Tell Us Now: 14 Novels Just Begging For A Movie Adaptation

Besides the Necronomicon, of course.
Tell Us Now: 14 Novels Just Begging For A Movie Adaptation

Let's face it: not all novels are created equal. While some tales are so captivating, complex, and well-written that they practically beg to be made into movies, others are best left on the page. That's not to say that all films based on novels are great (far from it), but when a story is truly special, there's no better way to experience it than on the big screen. Here are just a few examples of novels that deserve Hollywood treatment.

To start with, consider Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash. This cyberpunk classic is set in a future world where virtual reality is as common as the internet is today. It's a mind-bending adventure that follows the exploits of a pizza delivery driver turned ninja warrior as he tries to save the world from a deadly computer virus. With its imaginative setting and inventive plot, Snow Crash would make an incredible movie.

Then there's Haruki Murakami's 1Q84. This sprawling epic tells the story of two people who become caught up in a dangerous love affair set against the backdrop of a dystopian Japan. With its richly detailed world and carefully crafted characters, 1Q84 would be a visual feast for moviegoers.

Finally,

We asked Cracked readers on Facebook which novels need to get the big-screen treatment, and now we're out of Audible credits.

TELL US NOW: BOOKS THAT NEED TO BE MOVIES The Divine Comedy GRACKED Kristen F. says it's well past time this h-century Italian narrative poem got its moment in the spotlight: it could be one of the most epic and beautiful films and I'm not totally sure why it's never been attempted in any real capacity.
TELL US NOW: BOOKS THAT NEED TO BE MOVIES Agent Pendergast CRACKED William w. says Universal needs to let someone else take a crack at this Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child character: There was a crappy movie based on the first novel, Relic, back in the 90's. It was hot wet garbage. Universal needs to let the rights go so someone can develop a Pendergast series for HBO or Amazon Prime; someone who can give it a decent budget and concentrate on telling good stories.
TELL US NOW: BOOKS THAT NEED TO BE MOVIES Heart-Shaped Box GRACKED Josefine z. says this Joe Hill joint is spooky as all heck: it reads like just the best horror movie ever. It's classic, but fresh, and it is some hecking scary stuff. The story is beautifully thought out, and like all his books, the characters are deeply compelling.
TELL US NOW: BOOKS THAT NEED TO BE MOVIES The Darksword Trilogy DARKSWORD THE the DARKSWORD THE DARKSWORD STAILOGY THILDCY STRILOGY GRACKED Bartholomew F. makes this anti-Harry Potter story, by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, sound rad as hell: A boy without any magic powers is cast out and discovers a forbidden power: technology.
TELL US NOW: BOOKS THAT NEED TO BE MOVIES The Mabinogion CRACKED Rhodri M. says this series of 13th-century Welsh legends would be the epic to end all epics. Swords, sorcery, and more! with compelling characters, heinous villains, heroism and treachery think Game of Thrones on crack 700 years before George RR Martin ever put pen to paper!
TELL US NOW: BOOKS THAT NEED TO BE MOVIES The Chronicles of Amber but GRACKED Jason s. goes to bat hard for this Roger Zelazny fantasy series: It's an epic that takes place across several dimensions. It's about the battle to gain control over Amber, the one true dimension. It's got a lot of interesting concepts and awesome characters that would translate well into a visual medium. It begs for a film adaptation.
TELL US NOW: BOOKS THAT NEED TO BE MOVIES World War Z AN ORAL HISTORY OF the ZOMBIE WAR GRACKED Sure, this already is a movie, but Alex C has some ideas and we think you should hear them out: It needs to be a miniseries done like a documentary with interviews and mock footage to mirror the chapters. The film basically took out everything that made the book great and it deserves a proper adaptation.
TELL US NOW: BOOKS THAT NEED TO BE MOVIES Perdido Street Station GRACKED Adam B. has us 100% sold on this China Mieville novel: It is a fantastical new weird story that features a massive steam punk like city filled to the brim with bizarre races such as ant people, bird people, and plant people. They are being terrorized by giant moths that feed off the psyche. Oh and it features an addictive drug known as dreamshit.
TELL US NOW: BOOKS THAT NEED TO BE MOVIES Black Ocean CRACKED Alex s. says this J. s. Morin sci-fi series would make a great movie or TV series: The books are described as Firely meets Star Wars and they live up to that.
TELL US NOW: BOOKS THAT NEED TO BE MOVIES Hyperion Cantos GRACKED Kate s. is hyped on Dan Simmons' sci-fi series: such a rich, interesting world and engaging, complex characters! While drawing on inspiration from classic literature! It would need to be a series to capture it all, but I'd love to see it done!
TELL US NOW: BOOKS THAT NEED TO BE MOVIES Star Wars: Death Troopers CRACKED Daniel w. says Joe Schreiber's novel is begging to be the next Halloween blockbuster: This zombie horror story set in the Star Wars universe, featuring Han Solo and Chewbacca, would make an outstanding R rated standalone Star Wars movie.
TELL US NOW: BOOKS THAT NEED TO BE MOVIES A Spell For Chameleon CRACKED Christopher C. already has some casting sugestions for this Piers Anthony novel: Michael Cera would be a good fit to play Bink, Danny DeVito could play Humphrey, and I think either Nick Cage or Clive Owen to play Trent.
TELL US NOW: BOOKS THAT NEED TO BE MOVIES The Blade Itself 1 who for win for The Blade Before-They They But hanged ast Itself* Are Argument Joe locebercrombie Abercrombie of Sings Mor Abercrombie GRACKED Jordan K. says this Joe Abercrombie novel can finish what GRRM started: It inverts a lot of tired fantasy tropes in a way that could breathe some life into a genre that has been limping along since Game of Thrones dropped the ball.
TELL US NOW: BOOKS THAT NEED TO BE MOVIES Survivor oh+ nove author club of CRACKED Angel says all the wrong Chuck Palahniuk books got movie adaptations. Survivor is a much better story than Fight Club or Choke (awful movie btw). There was supposedly a movie in the works but the story involves hijacking and crashing a plane so 9-11 halted that.
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