Hollywood is constantly adapting books to the big screen, with some adaptations faring better than others. 2016 has seen several new films based on books including Me Before You, The Jungle Book, and The Girl on the Train. If you enjoy a good movie adaptation, then here are five books that will be coming to cinemas in 2017.
The Snowman
Due to be released by Universal Pictures on October 13, 2017, The Snowman is an adaptation of one of the most famous Harry Hole crime novels written by Norwegian author Jo Nesbo.
The film is being directed by Tomas Alfredson and will star Michael Fassbender as detective Harry Hole, who must investigate the disappearance of a woman who’s scarf is found upon an ominous looking snowman. This will be the first of Nesbo’s Harry Hole novels to be adapted to the big screen, but oddly, The Snowman is actually the seventh book in the series. No doubt hardcore fans of the books will be hoping this adaptation stays true to the source material.
The Dark Tower
Stephen King’s Dark Tower series has been called his magnum opus and combines elements of fantasy, horror, and Western. The series tells the story of a lone gunslinger named Roland Deschain as he travels towards the titular tower. For years a movie adaptation has been in the planning process, but now it finally seems to be happening.
Due to be directed by Nikolaj Arcel, the film will star Idris Elba, Mathew McConaughey, and Katheryn Winnick. It has been reported that the film won’t be a direct adaptation, but will serve as more of a sequel to the books. The cast certainly seems promising but only time will tell if the movie lives up to the quality of the source material.
Splinter Cell
Based on a book series that’s based on a popular video game series, the Splinter Cell games and books tell the story of a highly trained black ops agent named Sam Fisher who must use stealth and infiltration to take down terrorist organisations. Sam’s a man of few words but certainly a man of action, so he’d pretty much be perfect for Hollywood.
The Splinter Cell film began filming earlier this year and is aiming for a release next year. Tom Hardy will star as Sam Fisher and anyone who enjoys the James Bond or Jason Borne films should definitely keep an eye out for this one.
The Mountain Between Us
Released back in 2011, The Mountain Between Us tells the story of two strangers who find themselves stranded in the High Uintas Wilderness after a terrible plane crash. Dr. Ben Payne and writer Ashley Knox must work together to overcome the elements and survive, whilst learning about one another’s pasts as they are forced to put their lives in each other’s hands.
Being directed by Hany Abu-Assad, the film adaptation of The Mountain Between Us stars Kate Winslet and Idris Elba as the two stranded leads. Survival films like The Martian have been very popular recently, so here’s hoping The Mountain Between Us manages to follow suit.
East of Eden
Whilst a definite release window is yet to be announced, a film adaptation of East of Eden is certainly being discussed in Hollywood. Not to be confused with the 1955 James Dean movie, the new film is set to be produced by Universal Pictures and, as of right now, Jennifer Lawrence has been cast to play the character of Cathy Ames.
East of Eden has been described as John Steinbeck’s most ambitious novel. The book follows the lives of two families, the Hamiltons and the Trasks, and tells the tale of their interwoven lives. Steinbeck considered East of Eden to be his magnum opus and many of his fans would agree. According to recent reports, the film will be split in two halves, hopefully to avoid cutting out too much from the book. So far the film seems to be aiming for a 2017 release window, but it’s possible it may not hit that mark given the turbulent nature of Hollywood. Here’s hoping we get to see it sooner rather than later.
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