Some movie lovers mourn the lack of original content, but the truth is that there are many books and video games that would make really good movies. Here are a few examples that we’re particularly excited for!
The Fifth Season
The Fifth Season is the first book of N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy. Each book in the series won a Hugo Award for Best Novel, making Jemisin the first to win the award 3 years in a row as well as for every installment in a series. In 2021, Jemisin signed a 7-figure contract with Sony Pictures to adapt all 3 books. While there hasn’t been much news since the initial announcement, fans are still eager to see how the complex narrative following a woman with the power to control the Earth searching for her kidnapped daughter will translate to the big screen. The novel has a very unconventional structure, shifting back and forth between various times and perspectives. For this reason, the adaptation presents a unique challenge to Jemisin, who will be in charge of writing the scripts for each movie.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine was published in 2017. Since then, over 2.5 million copies have been sold around the world. Reese Witherspoon’s production company, Hello Sunshine, jumped on the film rights the year it was published, with MGM getting involved in 2018. Gail Honeyman’s novel following an awkward Scottish woman in her late-20s is still moving slowly through development. No cast has been announced yet, but the project will be helmed by Harry Bradbeer, who earned an Emmy for his collaboration with Phoebe Waller-Bridges on "Fleabag". While the movie is likely to have some element of narration, some fans worry that it won’t have the same effect that Eleanor’s skewed perspective provided in the book. However, as with all adaptations, there are many changes that will have to be made in order to properly render Eleanor’s emotional journey on the big screen.
The Legend of Zelda
Back in 2007, Imagi Animation Studios pitched a CGI adaptation of the popular video game The Legend of Zelda. However, due to the failure of their 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros., Nintendo was too reluctant to adapt any of their other IP. It wasn’t until 2023 that they decided to try again with Universal’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which finished it’s theatrical run as the second-highest grossing release of the year. Soon after, a live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda was announced. Many Hollywood stars have expressed interest in the movie, including Hunter Schafer, Walker Scobell, and even Machine Gun Kelly. However, the only known cast so far is Bo Bragason as Princess Zelda and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link. Out of all the adaptations on this list, The Legend of Zelda is shaping up to be the most concretely realized with a release date of April 30th, 2027.
Mistborn
Earlier this year, Apple TV closed a groundbreaking deal to acquire the Cosmere books, a fictional universe created by acclaimed fantasy author Brandon Sanderson. After meeting with nearly every studio head in Hollywood, Sanderson was given an unprecedented amount of control over the adaptations, which will begin with the Mistborn trilogy. Sanderson is one of the most prolific writers today, having sold over 50 million copies of his books worldwide and raising nearly $100 million with crowdfunding. He also headlines his own fantasy convention, which has sold out every year since launching in 2021. The Cosmere books are set in various worlds and eras, surrounding a legendary being named Adolnasium, whose power was split into 16 shards that were spread throughout the universe. The extensiveness of this fantasy universe will certainly make for an interesting franchise opportunity.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Anna Kendrick is set to team up with Netflix to direct her second film, an adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. The novel, which follows a young journalist as she interviews the aging Hollywood starlet Evelyn Hugo, was acquired by the streaming service back in 2022. The book has sold over 24 million copies worldwide since its release in 2017. Reid, who will executive produce the movie, is no stranger to the adaptation process. Her bestselling novel Daisy Jones and the Six was adapted into a miniseries by Prime Video and Hello Sunshine back in 2023. After the success of her directorial debut, Woman of the Hour, fans are excited to see what Kendrick will do with this beloved novel.
