Discuss: Hot Books Being Turned Into Movies
Filed under: Fandom, DIY/Filmmaking, Home Entertainment
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One of the things I love about living in New York City is that it's easy for us to spot trends before, say, folks from Memphis (sorry Memphis, but your boys choked BIG TIME last night). Part of this is because most NY'ers travel by mass transit -- allowing everyone to see what everyone else is wearing, reading, watching, etc ... When I'm on the train, I particularly like to check out what the hot books are. Usually you can tell which book is hot because one out of three people are reading it. At the height of The Da Vinci Code madness, I couldn't even tell you how many people were on that one. (I'd even catch some who took off the dust jacket in an attempt to hide the title because they didn't want other people to know they were reading what everyone else was reading. No joke.)I watch the book trends because I like to see which are being turned into movies. This, in turn, helps me predict which upcoming movies will do well at the box office. If I see a lot of people reading one book, chances are those same people will run to the theater when the film comes out. Now, I haven't been out on the train too much in the past month, but I've noticed one book that doesn't seem to be going away. In fact, I visited two bookstores before finally finding it in stock. (In the last subway car I rode in, I counted three different people reading it.) The book?
The Road, by Cormac McCarthy.
The film version of The Road, of course, comes out November 26th, and it stars Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron and Guy Pearce. Not only that, but it's directed by John Hillcoat (who gave us The Proposition; a film that was quite frankly spectacular to watch). It's still early, yes, but I predict The Road will eventually go down as one of the year's best films -- not to mention it will make a whole lotta money at the box office. Is it the next Da Vinci Code? Not really, but I bet it shows up in the Best Picture category come next Oscar ceremony.
What other books being turned into films are hot right now in your city (other than Harry Potter and The Boy Wizard Who Refuses to Go Away)?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-09-2008 @ 12:01AM
Seven said...
I know it's hard to believe that us hillbillies down South aren't still scratching out a meager living on dirt farms, but it's not particularly difficult to keep up on trends even in oh, let's say Memphis...it's not as if non-New York City dwellers don't have the internet, or in the case of The Road, watch Oprah for Pete's sake.
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4-09-2008 @ 1:42AM
Christopher said...
The book was an over-rated awful piece of reading! I read the book (The Road) in 1 night & I hated it!!! It was boring, & LOL ...really nothing happend!!!
I'm still wondering how this book will translate to screen, when in the book there were only "TWO" (2) main characters ..the No-name father & No-name son!! Hell, only 1 page or mabey 2 if that even ..."EVEN" talk about the wife!! AMAZING..THE THINGS THAT HOLLYWOOD AND A WRITER WILL DO FOR CASH!!!!
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4-09-2008 @ 7:23AM
Martin Conaghan said...
Ridley Scott has optioned Tom Rob Smith's debut novel 'Child 44' according to the author himself on BBC Radio Five Live's Simon Mayo show about two weeks ago.
It's set in Kruchev's Russia, and follows an MGB officer tracking down a child serial killer while the security forces pursue him for allegedly being a traitor.
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4-09-2008 @ 8:18AM
Cincinnati Mike said...
You can tell what book is currently popular by how many people are reading it on the train? That's a neat little bit of social observation. Too bad the Memphis jab cheapened it for no particular reason.
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4-09-2008 @ 9:18AM
Erik Davis said...
Oh Memphis -- I love ya. I really do. Best BBQ I've ever had. Seriously though, it really is a good indicator watching to see who's reading what on the train. Not that that's the only trend indicator (sure, you can watch Oprah as well), but it's definitely a good one.
The trains are also great for spotting clothing trends, so says my wife.
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4-09-2008 @ 10:16AM
MosquitoControl said...
No real surprise that someone saying "lol," "happend" and "mabey" didn't understand The Road.
That said, it was one of McCarthy's better, but not even close to Blood Meridian.
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4-09-2008 @ 11:22AM
Cincinnati Mike said...
I also found it interesting that someone who hated it so much finished it in one sitting. That's what I did, staying up until 3.30 because I couldn't put it down!
4-09-2008 @ 1:17PM
AJ Wiley said...
I bought The Road through the Science Fiction Book Club recently, and I honestly cannot wait to read it. It'll be my (literary) introduction to Cormac McCarthy.
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4-09-2008 @ 1:36PM
Mimi said...
The Road was one of the most compelling books I've "read" [via Audible download] in some time. I kept driving around or then sitting in my car for long moments while listening because I couldn't bear stopping. Damn, it was hard to go into work after my literary commute.
My latest listen? Follett's The Pillars of the Earth. I just read that Ridley Scott is producing a major TV mini-series out of it. Does that count as a film? Does listening count as a read?
My latest paper page read? Hitchen's God is Not Great. Somehow I doubt that'll make it onto screens any time soon.
I don't think I've been on a train in 11 years. But that's because I'm a southern hick who doesn't live in greater NYC. My opinion, and my reading habits are therefore, no doubt, worthless.
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4-09-2008 @ 4:29PM
rex said...
The reading habits of southerners don't matter because they can't read! just kidding, sorry I couldn't help myself.
I agree with MosquitControl that Blood Meridian would be something to behold if made into a film. However, the only person that I think could do it justice would be Sam Peckinpah. Obviously he is dead so that's not possible, although I could imagine a Zombie Peckinpah doing a good job(maybe even better considering the subject material).
@Christopher- you are clearly quite the well read literary master. How could they possibly make a movie out of this the characters don't even have names! Oh you are so right Cormac McCarthy just did it for the money! Nobody could ever hope to make a multi-Oscar winning movie (let alone a good one) from one of his stories!
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4-09-2008 @ 9:52PM
OTC said...
Um, did you actually read The Road? Sort of the point of the book is that it subverts the whole I Am Legend action apocalypse genre. Instead nearly the entire book is a father and his son scavenging for supplies, not meeting anyone, looking for shelter, finding disgusting sights, scavenging for supplies again. The whole thing is covered with an overwhelming sense of dread and depression, the father is trying to decide whether or not it's even worth living. There's an impending notion of danger to the whole thing but there are only about two scenes that could be considered "suspense sequences." Basically the book is sort of about tedium and depression. It's written in extremely descriptive, "cinematic" prose but the story is pretty much the opposite of a three-act hollywood movie.
That being said, it could possibly be a cool movie in the right hands (and John Hillcoat sounds good to me). Just know not to expect a traditionally "entertaining" movie like Doomsday or I Am Legend.
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4-09-2008 @ 11:05PM
peter shermeta said...
I'm super excited for Dennis Lehane's Shutter Island, for which I believe Cinematical was kind enough to report a name change to Ashecliffe.
One of the best suspense novels I've read in a long time.
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4-10-2008 @ 9:46PM
dtpollitt said...
Don't forget OMAR is in THE ROAD!? Michael Kenneth Williams!
This book was one of the best I have ever read, and got me hooked for life on McCarthy. After NCFOM, I cannot wait for this one.
Dan
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