50 Upcoming Book-to-Movie Adaptations

Books: They’re just like movies, only without CGI. 

So it’s no wonder that over the past century, Hollywood has consistently turned to books to provide the basis for some of its best works. “To Kill a Mockingbird,” for instance, was based on a book, while “Gigli” wasn’t.  See how that works? 

With that in mind, then, we decided to put together a sneak peak of all the coolest books currently being turned into major motion pictures (like “The Help,”left). Because these days, the best library you can go to is your local Cineplex. 

‘Water for Elephants’

Attached: Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz, Hal Holbook
Status: Based on the 2006 novel by Sara Greun, “Water for Elephants” tells the tale of a man who, way back in the day, gave up a student’s life to become a vet for a traveling circus. Now an old man, he tells his tale of love and elephants to whoever happens to care — which, as it turns out, is just about everyone in Hollywood. RPattz is slated to play the young man, with Hal Holbrook playing the older version and Reese Witherspoon on board as the love interest. Finally, an older woman with a younger man; it’s about time, Hollywood!
Release Date/Year: April 15, 2011

‘The Help’

Attached: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard, Allison Janney
Status: Kathryn Stockett’s 2009 novel about how race impacted relationships in the Deep South of the 1960s was an instant hit with critics and fans alike, which explains why Disney rushed the story into production so quickly. Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and Emma Stone play the three central figures in this moving drama, which also features stars such as Bryce Dallas Howard and Cicely Tyson in supporting roles. Stockett’s close personal friend Tate Taylor is handling the directing duties after wisely gobbling up the film rights before the book was published. Smooth move, bro.
Release Date/Year: Aug. 12, 2011 

‘Breaking Dawn’

Attached: Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Kristen Stewart
Status: Author Stephenie Meyer penned this obscure little novel a few years ago, to little fanfare, but now it’s… oh, who are we kidding. You probably already know everything there is to know about the eagerly awaited adaptation of the fourth and final (?) novel in Meyer’s record-shattering “Twilight” series. The action is so big this time around, though, that they had to break it into two parts; the second half of the story won’t land in theaters until Nov. 16, 2012.
Release Date/Year: Nov. 18, 2011

‘On the Road’

Attached: Kirsten Dunst, Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Amy Adams, Viggo Mortensen
Status: Based on the classic 1951 beat novel by Jack Kerouac, “On the Road” has been adapted for the screen several times, but few of those productions have the kind of acting pedigree this latest version can boast: Besides big names like Viggo Mortensen, Amy Adams and Kristen Stewart, critical favorites like Steve Buscemi, Elisabeth Moss and Terrence Howard help round out the terrific cast. Filming is set to finish in December, so the first trailer should be gracing the internet before too much longer.
Release Date/Year: 2011 

The Host’

Attached: Director Andrew Niccol
Status: Niccol (“Gattaca,” “Lord of War”) has been chosen to spearhead the latest adaptation from “Twilight” author Stephenie Meyer. “The Host” tells the story of an alien who comes to Earth an inhabits a girl’s body, which sets in motion a whole slew of really complicated romantic entanglements due to the whole split personality type thing. But with aliens. We’re sure that Meyer’s legion of fans are probably already waiting in line for this one, but while we’re just as excited, we’re not quite ready to get our sleeping bag out just yet; casting hasn’t yet begun, so it will likely be more than a year before this actually hits theaters.
Release Date/Year: 2011

‘The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner’

Attached: Jodelle Ferland (rumored)
Status: So what is Hollywood going to do once “The Twilight Saga” has ended? Easy: make more “Twilight” movies anyway. At least, that’s the rumor that surfaced this fall, as “The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner” is apparently being bandied about by The Powers That Be for its own full-length film adaptation. Jodelle Ferland played the doomed Bree in “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” but unless they go into production right away, chances are she’ll be too old to play Bree by the time they get the ball rolling. Darn those ageless vampires!
Release Date/Year: N/A 

‘If I Stay’

Attached: Dakota Fanning (rumored)
Status: Scripting is currently underway for the adaptation of Gayle Forman’s acclaimed 2009 young adult novel “If I Stay,” which tells the story of a girl involved in a catastrophic car accident; stuck in a coma, she has an out-of-body experience that shows her the consequences of the crash, forcing her to decide whether to return to life or not. Dakota Fanning is rumored to be in discussions to play the lead role of Mia, but nothing has yet been made official, including the release date.
Release Date/Year: N/A 

NextMovie for rest
xoxo
Carrie

Dakota to "Stay"

Summit asks Dakota Fanning to 'Stay'

Brazilian helmer replaces Catherine Hardwicke

Dakota Fanning is in talks to star in Summit's supernatural "If I Stay," with Denise Di Novi producing.

Originally set to be directed by Catherine Hardwicke, pic will now be helmed by Brazilian filmmaker Heitor Dhalia.

Story revolves around a musician, who'd be played by Fanning, and her boyfriend, a rising star in the indie rock world. Already faced with a choice between her art and her relationship, she is forced to make a harder choice between life and death after being involved in a fatal car accident.

Shauna Cross has written the adaptation based on Gayle Forman's young adult novel.

"If I Stay" has been a high priority project at Summit for more than a year, with the company nailing down rights before the book was published in April 2009.

Hardwicke was onboard to helm after she directed the first "Twilight" film but dropped out to direct "Red Riding Hood" for Warner Bros.

Fanning has been a favorite at Summit of late, appearing as Jane in the "Twilight" trilogy and in Summit's "Push" with Chris Evans.

She was recently seen in "The Runaways" and can be seen next in part one of "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn."

Dhalia most recently helmed "Adrift" with Camilla Belle and Vincent Cassel.

Contact Justin Kroll at justin.kroll@variety.com.

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Carrie

If I Stay

Dakota is in talks to take a role in If I Stay, in which Catherine could be directing.
Dakota Fanning Nears Deal on Gayle Forman's If I Stay 
But Will Catherine Hardwicke Be in the Director's Chair? / Dustin Rowles 

Catherine Hardwicke, who Summit Entertainment unceremoniously dumped fromTwilight after it made her the highest grossing female director of all time, is apparently not completely on the outs with Summit. She’s attached to direct If I Stay, based on the Gayle Forman YA novel, which has been adapted for the screen by Shauna Cross (who scripted the under-appreciated Whip It).

The movie is about a young woman — a cellist dating a “rocker” type — who is about to be accepted into Juilliard. The woman gets in a car accident, her parents die instantly, and the movie follows the 24-hour out-of-body experience she has while she’s in a coma.

Here’s what we now know about the project: Dakota Fanning is in negotiations to take the lead role of Mia Hill in the film, and obviously, she’s ideal. She’s got an existing relationship with Summit (see New Moon) and she can actually act, and it’s apparent that she’s trying to engage with an younger audience than she usually appealed to as a child actor.

What we don’t know, however, is whether Hardwicke is still set to direct. She’s attached, but Summit is apparently making If I Stay a priority, and even wants to begin filming on it in the early summer of 2010. Whether Hardwicke eventually directs will likely be dictated by her own schedule — she’s in the process of developing a big-screen version of Hamletwith Emile Hirsch, as well as a Gothic version of the classic Red Riding Hood tale, which she is committed to.

Presumably, if Hardwicke doesn’t come aboard, this will be another case of Summit opting for a quick turnaround, rather than waiting on Hardwicke, which is what happened with New Moon, after Hardwicke balked at the short window between the twoTwilight movies (and the brief development time clearly shows in New Moon). If so, that means Summit may be breaking the If I Stay olive branch before it was even fully extended.

Of course, while we do know that Fanning is negotiating to take the lead role in If I Stay, the Hardwicke piece is mostly conjuncture on my part, based on the fact that Summit is searching for another director, though that search may be simply limited to a back-up director, should Hardwicke be unable to line up her ducks in time for filming, which is set to take place in Toronto.

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xoxo
Carrie