Stories take root from somewhere. From the words of a narrator. From the pages of a novel. From the roll of a film. From the lyrics of a song. There are no limits to storytelling, how it can be conveyed, consumed, and shared. Nearly all my favourite films are based on acclaimed novels, transcending past their original medium, and capturing the hearts of audiences. But what book to film adaptations do I really want to see?
Here are some of my personal favourites that I’m hoping to see adapted some day, as well as the adaptations I’m most looking forward to seeing brought to life.
1. The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
The Sympathizer follows a man with dual allegiances: a Viet Cong sleeper agent working for the Americans before the fall of Saigon. Wrought with comedy and endless political commentary, the novel examines the nuances of orientalism, identity, and provides a candid look at the Vietnam War. The Pulitzer Prize winner is one of those rarities with the perfect blend of everything I could ever want in a novel – heart, humour, and a whole lot of history.
In fact, a HBO series adaptation of the novel is in the works, produced by A24, directed by Park Chan-wook (Old Boy, The Handmaiden), and with Robert Downey Jr. attached to star. It really doesn’t get better than this.
2. Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami (translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd)
Three women navigate the murky waters of ageing and what it means to live as a woman in working-class Japan. This novel explores womanhood in the most profound manner, the constant need to adhere by society’s standards as we age, and maintain the illusion of beauty from the dawn of pubescence. It is an emotional gut-punch, and asks the questions we don’t want answers to.
If Breasts and Eggs ever gets optioned for a film, I would love to see directors like Hirokazu Kore-eda or Naomi Kawase portray the story through their unique narrative styles. Till then, I’ll keep manifesting.
3. Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins-Reid
Taylor Jenkins-Reid’s writing is so sublime. She breathes life into these fictional characters in their whirlwind rise to fame as a legendary 70s rock band, and what led to their eventual split at the height of success. If you need a Fleetwood Mac-esque reimagining filled with great prose and emotional angst, then Daisy Jones & The Six is exactly what you need. I, for one, have already made this novel my whole personality, and you probably will too.
An upcoming television adaptation of the novel is in production with Reese Witherspoon serving as executive producer, and notable names, Riley Keough, Sam Claflin, Suki Waterhouse, and Camila Morrone attached to star. The series will also produce their very own original soundtrack to compliment the band’s musical journey. In the words of Adam Driver, this is goddamn “good soup.”
4. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
A Thousand Splendid Suns is probably one of the most beautiful and devastating novels you’ll ever come across. It follows the interwoven lives of two Afghan women, Mariam and Laila, living in unfortunate circumstances, but who form sisterly bonds in their desperation to persevere. The novel chronicles the ceaseless political strife from the invasion of the Soviet Union to the rise of the Taliban, and the changing roles of women under the regime.
Funnily enough there are multiple adaptations in the works, none of which have made a screen debut as of yet. Film rights to A Thousand Splendid Suns belong to Columbia Pictures, but it is yet to be produced. A theatre adaptation premiered in 2017, and an opera adaptation will open in 2023. Even a limited series is in production, with One Community closing a deal in 2021, but have yet to announce any additional news. All I know is that I’m desperate to see it, regardless of which one comes out first.
5. Animal Farm by George Orwell
Time for a classic! The animals of Manor Farm are fed up with being abused and ill-treated by their owner and successfully claim the farm as their own after a bout of rebellion. The farm is renamed Animal Farm where all animals can live equal, free, and happy. That is until the promise of democracy and free will is perverted by those in power. Animal Farm is an evergreen story, one of the greed of humanity and how mismanaged power always leads to corruption.
Okay, I know, I know! Animal Farm has been adapted before. Trust me, I’ve seen the 1954 animated and 1999 television films far too many times then I’d have liked to. But Animal Farm is staple high-school reading material, and it deserves a new lease of life on screen. One that does justice to its powerful text. Do it for the kids, Hollywood.
6. The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa (translated by Stephen Snyder)
On an island where objects and people are disappearing from memories, one writer desperately tries to preserve her past and present in a society determined to wipe it clear from the future. The writing is simple yet complex, and the imagery shows more than it tells. It is harrowing. It is haunting. And it leaves you questioning what’s real through the slow death of the writer’s memory. If you need your Orwellian fix, then The Memory Police is a great place to start.
Charlie Kaufman is set to write a film adaptation of The Memory Police, with Reed Morano attached to direct. I’d like to see the novel portrayed in the vein of Drive My Car, with simple yet incredibly poignant storytelling.
7. Middlemarch by George Eliot
Middlemarch is a true doozy, and one that everyone needs to experience. It’s not your average period novel about whirlwind romances between aristocrats. Rather, we follow the tales of ill-conceived marriages and their unravelling in the face of incompatibility between our main characters, Dorothea Brooke’s to a pretentious scholar, and Tertius Lydgate to a money-guzzling woman. With George Eliot’s refusal to conform to the conventions of romance novels of the time, Middlemarch is an honest and visceral look at the realities of marriage and the idealistic ambitions of women.
As you can tell from this list, I love my unconventional literature and Middlemarch is definitely up there. The novel deserves its time in the sun with a fresh adaptation that captures George Eliot’s unorthodox storytelling, and conveys the importance of freedom in a society that still wants to oppress women. Greta Gerwig, take one for the team please.
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