Wonderstruck reveals a tender and nostalgic study of childhood and the unwavering power of imagination. It is based on the best-selling novel by Brian Selznick and tells the story of Ben and Rose – children from two different eras, who secretly wish their lives were different. To celebrate Wonderstruck releasing on Digital Download, DVD and Blu-ray™ on 30th July, we have looked at other films that have been successfully adapted from best-selling books.
Here are our Top 10 stand-out adaptations (listed in no particular order):
- HARRY POTTER
Written by J. K. Rowling, the immensely popular “Harry Potter” fantasy series won multiple awards and sold more than 500 million copies – making it the bestselling book series in history. The seven books provided the basis for a film series, with eight “Harry Potter” films released between 2001 and 2011.
- THE LORD OF THE RINGS
Written by J.R.R. Tolkien, his best-selling trilogy was adapted into three films: “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”.
Related: Wonderstruck review
- TWILIGHT
Another franchise to grace our screens from a best-selling book series is “Twilight”. Written by Stephenie Meyer, the series includes four novels adapted into five movies: “Twilight,” “New Moon,” “Eclipse” and “Breaking Dawn” (which was divided into two parts). The story follows high-school student Bella Swan, who is endangered after falling in love with Edward Cullen, a vampire.
- MUDBOUND
Netflix’s three-times Oscar nominated “Mudbound” is an adaptation of Hillary Jordan’s 2008 novel of the same name. Both the novel and film tell the story of two men returning home from World War II to work on a farm in rural Mississippi, where they struggle to deal with racism and adjusting to life after war.
- THE DA VINCI CODE
Although Dan Brown wrote “Angels and Demons” first, it was the sequel, “The Da Vinci Code,” that was adapted for film first in 2006. “Angels and Demons” was developed into its own movie as a sequel to the 2006 film three years later in 2009. The story follows a murder inside the Louvre, and clues in Da Vinci paintings, which leads to the discovery of a religious mystery protected by a secret society for two thousand years, which could shake the foundations of Christianity.
- CALL ME BY YOUR NAME
“Call Me by Your Name,” was adapted for film in 2017 and was nominated for three Oscars, including best picture, in 2018. Based on André Aciman’s 2007 novel, the film is set in 1980s Italy, and tells the story of of a romance that blossoms between a seventeen-year-old student and the older man hired as his father’s research assistant.
- IT
Steven King’s 1986 horror novel “IT” was adapted into a film in 2018. The story is set in 1989 and follows a group of bullied kids who band together to destroy a shapeshifting monster, which disguises itself as a clown (named Pennywise) and preys on the children of Derry, their small Maine town.
- THE GODFATHER
Mario Puzo’s 1969 novel “The Godfather,” was transformed into one of the most-popular film franchises of all time. The films tells the story of an aging patriarch of an organised crime dynasty, who transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.
- THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY
Based on the best-selling novel by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” tells the story of a free-spirited writer named Juliet Ashton, who forms a life-changing bond with the delightful and eccentric Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, when she decides to write about the book club they formed during the occupation of Guernsey in WWII.
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
The 1962 film adaptation “To Kill A Mockingbird” tells the story of Atticus Finch, a lawyer in the Depression-era South, who defends a black man against an undeserved rape charge, and his children against prejudice. The novel of the same name was written by Harper Lee and published in 1960.
