quite profound in their message.  I think this really has all the makings for a magical film.  I could think of no one better to tackle the project than director Henry Selick (“Coraline,” “James and the Giant Peach”).  I hope someone in Hollywood takes notice…this could be an amazing film.

The Poet Prince by Kathleen McGowan

With the big screen success of Dan Brown’s “The Davinci Code” and “Angels and Demons,” I am surprised that we haven’t seen a string of similar themed films at the box office. Kathlen McGowan’s “Magdalence Line”of books seem ripe for the picking.  “The Poet Prince,” third in the series, just hit book shelves.  The novel tells the story of Maureen Pasachal, an author who is promoting her new bestseller—the explosive account of her discovery of a gospel written in Jesus’ own hand. But a scandalous headline about her lover, Bérenger Sinclair, shatters her plans and sends her to Florence. In Tuscany, heretical secrets regarding the family of Lorenzo de’ Medici, the godfather of the Italian Renaissance, begin to emerge, as well as the shocking truth behind the birth of the Renaissance.  McGowan has not only written a competent mystery, but also delivers a strong sense of setting through her skillful depictions of art and history.

What books do you most want to see on the big screen?  Or which books do you feel should never be made into a film?  I would love to read your thoughts, so leave me your comments!