Book to Screen this Spring

I've often wondered why studios continue to "remake" films that have already been made. Working in a library that is full of interesting and exciting original IP, I struggle to see why we need another live-action remake of a Disney cartoon, or yet another classic novel adaptation from the same few regency-era authors.

While these upcoming releases look as though they will be unique and worth the wait, I issue a simple warning to readers: the cardinal rule of book to screen adaptations? The book is almost always better.

A Haunting in Venice

Hercule Poirot is back and better than ever! Kenneth Branaugh's popular film series returns with an adaptation of another Agatha Christie classic, Hallowe'en Party, revamped under the title A Haunting In Venice.

Branaugh will reprise his role as mustache-adorned Poirot, now retired, attending a seance in Venice, where he lives in self-imposed exile. When another attendee is murdered Poirot must once again don his detective cap to expose the killer.

While Branaugh doesn't always follow Christie's mysteries by the book, it's sure to be entertaining, and, as always, a star-studded reimagining of a classic.

A Haunting in Venice is set to release in New Zealand cinemas on the 14th of September. Those interested in reading the original mystery can find Hallowe'en Party in our collection here.

The Fall of the House of Usher

Originally a short story from the king of mystery and macabre himself, Edgar Allen Poe, The Fall of the House of Usher was first published in 1839 and is still among his most famous works. The story follows an unnamed narrator who arrives at the decaying ancestral home of his friend, Roderick Usher, who is ill and believes he will soon die. Roderick lives with his beautiful twin sister, Madeline, who is also ill and falls into deathlike trances, in their deteriorating ancestral home.

Sure to be a frightful watch with director Mike Flanagan at the helm (Flanagan is also known for book adaptations of Stephen King's Doctor Sleep and Gerald's Game, as well as Shirley Jackson novella-to-screen Haunting of Hill House and Haunting of Bly Manor, both available on Netflix) the miniseries appears to be taking the story in a more modern direction and will likely pull only the bare bones from Poe’s original story. Much like his previous work, we can expect Flanagan to push through the gothic Victorian motifs and delve into the psychological ideas of the source text.

The Fall of the House of Usher arrives on Netflix October 12. While you wait, check out this and many other short stories from Edgar Allen Poe here.

Lessons in Chemistry

Bonnie Garmus' bestseller is coming to the small screen! Lessons in Chemistry follows Elizabeth Zott, soon to be played by Brie Larson, a female chemist who becomes the unlikely star of a TV cooking show.

Zott, a brilliant chemist, struggles to be taken seriously in the male-dominated scientific field. After the love of her life, and the father of her unborn child, dies, Elizabeth is forced out of academia. She becomes host of Supper at Six, a televised cooking programme. Utilising the show as a way to communicate with the American housewife, Zott teaches chemistry (and feminism) through cooking.

Lessons in Chemistry will be available to view on Apple TV from October 13th. Find Bonnie Garmus' bestselling novel in our collection here.

All The Light We Cannot See

Based on the 2014 Pulitzer Prize winning novel of the same name by Anthony Doerr, All The Light We Cannot See follows the lives of Marie-Laure LeBlanc, a blind French girl trying to reunite with her father through radio signals, and Werner Pfennig, a bright, orphaned German boy who is recruited by the Nazi regime for his expertise in radio technology. 

Added into the mix is an evil Nazi official named von Rumpel searching for a diamond that might grant immortality, which happens to be in Marie-Laure's possession. Based on this alone, I think if you're a fan of every single Indiana Jones plotline to have ever been written, this might be the series for you.

With stars such as Mark Ruffalo and Hugh Laurie in the cast, and Shawn Levy directing, the miniseries- four hour-long episodes in total- is sure to be a success, much like the novel which was reprinted 25 times in its first 6 months of release.

All The Light We Cannot See arrives on Netflix November 2nd. Until then you can check out the novel in our collection here.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, a Hunger Games prequel, takes place 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute, and follows a young Coriolanus Snow (President Snow in later installments) in the aftermath of the war. Snow tutors early tributes of the Hunger Games, and attempts to climb the ladders of leadership within the Capitol, until he is assigned the District 12 female tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, member of a travelling musician group, forced into staying in District 12 after the war began.

Directed by Hunger Games Franchise alum Francis Lawrence, the film appears to be offering up a true-to-book adaptation, but, with a confirmation that we won't be seeing JLaw reprising her most famous role, is it really still The Hunger Games?

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes arrives in New Zealand cinemas on November 17th. In the meantime, see how far through the Hunger Games collection you can read!

The Color Purple

The Color Purple is coming to the big screen this Christmas! With director and producer of the 1985 film Steven Spielberg and Quincy Jones, as well as producers of the stage musical Scott Sanders and Oprah Winfrey all coming together to produce the film, it feels this adaptation will be the amalgamation of the novel, film, and musical all in one.

With a cast full of incredible actors, including The Little Mermaid's Halle Bailey, we can expect incredible musical numbers, phenomenal storytelling, and, hopefully, even a little humour with Shug Avery actress Taraji P. Henson guaranteed to come out with some good one-liners as the dynamic singer.

The Color Purple will arrive to New Zealand screens on Boxing Day this year. Make it your end of year goal to get through the novel before Christmas and check it out here.