Pitch a book/series to become a movie....

[tantric]

the idea is that you select a book/series and tell why it should go to film ASAP

Detective Inspector Chen

1)the setting, Singapore Three. The location is a new city called Singapore Three, somewhere in South China. Inspector Chen is a policeman assigned to cases involving Hell -- cases where demons have intruded into our world, or the dead have ended up in the wrong place, or humans are engaged in illegal transactions with the underworld. He is uniquely suited to this duty: he has been granted the protection of a goddess, Kuan Yin, for his occasional trips to Hell, and he also has a domestic secret: his wife is a demon. there's no getting around it - it would have to be filmed in hong kong, but i think that's a plus - sell it in the us and the prc.

2)asian-american - it's about time asian-americans had a show, this could be it

3)urban fantasy - hollywood loves this, but they've just about tapped the vein...until chinese urban fantasy

[2D8HP]

Sometimes instead of re-reading stories written in the 20th century (were I'm from), I actually read newly published works. One such was "A Darker Shade of Magic", which I found very cinematic. It seems that someone agrees (http://collider.com/a-darker-shade-of-magic-tv-series-ve-schwab/).

:biggrin:

[Corlindale]

I'm going to pitch Brandon Sanderson's Legion novellas.

As much as I'd like to see all of Sandersons work on the big screen, I think Legion would be more realistic to do for several reasons.

First, they take place in something resembling the real world, so you wouldn't need to spend a ton of money recreating some wildly epic setting (like Stormlight).

Second, they are relatively short, so it would be realistic to fit the material into one or two movies.

Third, I think it would be cinematically interesting to deal with the protagonist's personas and the way they are only real for him, yet provide immeasurable help towards solving his cases. I think there are many interesting ways the movie could play around with visualizing this - and there is plenty of precedence for other movies having done similar things with certain members of the cast who turn out to be some sort of delusion (I'm not going to name those examples, because that would generally be major spoilers for all the similar movies I can currently think of!).

I also think that the protagonist's delusions in the Legion books are generally incredibly likeable characters, despite not actually existing, so I think that would be an interesting aspect again. If you had some really good actors for those parts, they could really make the audience believe in the concept.

[Aotrs Commander]

Zhan's Thrawn trilogy - what the Star Wars sequel films should have been...



Failing that, Skullduggery Pleasant. Heck, that series reads like an action movie.

Mind you, the later series might be quite difficult, since it ostensibly is a young adult novel series, but in order to cover it properly, it'd have to be sharing space with Deadpool in whatever-your-country-rated-that-as. (And, a bit like Deadpool, not losing it's sense of humour, unlike a lot of media when they go Get Darker.)

Also, you'd likely end up with the lead female getting Emma Watson'd a bit by the fanbase, since Valkyrie starts at twelve and ends up, what, in her early twenties?

But it's a series that is basically about a Lich in everything but name, so it would fracking awesome.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

I wouldn't mind seeing an epic multi-movie rendition of the Codex Alera. It'd be a special-effects extravaganza.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Buck Godot, for many reasons. Talking pistols would be amusing to see weapons fetishizers try to absorb, many of the plots are high adventure--which Hollywood isn't really doing anymore, alien designs are often neat (and non-humanoid) and I might as well admit that New Hong Kong's attitude of No Laws, But There Are Rules appeals.

[druid91]

Shadowrun.

All the fun of a big blockbuster action movie combined with a heist movie in a cyberpunk future.

[Traab]

David Weber War God series.

Its a fantasy series where he basically takes the established fantasy races, ie halflings, elves, dwarves, and turns it on its ear a bit. Halflings are a race that resulted from evil wizards refusing to shield their servants from magic. Think of it like working a chemistry lab and your assistants werent allowed goggles, gloves, or any other safety gear. Elves are a bunch of suicidaly depressed immortals, dwarves arent too different, they are generally merchants, warriors, and live in mountains. He also created a new race which is the main character, hradani. They tend to be bigger and stronger than humans, on the low end of average being over 6 and a half feet tall, and bulky, our main character is just over 7 feet tall. They have foxlike ears as well as their main defining feature aside from sheer size.

General story line, our main character, bazhell bhanakson is basically a part of an exchange of hostages between two warring hradani clans to keep the peace. He stumbles across one of the sons of the local ruler being a monstrous piece of dung and objects, strenuously. (I think the final tally is he lost a dozen teeth, had three ribs poking out of his flesh, and a dent the size of a hens egg in his forehead.) Having just beaten the heir to the throne half to death, he naturally decides its time to leave, so he does. A friend eventually joins him and they decide since going back home would start a war, they would head into human lands and become mercenary guards. Lots of action ensues, tons of snarky witty comments fly like crossbow bolts, and our main character starts having dreams about a god asking him to do something.

Now hradanai do NOT like the gods for various reasons, so he decides to do the exact opposite. He and his buddy wander some more, fight off a bunch of bad guys and in general tries to avoid the increasingly blunt attempts by the gods to get his attention. Im glossing over the actual plot because it gives away a lot. But there are wizards, and demons, assassin guilds, snotty aristocrats who get punched, adventure, comedy, and a storyline that works decently as a stand alone or a full series. Basically the way its setup is, while its a series of novels, each novel wraps up most of the hanging plot threads and the next novel is all about what happens next.

[J-H]

The Hradani series would make for good movies. Each book stands alone well.

Worm would be awesome, except that nobody would agree about casting, and it'd have to be re-paced, and it'd be a series of about 10 movies. Also, the critics would complain that every movie ends with an "And then, it gets worse!" cliffhanger.

Beren & Luthien from the Silmarillion would be good, as long as they stayed faithful to the book and didn't turn it into sexytime modern romance. Actually, with the way they did the Hobbit? Forget it.

David Drake's books would make good action movies. Hammer's Slammers, etc.

Hal Clement's science fiction is intelligent premise-based work (what if a world with physics X?), and would make for good movies.

The Battletech series (3049-306x, stop before the Jihad) is best suited for a set of Korean-style long-form dramas with an ensemble cast.

[Traab]

I also started up another topic a few days ago about david gemmel and his Druss series of stories. But honestly, just about anything set in that universe would be an awesome story to read. Basic sword and sorcery type stuff with interesting twists like, shaman able to create were creatures called joinings and stuff like that. Most of the stories tend to be a bit grim, almost everyone dying and even though the protagonists usually "win" at the end, they are burying a lot of friends, or dying themselves.

[DiscipleofBob]

Snow Crash
By Neil Stephenson

Because this awesome sci-fi book pioneered a lot of the modern internet or at least what we take for granted of it, even coining the term 'avatar.'

Because we need deathly high-speed chases delivering pizza for the mob with interference from roller-blading couriers with magnetic harpoons.

Because our leading man would be a half-black, half-Korean katana-wielding hacker badass named Hiro Protagonist.

This needs to be moviefied yesterday.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Oh, and a grand-scale Schlock Mercenary space opera TV series would be pretty fantastic. Epic star battles, an involved plot (including big backstory), and extended guns-blazing action comedy.

[Stewzors]

I also started up another topic a few days ago about david gemmel and his Druss series of stories. But honestly, just about anything set in that universe would be an awesome story to read. Basic sword and sorcery type stuff with interesting twists like, shaman able to create were creatures called joinings and stuff like that. Most of the stories tend to be a bit grim, almost everyone dying and even though the protagonists usually "win" at the end, they are burying a lot of friends, or dying themselves.

As much I LOVE Druss (no homo, well, maybe a little) I'd much rather see a movie adaptation of his Troy trilogy - reading it just SCREAMS big screen to me.

[Hopeless]

The Lost Fleet science fiction series or better yet the Vatta's War series!

One deals with a time lost hero with a serious bout of common sense in a universe of political agendas and a dishonourably discharged naval cadet rebuilding her life as a merchant and later on Privateer!

[-D-]

House of Leaves. More precisely, Navidson Record.

Essentially, think Found footage film doing a review of Found footage film. The movie essentially starts off as a review of a review of Navidson record, by the blind film review Zampano - the only work that references and contains the titular Navidson record.

However as time goes by, Johnny starts growing uneasy, because the Zampano starts reviewing the movie Johnny is currently filming - except it films Johnny from impossible locations like inside the wall, inside appliances, and using equipment/cameras unavailable to Johnny. Zampano also reviews future events that will happen to Johnny, like him smashing up walls looking for camera and shaking inside his room, his breath visible in middle of July, and noting similarities between it and Navidson record.

[J-H]

Although it's set in a Cold War (in Space! with Aliens!) type backdrop, Keith Laumer's Retief character could make an entertaining series of funny action movies, or a humorous mini-series.

Ambassador Grossblunder would not approve of how his character was portrayed.

[Leewei]

Wildbow's web serial, Worm. Make it an HBO miniseries instead of a movie.

[gooddragon1]

Douglas Hill's Poisoner Series (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Hill#Poisoner)

Blade of the Poisoner
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51If3Zha7aL._SX319_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Sequel: Master of Fiends
https://pictures.abebooks.com/isbn/9780689504198-uk-300.jpg

[Darth Credence]

The Gentleman Bastard series. A series about con men in a low magic fantasy world. The charismatic con man is a great one for Hollywood - think The Sting, the Ocean's 11 movies, and so forth. There is magic, but it is not the focus and it is all tightly controlled by one group. I know a number of Game of Thrones fans who have said they wouldn't watch if there was a lot more magic than there is, so this could satisfy them.

Or, the Daniel Faust books. This is an urban fantasy series set in Las Vegas, about a group of criminals with various magical abilities. That would have the advantage of being able to be part of a shared world with the Harmony Black series, which spun off from the FBI agent/spellcaster that chased the group in the first Faust book. Shared universes are all the rage, so this could help get it made.

[dinovo29]

Can it be a game? The Witcher!!! Beautiful Polish folklore...

[Kantaki]

Can it be a game? The Witcher!!! Beautiful Polish folklore...

The Witcher is a book series.

Definitely agree that Skullduggery Pleasant could be awesome as a movie (well, movies).

Worm... would be great too, but it might work better as a tv-series.

AERA* by Markus Heitz definitely would make a great movie.
Urban Fantasy/Science Fiction story. Follows a atheist cop/private investigator (Works for Interpol but basically is for hire in his free time**) in a world where the gods (almost all of them) returned in 2012.

*The original title is „AERA Die Rückkehr der Götter”. I'm not sure if the book has been translated.
**Guess what kind of cases he prefers.:smallamused:

[Kitten Champion]

I'm still sort of waiting for a proper Dresden Files movie, or rather series. Less for itself, though I do enjoy the books, and more because it would seem to me to be the safest bet among urban fantasy works which aren't derivative of Twilight, Underworld, or Harry Potter and signal a general willingness to explore the prospect of whether there's an audience for it or not.

I'd personally like to see a Dying Earth fantasy/science fiction subgenre work - Viriconium by M. John Harrison being my favourite, but Vance's genre-coining Dying Earth series is interesting as well. The kind of blend of weird fiction, science fiction, and fantasy that exists beyond the typical post-apocalyptic tropes has a strong appeal for me and could make for striking visuals. I mean, you go beyond the stereotypical "You maniacs! You blew it all up"-style we're-a-SF/fantasy-world-surrounded-by-renowned-landmarks-and-references and into what humanity is after the epochs where we've accomplished what humanity could conceivably accomplish and what's left have to face the last embers of what's left after we've burnt the bright flame of humanity out. That things are bound to end, not because of some existential threat like monsters or weapons of mass destruction... but just entropy.

It leads into some interesting areas, about why and how you should live your life when the purpose and hope for the future are dwindling in a manner you can do nothing but accept.

[Serpentine]

Book of Leaves. More precisely, Navidson Record.

Essentially, think Found footage film doing a review of Found footage film. The movie essentially starts off as a review of a review of Navidson record, by the blind film review Zampano - the only work that references and contains the titular Navidson record.

However as time goes by, Johnny starts growing uneasy, because the Zampano starts reviewing the movie Johnny is currently filming - except it films Johnny from impossible locations like inside the wall, inside appliances, and using equipment/cameras unavailable to Johnny. Zampano also reviews future events that will happen to Johnny, like him smashing up walls looking for camera and shaking inside his room, his breath visible in middle of July, and noting similarities between it and Navidson record.
House of Leaves, I think you mean...
I'm halfway through it now. Never had to work so hard for a novel in all my life... I have a theory that it's not a book, it's a work of art that happens to use a book as its medium. Like a painting isn't paint, it's art that's made of paint.
I would want a movie based on it to go the same say - not a movie, a work of art made of a movie. And with all the weird, medium-defying meta... stuff. I think your idea for it really has some potential, though.

For me, it's Animorphs. Specifically, I want an anime series. I'm not a huge anime fanatic, but I think that's the only way it could include all of the violence and gore and bizarre creatures and body horror and morphs and ethical complexity - animation is needed for all the visual complexity, and any Western company would just go "Oh, it's a kids' book, therefore the adaptation will have to be for kids".

edit: Oh, the other two Robert C O'Brien books that don't have a film adaptation yet. I haven't read A Report From Group 17 yet, but a movie of The Silver Crown could be beautifully strange. Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH and Z for Zachariah have already been adapted.

[-D-]

House of Leaves, I think you mean...

That's what I wrote :smallconfused: ?

Nice thing is, no found footage movie, so far, ends on a happy note. Navidson record - does.

[Serpentine]

You said Book of Leaves. Ah, you changed it.
And dude, spoilers :/ Normally something that vague wouldn't be an issue, but in this case I think it is.

[-D-]

Normally something that vague wouldn't be an issue, but in this case I think it is.
I apologize, but I wasn't aware that was a spoiler.

Did your House of leaves, had smaller covers, than pages?

[Serpentine]

The front cover has sort of a double cover with the outermost one being about a centimetre or two shorter than the inner one, yeah.

[rooster707]

The Adventures of Dr. McNinja.

Also seconding Dresden Files, Codex Alera, and Snow Crash; those are some of my favorite books and I would love to see good adaptations of them.

[hamishspence]

David Weber War God series.

Its a fantasy series where he basically takes the established fantasy races, ie halflings, elves, dwarves, and turns it on its ear a bit. Halflings are a race that resulted from evil wizards refusing to shield their servants from magic. Think of it like working a chemistry lab and your assistants werent allowed goggles, gloves, or any other safety gear. Elves are a bunch of suicidaly depressed immortals, dwarves arent too different, they are generally merchants, warriors, and live in mountains. He also created a new race which is the main character, hradani. They tend to be bigger and stronger than humans, on the low end of average being over 6 and a half feet tall, and bulky, our main character is just over 7 feet tall. They have foxlike ears as well as their main defining feature aside from sheer size.

I'd suggest the hradani qualify as "orcs turned on their ear a bit" what with the "altered by evil wizards to become better slave soldiers" backstory.


Don't know about movies, but I think the Deptford Mice series by Robin Jarvis might make a pretty good TV series. Redwall got one, after all, and the Deptford Mice series has been called "the absinthe to Redwall's home made lemonade" on TV Tropes.

[tantric]

House of Leaves. More precisely, Navidson Record.

Essentially, think Found footage film doing a review of Found footage film. The movie essentially starts off as a review of a review of Navidson record, by the blind film review Zampano - the only work that references and contains the titular Navidson record.

However as time goes by, Johnny starts growing uneasy, because the Zampano starts reviewing the movie Johnny is currently filming - except it films Johnny from impossible locations like inside the wall, inside appliances, and using equipment/cameras unavailable to Johnny. Zampano also reviews future events that will happen to Johnny, like him smashing up walls looking for camera and shaking inside his room, his breath visible in middle of July, and noting similarities between it and Navidson record.

i'd like to say this is undoable - half the book is footnotes, but i'd have said the same about 'naked lunch' and croninberg pulled it off

[Serpentine]

i'd like to say this is undoable - half the book is footnotes, but i'd have said the same about 'naked lunch' and croninberg pulled it off
I think it would have to be either an extension of the book - probably the Navidson Record itself, like he said - or more a translation or abstracted interpretation of the concept rather than an adaptation of the material - taking the concept, and reimagining it from scratch. Doing for film what the the novel did for books, sort of thing. How you'd do that, I have no idea... I think the movie Adaptation could be a good start, though, the metaness of it.
In fact... I think you could do a lot worse than have Charlie Kaufman on board for it.

[JoshL]

My dream project would be a tv series based on Charles de Lint's Newford books. Short stories for stand alone episodes, novels for longer arcs. However, the strength of the series is what would make it hard to do...characters come in and out of focus so even the "main characters" as it were aren't in every book (then you get into actors, contracts and an audience that connects with a character only to not see them for months). But he deals with some heavy stuff (seriously, I can't read "In The House of My Enemy" without crying) with plenty of magic and whimsy, but not always happy endings. He describes a vibrant world of music and art that would be a joy to experience.

I also like House of Leaves a LOT, and I think Adaptation, Naked Lunch and John Dies At The End (maybe a touch of In The Mouth of Madness) provide a pretty good blueprint for how to make it work!

[tantric]

I think it would have to be either an extension of the book - probably the Navidson Record itself, like he said - or more a translation or abstracted interpretation of the concept rather than an adaptation of the material - taking the concept, and reimagining it from scratch. Doing for film what the the novel did for books, sort of thing. How you'd do that, I have no idea... I think the movie Adaptation could be a good start, though, the metaness of it.
In fact... I think you could do a lot worse than have Charlie Kaufman on board for it.

better yet, make it a hypermedia project. a cross between a show and a program, where as you're watching it, you can click on various elements and explore different things. i did something like this with my first campaign world - it was a collection of hypertext pages with embedded links that led to other pages. there was no index or ToC - you had to just wander (though i did add a clickable map). it wasn't information, it was infotainment. maybe i should put it..bouncing buddha on a pogo stick - a friend i lost touch with 20yrs ago still has it posted.....WorldstreeCenterpage (http://www.worldofbeverage.net/squeeb/worldstree/)

so far, i best like Gentleman Bastards and Snowcrash

[Alent]

I'll second a Schlock series. :D

As for my own suggestion... The Powder Mage novels and novella deserve a Trilogy and bluray extras set. So many colorful characters and locations, mixed with vivid imagery and a really neat magic system.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

If someone would write a good Battletech 3025 book, it would be an awesome movie. Imagine the SFX of the never-to-be-sufficiently-accursed Bay's Transformer series done for mechs. And the Atlas comes stomping over the hill...

My problem with most books I read is that they would horribly butcher it to the point where I would be quite incensed.

David Drake's series would make an excellent action/adventure war movie. The characters are already cardboard cutout caricatures, so it would probably be hard(er) to butcher.

I think the first couple of Anita Blake books would make for good movies, however the problem is they won't have the sense to stop the series before... well... you know. Although, given the success of Game of Thrones, this might be done better as an HBO serial instead. Well, except for the fact that they would just skip the first few books and go straight to the... well, you know.

I've read the first three or so Dresden books. It's... interesting. I guess. Methinks the viewpoint character doth protest a bit too much, though.

There is no way in hell they would be able to do a proper Vor series by Bujold. For one, the only actor who might possibly do a good Miles Vorkosigan is currently playing a certain Lannister at the moment. And, I wouldn't trust them to keep the plot remotely right anyway.

Hmm... Larry Correia's Monster Hunter, Inc series might be a good movie series. Granted, he borrows heavily from HP Lovecraftian 'horror' for his villains, which I find to be the primary flaw in the series, but otherwise enjoyable. Without the Cthulu-esque 'you are fated to a doom worse than you can know', it is a simple story about a guy who gets attacked by a monster, then gets hired to out and kill monsters for a decent paycheck. Guns, girls, occasional flashes of T&A, monsters going boom in spectacular ways... it'll be fun.