Books adapted to movies are common among the blockbuster releases from Hollywood every year. Here are 7 of the top sci-fi film adaptations you should watch in 2020.

 

In this Books Adapted To Movies article, you will find recommendations for these movies and novels:

  • The Thing (1982)  – John Carpenter and John Campbell,
  • Jurassic Park (1993) – Steven Spielberg and Michael Crichton,
  • A Clockwork Orange (1971) – Stanley Kubrick and Anthony Burgess,
  • The Martian (2015) – Ridley Scott and Andy Weir,
  • War Of The Worlds (1953) – Byron Haskin and H.G Wells,
  • Blade Runner (1982) – Ridley Scott and Philip K. Dick,
  • Ready Player One (2018) – Steven Spielberg and Ernest Cline.
Read the rest of the Books Adapted To Movies article and consider watching these movies this year.

 

Why Write About Books Adapted To Movies?

Books adapted to movies draw in millions of cinema-goers every year. Whether the novel’s genre was in romance, horror, science fiction, or crime fiction becomes irrelevant. The fact is that fans of the novel will flock to see the visual representation of their beloved book.

Fans of the source material may love the adaptation. On the other hand, they may hate it. It doesn’t matter. Hollywood will always be on the lookout for bestsellers in the fiction world that can be translated to the silver screen.

In recent years, there have been some excellent books adapted to movies. Some of these have seen vast revenues and high acclaim from fans and the media alike. Some of these film adaptations include,

No doubt taking successful fiction books and turning them into a film can be a fast-track way to getting bums on seats in the movie theatre, as well as gaining access to a hit story. However, if the casting and production choices are not nailed from the beginning, the reaction to books adapted to movies can be detrimental.

In this creative writing blog article, I will share 7 top sci-fi films adapted from fiction that you should watch or enjoy again in 2020. Science fiction is a genuinely limitless genre that can be written in both prose and drama. By having boundless universes and areas of science to explore, screenwriters and authors can open up their minds to the maximum.

This is the second article in the series I have compiled with fellow Belfast BloggerWill Jordan, on his Access All Areas blog. In the first article, I shared some creative writing tips on how to adapt a book to a movie. This second article has been written to show examples of where books adapted to movies have been done well, allowing the reader to see excellent examples of the adaptation process.

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Click the thumbnail to read my previous Through A Lens blog article on adapting a book for the screen.

 

The Thing (1982)

The first books adapted to movies example I wish to share with you is the John Carpenter movie, The Thing. Now considered a classic sci-fi horror film, The Thing was disliked initially when it was released. After several years, however, it was seen to be one of the best examples within its genre.

What makes this movie so powerful is the tension created as the research station’s crew battle an unknown alien life form in the isolation of Antarctica. Watching MacReady and his team battle sub-zero temperatures, isolation in a barren landscape, and the alien as it gradually eliminates the crew makes The Thing a must-see for all fans of sci-fi horror.

This is one of the first sci-fi horror movies I saw growing up, and I can still remember the feelings of fear and terror as the alien assimilated into a variety of life forms. The Thing does an excellent job of using suspense, action and sci-fi themes to keep the audience on the edge of their seats while reflecting the content of the source material in Who Goes There, by John Campbell.

 

Jurassic Park (1993)

Jurassic Park is one of the first movies I saw in the cinema as a child, and I was enthralled by the spectacle of creatures I’d only seen in science books being brought to life before my eyes. Where many people would not consider a dinosaur movie to be a sci-fi film, there are so many elements of science that run through the spine of this story that nail it to the post in my opinion.

Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park takes the topic of genetic engineering into the past to bring previously extinct dinosaurs to life. However, as with many books and movies where a man plays God, there is always a catch. Rather than use this technique for good, a billionaire to open up a theme park on a remote island and use the animals as a tourist attraction.

Both the book and Steven Spielberg’s adaptation were iconic and will continue to be so. With a popular following in print and on-screen, Jurassic Park is a family movie that everyone should experience this year.

 

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange is one of those movies that everyone tells you to watch before you die. Created by one of the most acclaimed directors of all time, it has a massive following, and those who love it will sing its praises to the heavens.

Based on the novel A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, we are led through a United Kingdom that has fallen victim to ultra-violent gangs of young people. By following Alex through his crime spree, arrest and ‘rehabilitation’, we see a world that raises more questions than it answers.

The stories stay mostly similar in both variations of A Clockwork Orange. However, Burgess’ ending is seen to differ from that of Kubrick’s. Either way, the book and movie are loved the world over, and you should add this to your 2020 viewing list.

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The Martian (2015)

In the last ten years, there have been few books to movie adaptations that have stuck with me as The Martian has. The source novel for this movie was The Martian, written by Andy Weir, and where it is an excellently detailed work of fiction, the film had to make decisions about how to portray Mark Watney’s story on the red planet.

With Space X and NASA hoping to make trips to Mars a reality in the coming decades, both the book and movie’s subject matter has additional weight. As we watch Mark Watney’s character battle against the elements to survive in an alien world, we root for him to survive against all the odds.

Where the movie had to consider its direction carefully, those behind the scenes could rest assured that the source material held enough weight and detail. The author, Andy Weir, went to great lengths to research the story as accurately as possible when writing his novel. Therefore, the transferral of the fiction to the film was very well done and was able to pay homage to the book in an appropriate manner.

 

War Of The Worlds (1953)

The first example of books adapted to movies I came across was War Of The Worlds. As a child, I remember watching the 1953 original with my granddad and being blown away by what I saw. I was always into sci-fi, and the idea of aliens coming to destroy the Earth was something that had me hooked right from the start.

Based on the H.G. Wells novel by the same name, the 1953 War Of The Worlds adaptation is by far the better version to add to your must-watch list. Yes, it may not have the cutting-edge special effects that the Tom Cruise movie has, but the original 1953 film is a science fiction classic. Fans of the genre cannot overlook the charm and warmth that is held within the original adaptation.

When this movie airs on tv today, I still sit with a smile on my face that hasn’t wained through time as I watch the wonder of the flaming meteor turn to terror when the alien invasion begins. The aged colour footage and early special effects bring back so many beloved memories from my childhood that I will be sure to share this movie with my children in due course.

War Of The Worlds is a classic example of how well fiction can be translated into film. The original 1953 movie uses the source novel with respect and doesn’t feel the need to change much of the story, like modern adaptations.

 

Blade Runner (1982)

Philip K Dick’s, ‘Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep‘ was the source material for one of the sci-fi fans’ most beloved movies, Blade Runner (1982). The story penned in the novel was perfectly brought to life by Ridley Scott’s directorial vision.

The characters that populated the world of this movie were incredibly well written, with complex personalities and flaws in places. Watching Deckard chase down Roy and his band of replicants through the dark, rainy streets gives the audience action.

However, the added, deeper themes, like the division between humans and replicants, can be linked to racism and slavery throughout human history. When Roy meets his creator, Tyrell, we are also faced with the questions surrounding men playing God and the ultimate search for an answer to our creation.

As far as books adapted to movies go, Blade Runner is one of my all-time favourite movies. It does an excellent job of translating its source material well, but also diversifying from it enough to give fans of Dick’s book ‘something extra’ to accompany the original story.

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Ready Player One (2018)

Yet again, Steven Spielberg has a hand in the seven movies I have listed for your viewing pleasure in 2020. Considering he is one of the most acclaimed and prolific directors in history, it’s hard to escape his reach.

In Ready Player One, Wade Watts spends most of his life in an online world called the OASIS. Here, along with much of humanity, he can live out an immersive Virtual Reality experience and be whoever he wants to be. When the creator of the OASIS dies, he creates a three-part challenge to unearth an heir to control the online world. It is then up to Wade and his friends to complete the tasks and ensure the OASIS survives.

The Ready Player One novel, written by Ernest Cline, was a massive hit and a bestseller the world over. By writing an extremely current story, with millions of people playing video games online every day, it is frightening to see how far this world could go in years to come.

If you are looking for a movie to enjoy with your teenage children who are fans of online gaming, Ready Player One is an excellent movie to watch. In time, why not get them to read the novel and decide which they prefer – fiction or film?

 

Books Adapted To Movies: The Takeaway

As a fiction author, I immerse myself in the stories I create to share the lives of the characters I develop over time. Barely any authors out there will ever compose a work of fiction to get it adapted into a film.

Likewise, screenwriters across Hollywood will most likely have their hearts set on writing a movie that is populated with their own characters, in their own settings, and with their own stories to tell. However, in a world that is driven by success, box office receipts and the money a movie makes, producers are less likely to take risks on the untried or tested subject matter.

Books adapted to movies give production companies a safer option when it comes to releasing a film. They know there will automatically be some interest from fans of the book or the author themselves. From then on, if they get the casting and directorial choices right, they could have a hit that can generate millions of dollars.

The seven sci-fi movies I listed above are among some of the best that have been made. They were the hits that many producers wish they could replicate, especially in a post-COVID-19 world that is crying out for financial recovery.

In the months ahead, find the seven movies listed above in your DVD piles, Blu Ray collections, or streaming services. Give them a watch and enjoy how books adapted to movies should be, both for fans of fiction and film. They are there to be savoured and held up as excellent examples of how adaptations should be done for budding screenwriters of all genders and ethnicities.