2013 is an exciting year for book adaptations, especially for middle grade and young adult novels! It’s halfway through the year, but there’s still plenty to look forward to. Here are some noteworthy novels that have been adapted to the big screen and are out in theaters this year.
World War Z (2006) by Max Brooks
This fictional oral history is a follow up to the Zombie Survival Guide (2003).
Set in a post apocalyptic alternate reality, a zombie plague has infected populations around the world. This story is presented in the form of an epistolary novel, a collection of oral interviews. A decade after the start of the war, these individuals recount their experiences to a U.N. employee. Through the interviews, the reader is able to piece together the dire events of how the world had fallen to the virus.
Reanimated by an incurable virus, these zombies are unintelligent and has an appetite for humans (not necessarily only brains). To kill them, one must destroy the brain, however, as recounted in one of the earlier interviews, the virus can be transferred through an organ transplant. Although the Zombie Survival Guide is often thought to be humorous book, World War Z takes the more serious and realistic approach. It is clear that extensive research went into the fine details–especially in the science, technology, and military tactics–that one could really believe that this could happen. It is indeed a horror novel.
A graphic novel The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks is a companion to the novel; they are not recounts from World War Z, but rather isolated episodes starting back from ancient times to present day.
World War Z the film is predicted to be very different than the book. It is not a faux documentary as many readers would have imagined. Instead it follows a U.N. employee, played by Brad Pitt, as he races around the world trying to stop the zombie epidemic from spreading–at least from what viewers can tell in the trailer.
The film is directed by Marc Forster (Kite Runner, James Bond Quantum of Solace, Monster’s Ball) and the screenplay is written by Matthew Michael Carnahan (State of Play, The Kingdom).
The movie is set to release in June 21.
Watch the World War Z trailer here.
City of Bones (2007) by Cassandra Clare
An international bestseller, YA urban fantasy by Cassandra Clare. Set in New York City, the story revolves around fifteen-year-old Clary Fray who is suddenly able to see demons and Shadowhunters, a secret society of demon-hunters dedicated to protecting the real world from those dark forces. She later discovers that she is a descendant of a Shadowhunter and therefore, she too must learn to hone her innate magical powers and battle demons. It’s action packed with quirky characters and will appeal to those looking for a buffy-esque, save the world, type of story. Clare invokes mythology and folklore in many of the magical elements.
City of Bones is the first in the Mortal Instruments series, what was originally slated to be a trilogy — and in fact the first three books in the series do tell one coherent story, but Clare was later contracted for six books; the first five is already out. The last book in the series City of Heavenly Fire is due out next year.
The movie is directed by Harald Zwart (also directed other family movies such as Pink Panther 2, Karate Kid (2010), and Agent Cody Banks). The film stars Lily Collins (Mirror Mirror) as Clary, Jamie Campbell Bower (Gellert Grindewald from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) as Jace, a shadowhunter and primary love interest, and Robert Sheehan as Simon.
Mortal Instruments: City of Bones will be in theaters Aug 23.
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2006) by Rick Riordan
Percy, son of Poseidon, and his friends set off on a quest to the Sea of Monsters to find the mythical Golden Fleece to stop an ancient evil from rising. This is a follow up to the bestselling series The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.
If I remember correctly, the first movie deviates widely from the book which probably attributed to many of the older fans to receive the movie poorly, but nevertheless, it should be entertaining and very appealing to the younger audience and should encourage new readers along the way.
The movie is directed by Thor Freudenthal. Logan Lerman returns as Percy as well as Sean Bean as Zeus and Alexandra Daddario as Annabeth.
The movie is in theaters Aug. 16.
Revenge of the Witch (2007) by Joseph Delaney
It goes by many names: The Spook’s Apprentice in the U.K., The Last Apprentice here in the U.S., and soon, The Seventh Son in the theaters.
Set in the 18th century alternate fantasy reality, thirteen year old Tom Ward is the apprentice to the local Spook where he will learn to fight evil spirits. The Spook will remind you of Lord of the Ring’s Gandalf — a cloak wearing old wizard carrying a staff, traveling countrysides “fighting troublesome creatures such as Boggarts, Ghosts, and Witches”. But he is more like a hired ghostbuster, hence his title, Spook. The story itself is action packed and full of strange and peculiar characters, cool magical elements, is rather funny at times, and has an underlining of darkness. Recommended for ages 11 and up.
The film stars Julianne Moore as Mother Malkin, the witch who wants revenge, Jeff Bridges as Master Gregory, the town Spook, and Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian) as Tom Ward, the apprentice. The film is directed by Sergey Bodrov.
The Seventh Son will be in theaters Oct. 18.
Carrie by Stephen King (1974) by Stephen King
Alas, Stephen King’s 1974 horror novel Carrie is getting a reboot in this 2013 feature film. The novel was first adapted to screen two years after its publication — that’s the one starring Sissy Spacek, with her career defining role as Carrie. Who could forget the image of Spacek looking horrified, drenched in blood during a high school prom.
If you decide to read the book for the first time, you’ll notice that the style of the book is somewhat epistolary; it’s a novel told in letters, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, and excerpts from books and most of the story’s suspense is from the careful organization of these elements.
In this 2013 version of the film, Chloe Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass, Dark Shadows, Hugo) stars as the title role of Carrie, a very shy, friendless, and awkward teenage girl, who has the power of telekinesis. The film also stars Julianne Moore as her unstable fundamentalist mother. Kimberly Pierce is director.
The movie is set to release in theaters on October 18.
Ender’s Game (1977) by Orson Scott Card
One of the most beloved science fiction classics of all time debuts on the big screen this November. The novel is set in Earth’s far future, where the inhabitants are trying to survive attacks from the Formics, an insectoid alien species called Buggers with behaviors like ants. To prepare for a forthcoming invasion, Ender Wiggin, a twelve year old genius is enlisted at Battleschool as a fleet commander in training to lead the battle against the deadly alien race.
The movie will combine the storylines from Ender’s Game and Ender’s Shadow, a parallel novel. Ender’s Shadow is set at the same Battleschool and follows Bean, another genius with a with a magician’s ability to zero in on his enemy and exploit his weakness.
This is the first time this novel is being brought to the big screen and many loyal fans of this title are either terribly excited, or really anxious. The movie stars Asa Butterfield (Hugo Cabret) as Ender, Harrison Ford as Colonel Graff, and Aramis Knight as Bean.
The movie is in theaters Nov. 1.
Catching Fire (2009) by Suzanne Collins
Everyone by now is probably familiar with The Hunger Games, the dystopian novel that forces teens into a brutal fight to the death competition while being televised.
Katniss Everdeen and her District 12 co-victor Peeta Malark returns to the games in Catching Fire. For those who have not yet read the books, but who have seen the first movie, the riots in the other districts are not mentioned in the first book, but because it is chronologically appropriate, some of those riots appear in the first film. But it is not until the second book that Katniss and Peeta are truly aware of the seriousness and danger of the uprising.
In the sequel, we’ll meet new and far more interesting characters, especially some of the other past victors, like Finnick Odair from District 4 played by Sam Claflin and Johanna Mason from District 7 played by Jena Malone. The same key players remain for the lead roles: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, and Woody Harrelson.
The movie is in theaters Nov. 22.
Don’t miss out! Read it before you see it!