Books on the Big Screen

This year’s anticipated adaptations

I try to read books before they hit the silver screen, but truthfully, it doesn’t usually happen. This year, I’m planning ahead. It seems like a great year for book adaptations, from children’s classics getting a darker twist, to modern cult favourites getting mainstream attention. To make sure I don’t miss them, I’ve compiled a list of adaptations that look the most promising and created my must-read list.

The Hunger Games

I was hooked when this film’s first teaser was released. Dramatically fading to black between shots, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) was frantically running through the woods with a bow and arrow as trees on fire crashed down. I had no idea what was going on, but it was intense. I was sold.

Release date: March 23

The Great Gatsby

I’ve heard all the references to Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby, but I’ve never really understood them. The F. Scott Fitzgerald classic has been on my “To Read” list forever, but now that Baz Luhrmann (Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge) is directing it, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire and Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan (in his unpaid Hollywood debut), I must read it right now.

Release date: December 25

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

The title alone makes me laugh, but it sounds amazing, doesn’t it? It’s based on the mashup novel by Seth Grahame-Smith, the same guy who penned Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. And yes, it exactly what it sounds like; Abe Lincoln has a secret life as a vampire hunter.

Release date: June 22

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

This movie is the best film news in the past nine years for Lord of the Rings megafans. Peter Jackson brings us back to Hobbiton with this prequel to the epic J. R. R. Tolkien trilogy, to be followed by There and Back Again next year.

Release date: December 14

The Raven

An Edgar Allan Poe poem just over 1000 words turned into a full-length feature? Not exactly. It’s a fictionalized account of Poe’s encounter and pursuit of a serial killer who later becomes the subject of The Raven. In its dark and ominous 19^th century setting, I can’t help but be reminded of Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow.

Release date: March 9