Which Fantasy book would you like turned into a movie?
 

I was reading some replies in another thread and got the idea of starting a thread on which fantasy books you'd like to see turned into a movie. Hopefully with the same great results as LOTR by Peter Jackson.

Personally I'm hoping Peter Jackson will make The Hobbit.

The Hobbit would be nice, but I doubt he'll do it.

I'd like to see someone cover Weiss and Hickman's Death Gate Cycle... Now THAT would be epic!

So many books, I think most deserve a bid but I'd agree with above 'Weiss and Hickman' Death Gate Cycle' but its good the see the lord of the rings finally have a decent movie made. The extended versions are way better than what was in the theatres.

This thread should be titled, "Which Fantasy book would you like turned into a GOOD movie?" I'd love to see any of the Dragonlance series turned into a good movie, especially The Legend of Huma.

-Lasereth

Otherland, but it'd be a very very very very very very hard task.

I'd also like for Gormenghast to get a re-release.

Peter Jackson has gone on record saying he would "love" to make the Hobbit. It's up to the owners of the copyright though...

Mr Mephisto

"Good Omens", Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchet. I understand that it is in development, and I think it would probably work well as a movie.

In general, though, I'd rather not have books turned into movies. Short stories should be turned into movies (for examples from speculative fiction, anything written by Phillip K. Dick. I'd also like to see some Alfred Bester).

I think any of the Drizzt books would make a good action flick.

American Gods is just asking to be turned into a GOOD mini series, but would be to long for the big screen. Honestly though, I can't think of a single fantasy book I'd be really happy about being made into a movie. On a similar note, though, in sci-fi, Chasm City by Aleister Reynolds could be one of the best sci-fi movies ever.

Something to contrast LOTR I think. Something light and relatively modern in tone. Steven Brusts' Jhereg or Robert Asperin's mythadventures would both work.

I was going to put in The Belgariad by David Eddings, but on second thought I'd rather not have my favorite fantasy novels opened to anothers' interpretation. Is that jealous of me?

Belgariad-The Movie would be horrible. No way could you fit 10 books (because you really need The Mallorean as well) into any cohesive form.

Plus you just know they would just screw something up horribly.

This would definitely be my choice. It would be awesome to watch Drizzt learn his art from Zaknafeen (excuse the spelling, been a long time since I read the original), and then his feral days in the Underdark. If they did this right, it would definitely rival LOTR. There is so much to pull from in all of the Drizzt series, you could make a huge franchise from it.

I think that the series should start off the way the books did, with The Crystal Shard being the first. Homeworld, Exile and Sojourn were very introspective, and I probably would not have been reading them had I not experienced the connection between the main characters in the first three books. Salvatore's skill at crafting battle scenes is very worthy of modern movies, but I would be hard pressed to find an actor that would be able to pull off either the acrobatics or endurance of any of the characters.

The old Xanth books by Anthony could be done in an episodical(?) way like the harrypotters. They would be stupid on purpose. Speaking of stupid on purpose how about some Terry Pratchetts.

How about the Midkemia sagas by Raymond E. Feist?
Starting with Magician (Apprentice & Master)
then Silverthorn
and finally a great climax of Darkness at Sarthon.

BTW...we could probably do a mini-series on cable for that,
or the Belgariad.

I also think the Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series would be good.
Be great to see all that sorcery, great swords & floating castles. :)

Oh wow, you just gave my brain a jolt from the past. Fred Saberhagens Swords Trilogy, or even the Lost Swords books, would make pretty good flicks.

I would like to see 'Enders Game' by Orson Scott Card or 'Armor' by John Steakley. Both of thoes books would make great movies if you could find the right director, but I am sure they would not and the movie would suck.

Ok, I'm a girl....
I'd like to see Stardust, by Gaiman. Or the Earthsea books, by Le Guin. Just the first ones, though.

Where's Waldo?

Wizard of Earthsea... Nowadays it'd be called a 'Harry Potter' ripoff, isn't that sad?

Ender's Game will eventually be a movie. I recall reading somewhere in an interview that Card has turned in a screenplay already and is waiting for the studios to get back to him.

As for the original question, I would kill for Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series to be made into a movie. That would truly be an epic, 10+ books, each 800 pages :)

I would really like to see the Gunslinger/Dark Tower series done in the Cowboy Bebop level Anime style (as far as quality). Can't picture it as proper live action without too many changes or concessions to the medium.

Stardust would make a brilliant film! I wonder what Gaiman has planned for the sequel...

Just came up with another one:

The Coldfire Trilogy by C S Friedman

Great engaging story, with awesome protagonist and antagonist!

Excellent idea. Just PLEASE, GOD, let it be an American production with a cast from the UK. Another Neverwhere would make me cry.

Haven't read Jhereg, but Aspirin's myth series would be perfect for movies. Edgy characters, lots of effects, and since it's a comedic series, there would be places for the prettyboy Hollywood writers to add their cute little jokes without stealing the feel of the story too much.

As for myself, I hope I never see another movie made from a book again, really.

Anything by R.A. Salvatore, which would include the New Jedi Order series... I so want George Lucas to make those damn sequels!

I'd like to see a movie based on the "Sword of Truth" novels, not all of them because that would be a LONG movie. Just one, thats all i ask! :)

Ooh, could you imagine the Dreamworks (Shrek) team doing Myth Adventures? That could rock.

I am not a huge fan of Salvatore, (I thought his was the worst of the New Jedi series, and I have read them all) but I agree, I would like to see some of the books made into sequals as well. Or better yet, movies about the Jedi of old, that explain how they came to be and so on and so forth, but that's off topic...

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, by Stephen R. Donaldson.


fantastic series. IF done right (ala LOTR) would be awesome to see.

I'd love to see On a Pale Horse by Pierce Anthony brought to the silver screen. It'll have some action, lots of special effects, and a surprisingly engaging story. It'd be good...

I'll second that.

Orson Scott Card wrote Ender's Game???
I thought it was Arthur C. Clarke...I'm sure he has some connection to it. Anyone have some info?

ooo...I'd love it...but there are some concepts that are deep,
and I don't know if the "establishment" could handle the philosophical conflicts.

Especially if they continue on with the "Incarnations of Immortality" series beyond the first book.

Another vote for Midkemia sagas by Raymond E. Feist. I would also like to see the Death Dealer Saga (like Conan but darker).

Doh, you both beat me to it! :) Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series is very much my favorite series of all time. In fact, many series by Anthony would be great - Robot Adept, Battle Circle (oh please do this one), or Xanth would all be excellent as mini-series.

American Gods would be fantastic as well. And I'm not sure I'd like a Drizzt specific movie, as I find him the least interesting of all of the Icewind Dale characters. But a year long maxi-series of the trilogy that started it all - Icewind Dale Trilogy - would make me drool! :D

Steven Erikson's 'malazan book of the fallen' series (4 books currently written, aiming at 10) have been a favourite of mine, and could be an awesome movie if done correctly.

Wheel of Time.

But there is simply no way they could do it and not fuck it all up....

Flight Of The Solar Ducks

I dont remember who its by, but its one of the first books i ever read

Hmm, I've always liked Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series. A mixture of technology and magic. My favorite being that first book about Death. On his Xanth series, Castle Roogna is pretty good. Its great reading about Dor heading back in time and hearing about Xanth's history. Oh yea, thanks Pellaz. Reminded me. Fred Saberhagen's Book of Swords, great books. Shieldbreaker, one bad ass sword. I read that as a kid as one big book. Great reading all three stories together.

My vote goes to Neal Stephenson's "Snowcrash" hands down.

That would, potentially, be the most bad ass movie ever.

The only way they could do it would be as a TV series like Babylon 5.

SnowCrash falls into that weird place between science fiction and fantasy.
I don't think that there are very many directors who could do the book justice but I would sure love to see it.

I would love to see The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlin, if only to see their interpretation of the computer Mike. They probably wouldn't be able to do the book justice, but I'm curious to see if my mental image is anything like theirs.

Some childhood favorites... The Chronicles of Narnia. I know there are already movies (BBC did some, I think, and there was an animated Lion, Witch, & the Wardrobe) but they're not all that... exciting. I think a lot more could be done with them.

Also, although I think it'd make a better miniseries than movie, I nominate The Worm Ouroboros. Hardest thing about that one would probably be preserving the barbarian-speak.

I would love to see the Riftwar Series by Feist as a movie or mini-series.

~smeesh

I want to see Jane Yolen's Pit Dragon trilogy. That and Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea series are the most memorable books I read back in the day, even more so than The Lord of The Rings.

First of all this is more sci-fi than fantasy, but the two often get lumped into the same category.

Secondly, there has already been a lousy movie of it and a halfway-decent miniseries on it. But I would like to see a good movie of Dune, by Frank Herbert. And not just the first book, but all six books of the Dune saga.

I can second that an Ender's Game movie is in the works already, and on its way. Its still unknown as to when it will be finished and released, probably a long time. :(

I think that making a newer version of the Chronicles of Narnia would be a brilliant idea.

With the special effects that we have these days, they could really make a good movie out of it. It would probably appeal mostly to younger audiences. But I read the books when I was younger, and loved them all. Maybe it would be like the Harry Potter books and movies, that even adults can enjoy.

Snowcrash...

*gurgles*

*drools*

*tumbles over*

I agree, I would like to see Death Gate and Dark Tower. But only if they made it like they did with the LOTR's triolgy with one movie per book.

They are starting this right now in New Zealand,
supposedly the whole series not just the first.

I personally would love to see a film made out of this unpublished book that my friend's father wrote, called "The Cold Pocket," which is simply stunning and if the world was a fair place would already be published and be even more famous than LotR, unfortunately, the poor guy's (literally) gone insane and refuses to publish it... but I'm fairly certain that my friend will try to get it published himself once he has control over it because it's just that good.

but a movie would be terribly difficult.

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.

I read this book whenever I need something simplistic and fun, and it could be a great movie. It might be kiddish, but I still love it.

me too!

That I would love

The Nights Dawn Trilogy would probably translate well to a series of movies

And im still waiting to see if they do God Emperor of Dune as a mini series

I'd like to see the Wheel of Time books too, I guess: but I think it would have to be a different take rather than just a film of the book. There's just too much of it all to make even a series of movies that would be coherent.

Why has no one said George R. R. Martin's 'Song of Ice & Fire'? It's a little too violent in places, but other than that it's a smooth enough transition. A few backplots could be written out without offending many fans, and I think each book would fit into 3 hours with careful pacing. The books really do have a lot of great dramatic twists and turns which lend themselves to screenplays, I think.
Of course the series isn't finished...

I'd love to see an adaption of "A Wrinkle in Time" brought to the screen. It would be very hard to pull off, however. It would be good in anime form, I think.

I hate to say it, but the last I heard, Scifi has no plans to do God Emporer of Dune. But then again, it took them a few years after the Dune Miniseries to make Children of Dune.

Though I do think it would be pretty hard to create Leto if they eventually do make a miniseries.

WHAT!!!! not one person mentioned Terry Brooks. The Shannara books are some of the best fantasy novels I've read. I see huge potential as a series of films. If you've never read The Sword of Shannara, run and pick it up. Then pray for a movie, it could be awesome.

I've got to 2nd, 3rd, whatever:

Dark Tower Series
Ender's Game (glad to hear it's in the works)
Wizard of Earthsea (got to agree, people would think it's a HP ripoff.)

Not sure if Foundation was mentioned, I know Caves of Steel is in the works now, hopefully they'll run the string all the way out.

Also, I know Rendevous with Rama is in filming now, that should be interesting, unfortunately the concept won't seem fresh since it's been stolen so many times since the books were written.