2013 books to film - Part 1

Source: amandaonwriting.tumblr.com via Angela J. on Pinterest

Book-to-film adaptations did amazing this year at the Oscars, but now that the coveted golden statues have been handed out, we can look forward to the new crop of adaptations coming to the big screen in the coming year.

I was going to list all of the adaptations in one post, but it would have been ridiculously long, so here are the books-to-the big screen from January and February.



January

Gangster Squad: Covert Cops, the Mob, and the Battle for Los Angeles by Paul Lieberman

GANGSTER SQUAD chronicles the true story of the secretive police unit that waged an anything-goes war to drive Mickey Cohen and other hoodlums from Los Angeles after WWII. In 1946, the LAPD launched the Gangster Squad with eight men who met covertly on street corners and slept with Tommy guns under their beds. But for two cops, all that mattered was nailing the strutting gangster Mickey Cohen. Sgt. Jack O’Mara was a square-jawed church usher, Sgt. Jerry Wooters a cynical maverick. About all they had in common was their obsession. So O’Mara set a trap to prove Mickey was a killer. And Wooters formed an alliance with Mickey’s budding rival, Jack “The Enforcer” Whalen. Two cops -- two hoodlums.  Their fates collided in the closing days of the 1950s, when late one night “The Enforcer” confronted Mickey and his crew. The aftermath would shake both LA’s mob and police department, and signal the end of a defining era in the city’s history.

Film: (January 11) Stars Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Josh Brolin

John Dies at the End (John Dies at the End, #1) by David Wong

A new street drug that sends its users across time and dimensions has one drawback: some people return as no longer human. Can two college dropouts save humankind from this silent, otherworldly invasion?

Film: (January 25) Stars Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, Paul Giamatti

Flashfire (Parker novels, #19) by Richard Stark (pseud. Donald Westlake)

In Flashfire, Parker’s in West Palm Beach, competing with a crew that has an unhealthy love of explosions; when things go sour, Parker finds himself shot and trapped—and forced to rely on a civilian to survive.

A bit of trivia from IMBD: "This is the first adaptation of a Richard Stark/Parker novel to use the character name Parker. Although following movies are based on "Parker" novels the name was always changed: "Point Blank" (Walker), "The Split" (McClain), "The Outfit" (Macklin), Slayground (Stone) and "Payback" (Porter)."

Film: (January 25) Parker Stars Jason Statham, Jennifer Lopez, Michael Chiklis

February


Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

A zombie who yearns for a better life ends up falling in love—with a human—in this astonishingly original debut novel.

R is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams. He doesn’t enjoy killing people; he enjoys riding escalators and listening to Frank Sinatra. He is a little different from his fellow Dead.

Not just another zombie novel, Warm Bodies is funny, scary, and deeply moving.

Film: (February 1) Stars Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, John Malkovich

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Film: (February 14) Stars Alice Englert, Viola Davis, Emma Thompson, Emmy Rossum

Jean Trinh over at The Daily Beast reveals 14 differences between the book and the film.

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.

But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo's empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.

Film: (February 14) Stars Julianne Hough, Josh Duhamel, Cobie Smulders

This is the 8th book to film adaptation for Nicholas Sparks.

To Be Continued...