You've got your "Still Alice" and your "Mockingjay" and a couple Nicholas Sparks adaptations already, but we have 12 more must-see, quality books for you to study up on before they jump from their faded, coffee-stained pages onto the glitzy silver screen. If "50 Shades of Grey" was indicative of how all these books being turned into movies might play out, we're all screwed (get it?!). But, let's hope for the best.
"Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
![books adaptations, books to movies, films based on best sellers, insurgent book]()
Film Release: March 20
"Insurgent" is the action/romance follow-up to Roth's "Divergent," a futuristic film starring Theo James (Tobias), Shailene Woodley (Beatrice) and Miles Teller (Peter) in which society is broken up into five subgroups and a struggle for war ensues. The sequel features the same actors, along with Kate Winslet as the returning villain, to the ruins of Chicago where the Divergent group is becoming too powerful and must be stopped. More political wars are waged in an attempt to salvage what is left of civilization.
"Serena" by Ron Rash
![books adaptations, books to movies, films based on best sellers, serena book]()
Film Release: March 27
Set during the Great Depression, Serena (Jennifer Lawrence) and George (Bradley Cooper) meet and wed, then move to North Carolina to build a timber empire, but the secrets they keep from each other along the way become too much for them to endure. Ron Rash had another book adaptation out in January called "The World Made Straight" starring Minka Kelly and Jeremy Irvine.
"True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa" by Michael Finkel
![books adaptations, books to movies, films based on best sellers]()
Film Release: April 10
Based on a true story, Jonah Hill returns with James Franco as a failed New York Times journalist named Michael Finkel. After Christian Longo (Franco) kills his own wife and kids, he poses as Michael before he's arrested, and the real Michel Finkel (Hill) must decide whether this man is innocent, guilty or part of a much bigger plan, and whether or not to help him in this twisted thriller.
"Child 44" by Tom Rob Smith
![books adaptations, books to movies, films based on best sellers, child 44 book]()
Film Release: April 17
Tom Hardy and Gary Oldman star in a story set in 1950s Soviet Russia sparked by the murder of a young boy. Two men alone must find and bring a politically-fueled, child serial murderer to justice before he kills a 45th child. Another 2015 film adaptation helmed by Ridley Scott, the film features Hardy going from calm, collected Russian police agent to exiled, homeless husband to a traitor to an ass-kicking bloodhound in search for justice in the backwoods of Moscow.
"A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
![books adaptations, books to movies, films based on best sellers, walk in the woods book]()
Film Release: August 19
Robert Redford and Nick Nolte have tagged as the leads in Richard Linklater's adaptation of the humorous Bill Bryson memoir about a travel writer (Redford as Bill Bryson) returning to America after two decades away to walk to Appalachian Trail, a 2,100-mile hike with his estranged friend. Nick Offerman is also set to appear (big surprise, Swanson!).
"Black Mass" by Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill
![books adaptations, books to movies, films based on best sellers, black mass book]()
Film Release: September 18
Johnny Depp, popular for his roles as notorious real life criminals, is back as Whitey Bulger, head of the Irish mob back in the '70s. The film, also starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Kevin Bacon, comes out briefly after the hit "Whitey" documentary and follows Bulgar's life dating back to his boyhood where his best childhood friend coincidentally grew up to become an FBI agent. Depp also starred in the book adaptation of "The Mortdecai Trilogy" by Kyril Bonfiglioli in January's "Mortdecai," a comedic film about a sophisticated art dealer who goes broke.
"Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley
![books adaptations, books to movies, films based on best sellers, frankenstein book]()
Film Release: October 2
The most classic horror novel of all time is getting a facelift as "Victor Frankenstein," a film about a young Viktor Von Frankenstein (James McAvoy) told from the perspective of his hunchback assistant Igor (Daniel Radcliffe). In his laboratory, Viktor brings to life one of the greatest scientific creations made of several parts of human corpses. The monster Frankenstein then breaks loose and runs amok and we'll all know how this one goes.
"The Martian" by Andy Weir
![books adaptations, books to movies, films based on best sellers, the martian book]()
Film Release: November 25
The 2011 book welcomes Ridley Scott's direction and Matt Damon as Mark Watney, an astronaut stranded on Mars six days into a two-month voyage and left to his own devices. With few supplies, Watney must survive a hostile environment in order to get word of his survival back to Earth. The film also stars Kate Mara, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig and Jeff Daniels. Luckily, this is not Damon's first time as a stranded astronaut on a distant planet in the last few years so he should have the role down solid.
"A Hologram for the King" by Dave Eggers
![books adaptations, books to movies, films based on best sellers, hologram for the king]()
Film Release: November 25
Written by the author of "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" and starring Tom Hanks, "A Hologram for the King" follows a failed businessman on a wild crusade to sell his idea to a wealthy monarch in Saudi Arabia. Hanks was also set to appear in the Dan Brown adaptation of "Inferno" this year, but the film was bumped to 2016.
"In the Heart of the Sea" by Nathaniel Philbrick
![books adaptations, books to movies, films based on best sellers, in the heart of the sea book]()
Film Release: December 11
The true story that inspired the tale of Moby Dick comes to life as a scenic and cinematic masterpiece under the direction of Ron Howard. Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy and Benjamin Walker will appear in the Ron Howard adaptation of the classic Nathaniel Philbrick novel. Howard takes us aboard The Essex, a ship that is sunk by a majestic whale in the early 1800s. The crew, containing Owen Chase (Hemsworth) and his mates, is left at sea for nearly three months at the mercy of the ocean and the belly of the majestic beast.
"The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge" by Michael Punke
![books adaptations, books to movies, films based on best sellers]()
Film Release: December 25
Leo returns for another Christmas classic, "The Revenant," as Hugh Glass, a frontiersman left for dead after being attacked by a bear. Set in the early 1800s, Glass has one thing on his mind: revenge. Tom Hardy appears opposite of DiCaprio in the outback where bloodshed and vengeance go together like peas and carrots.
"Dark Places" by Gillian Flynn
![books adaptations, books to movies, films based on best sellers]()
Film Release: TBD
Gillian Flynn's follow-up to "Gone Girl" hits theaters with the lovely faces of Charlize Theron, Chloe Moretz, and Christina Hendricks. A young girl who escapes the murder of her mother and sisters will later have to recall the tragic day after sentencing her brother to prison for the crime. When she (Theron) is confronted by a secret society who solves rare and notorious cases like hers, a new truth will appear to her. The screenplay was both adapted and directed by a lesser known director, Gilles Paquet-Brenner, whose last credit was 2010's "Sarah's Key" adaptation.
"Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
Film Release: March 20
"Insurgent" is the action/romance follow-up to Roth's "Divergent," a futuristic film starring Theo James (Tobias), Shailene Woodley (Beatrice) and Miles Teller (Peter) in which society is broken up into five subgroups and a struggle for war ensues. The sequel features the same actors, along with Kate Winslet as the returning villain, to the ruins of Chicago where the Divergent group is becoming too powerful and must be stopped. More political wars are waged in an attempt to salvage what is left of civilization.
"Serena" by Ron Rash
Film Release: March 27
Set during the Great Depression, Serena (Jennifer Lawrence) and George (Bradley Cooper) meet and wed, then move to North Carolina to build a timber empire, but the secrets they keep from each other along the way become too much for them to endure. Ron Rash had another book adaptation out in January called "The World Made Straight" starring Minka Kelly and Jeremy Irvine.
"True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa" by Michael Finkel
Film Release: April 10
Based on a true story, Jonah Hill returns with James Franco as a failed New York Times journalist named Michael Finkel. After Christian Longo (Franco) kills his own wife and kids, he poses as Michael before he's arrested, and the real Michel Finkel (Hill) must decide whether this man is innocent, guilty or part of a much bigger plan, and whether or not to help him in this twisted thriller.
"Child 44" by Tom Rob Smith
Film Release: April 17
Tom Hardy and Gary Oldman star in a story set in 1950s Soviet Russia sparked by the murder of a young boy. Two men alone must find and bring a politically-fueled, child serial murderer to justice before he kills a 45th child. Another 2015 film adaptation helmed by Ridley Scott, the film features Hardy going from calm, collected Russian police agent to exiled, homeless husband to a traitor to an ass-kicking bloodhound in search for justice in the backwoods of Moscow.
"A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
Film Release: August 19
Robert Redford and Nick Nolte have tagged as the leads in Richard Linklater's adaptation of the humorous Bill Bryson memoir about a travel writer (Redford as Bill Bryson) returning to America after two decades away to walk to Appalachian Trail, a 2,100-mile hike with his estranged friend. Nick Offerman is also set to appear (big surprise, Swanson!).
"Black Mass" by Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill
Film Release: September 18
Johnny Depp, popular for his roles as notorious real life criminals, is back as Whitey Bulger, head of the Irish mob back in the '70s. The film, also starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Kevin Bacon, comes out briefly after the hit "Whitey" documentary and follows Bulgar's life dating back to his boyhood where his best childhood friend coincidentally grew up to become an FBI agent. Depp also starred in the book adaptation of "The Mortdecai Trilogy" by Kyril Bonfiglioli in January's "Mortdecai," a comedic film about a sophisticated art dealer who goes broke.
"Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley
Film Release: October 2
The most classic horror novel of all time is getting a facelift as "Victor Frankenstein," a film about a young Viktor Von Frankenstein (James McAvoy) told from the perspective of his hunchback assistant Igor (Daniel Radcliffe). In his laboratory, Viktor brings to life one of the greatest scientific creations made of several parts of human corpses. The monster Frankenstein then breaks loose and runs amok and we'll all know how this one goes.
"The Martian" by Andy Weir
Film Release: November 25
The 2011 book welcomes Ridley Scott's direction and Matt Damon as Mark Watney, an astronaut stranded on Mars six days into a two-month voyage and left to his own devices. With few supplies, Watney must survive a hostile environment in order to get word of his survival back to Earth. The film also stars Kate Mara, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig and Jeff Daniels. Luckily, this is not Damon's first time as a stranded astronaut on a distant planet in the last few years so he should have the role down solid.
"A Hologram for the King" by Dave Eggers
Film Release: November 25
Written by the author of "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" and starring Tom Hanks, "A Hologram for the King" follows a failed businessman on a wild crusade to sell his idea to a wealthy monarch in Saudi Arabia. Hanks was also set to appear in the Dan Brown adaptation of "Inferno" this year, but the film was bumped to 2016.
"In the Heart of the Sea" by Nathaniel Philbrick
Film Release: December 11
The true story that inspired the tale of Moby Dick comes to life as a scenic and cinematic masterpiece under the direction of Ron Howard. Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy and Benjamin Walker will appear in the Ron Howard adaptation of the classic Nathaniel Philbrick novel. Howard takes us aboard The Essex, a ship that is sunk by a majestic whale in the early 1800s. The crew, containing Owen Chase (Hemsworth) and his mates, is left at sea for nearly three months at the mercy of the ocean and the belly of the majestic beast.
"The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge" by Michael Punke
Film Release: December 25
Leo returns for another Christmas classic, "The Revenant," as Hugh Glass, a frontiersman left for dead after being attacked by a bear. Set in the early 1800s, Glass has one thing on his mind: revenge. Tom Hardy appears opposite of DiCaprio in the outback where bloodshed and vengeance go together like peas and carrots.
"Dark Places" by Gillian Flynn
Film Release: TBD
Gillian Flynn's follow-up to "Gone Girl" hits theaters with the lovely faces of Charlize Theron, Chloe Moretz, and Christina Hendricks. A young girl who escapes the murder of her mother and sisters will later have to recall the tragic day after sentencing her brother to prison for the crime. When she (Theron) is confronted by a secret society who solves rare and notorious cases like hers, a new truth will appear to her. The screenplay was both adapted and directed by a lesser known director, Gilles Paquet-Brenner, whose last credit was 2010's "Sarah's Key" adaptation.