9 Novels that have inspired TV shows, movies, and Games

Everyone loves to watch movies and tv shows. This madness has only increased with the onset of COVID and OTT becoming a mainstream entertainment source. People across the world can make time for movies and series especially when they are extremely hyped in the market. The fandom for Marvel comics and brainless Sci-Fi action is very well known and movies like Avatar, Avengers Endgame, and Spider-Man No way Home earned over a billion globally.

But some of the famous movies or tv shows have been inspired by novels. Lord of the Rings trilogy was based on J.R.R Tolkien’s novel of the same name, The Witcher novel series by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski has been made into a famous series starring Henry Cavil and also inspired a video game with 3 installments published by Warner Bros. The article brings to you some amazing writings which have been converted into acclaimed movies, shows, or games in the years that have gone by.

Dune – A Novel series by Frank Herbert

American writer Frank Herbert’s major sci-fi book Dune was first released in 1965 as 2 different originals in Analog journal. It shared the 1966 Hugo Award for Best Novel with Roger Zelazny’s ‘This Immortal’ and received the first Nebula Award for Best Novel. It was referred to as the finest scientific fictional book on the globe in 2003.

Dune is set in a far-off futuristic galactic aristocracy where several royal families rule over celestial estates. The main character in the novel is young Paul Atreides, whose state takes the management of the world Arrakis. It is a barren, sparsely settled arid wilderness, yet it is the sole place where melange, sometimes known as “spice,” a substance that lengthens life and sharpens the mind, can be found. Melange is also required for interplanetary steering, which calls for a type of multifaceted insight and consciousness that the substance alone can deliver. Controlling the world is a desired and risky endeavor because melange can only be made on Arrakis.

As the tribes of the civilization compete for the sovereignty of Arrakis and its powder, the novel examines the complex links between governance, faith, environment, engineering, and emotions.

It is an amazon prime exclusive, starring Zendaya, Jason Mamoa, Rebecca Ferguson, and Dave Bautista. IMDb gave this 2021 release 8 points out of 10 and Rotten Tomatoes give it an 83% score.

Call Me by Your Name Written by André Aciman

The relationship of Elio and Oliver, 2 youthful men who share a season on the Italian Riviera and form a friendship that alters their perception of adoration for the remainder of their lives, is told in the book Call Me by Your Name. Elio, a bright 17-year-old, spends the summers at his home property. American post-doctoral student Oliver, 24, who is smart and attractive, stays at Elio’s villa for the season. As part of a yearly scholarship program for talented intellectuals, Elio’s family choose Oliver to stay for 6 weeks to assist the family in reviewing a book for submission and assist Elio’s father, who is also an educator, with his documentation.

Call Me by Your Name is the tale of compulsive affection, the cycle of life, and pivotal moments in one’s journey. Elio is the first-person narrator, who describes his recollections of Oliver and his eventual friendship.  His early recollections of Oliver open the book.

The movie received a standing ovation at the Sundance Film Festival. It also gained critical acclaim globally and was the 5^th best-rated film on Metacritic in 2017.

Doctor Sleep – A kids horror novel by Stephen King

Stephen King, an American novelist of horror and intrigue, published Doctor Sleep in 2013. It begins in the remote wake of the terrifying activities that happen at the Overlook Hotel and happens in the identical chronology and setting as the author’s best-known book, The Shining.

The prequel’s turbulent and psychotic main character Jack’s son, Danny Torrance, battles with lingering flashbacks of the establishment. His mom, Wendy, recovers through injuries she incurred while assisting in their getaway. The spirits from Suite 217 of the mystery hotel are still after Danny because they want to absorb his supernatural abilities, which they refer to as “the shining.” Danny is mentored by the Overlook’s chef, who teaches the boy to utilize his brain to filter off ghosts, particularly those of Horace Derwent, the venue’s former master, and the evil villain. The key characters and plot points of The Shining were reprised in this novel, which contributed to its popularity.

The film had mixed opinions from critics and viewers. CinemaScore gave it B+ on a scale of A+ to F and BBC rated it 4 out of 5 stars. The movie was nominated for the best horror movie of the year and Rebecca Ferguson received the Fangoria Chainsaw Award for best-supporting actress in the film.

Little Women Autobiographical novel by Louisa May Alcott

The narrative traces the development of the four March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—from adolescence through adulthood. Drawn on the writer’s and her 3 siblings’ experiences. It falls under the category of autobiographical or semi-autobiographical fiction. It was an instant economic and acclaimed sensation, leaving fans clamoring for more.

Alcott successfully finished the second book in a short amount of time. The two books were published together as Little Women in 1880. The March siblings appear in both of Alcott’s following additions to her widely read book, Little Men (1871) and Jo’s Boys, which she penned in 1886.

The three primary topics that the story addresses. “Culture of home-loving, workers, and sincere compassion are all connected and therefore essential to the growth of the character’s special lifestyle. Alcott invented a brand-new literary form by fusing nostalgic tales with aspects of amorous storytelling to produce a wholly unique literary style.

The movie received various nominations at the 92^nd Academy Awards and won the award for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 25^th Critics’ Choice Awards.

Crazy Rich Asians – 1st novel of the three book series by Kevin Kwan

It depicts the plotting, slandering, and backstabbing that takes place when Nicholas Young, the scion of one of Singapore’s wealthiest people, invites his love Rachel Chu to one of the biggest nuptials of the year. Rachel is a Chinese girl raised in America who does not originate from a wealthy home. The visitors get uneasy in her proximity.

Kevin Kwan’s humorous fictional book Crazy Rich Asians explore and mocks the way of living of affluent Asian households and society. In the book, several affluent topmost Chinese households discuss ways they use to undercut others who aren’t as powerful or rich as themselves.

The film has a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic gives it 74 points out of a hundred. The movie won many awards including the Critics’ Choice award in the Best Comedy category.

Jurassic Park – one of a kind technothriller novel by Michael Crichton

Michael Crichton published the biological fiction book Jurassic Park in 1990. It is about a remarkable method that has been developed for retrieving and replicating dinosaur DNA. One of the most exhilarating dreams of humanity has now manifested and Prehistoric beasts that have been deceased for ages wander Jurassic Park, and anyone in the world can go there for a fee.

It depicts the breakdown of a theme park featuring genetically manipulated creatures as a dire warning concerning synthetic biology and as an example of the theoretical idea of chaotic systems and their practical applications.

In 1995, Crichton’s The Lost World, a successor, was made available. In 1997, Michael Crichton’s Jurassic World, a compilation of both books, was released. A 1993 movie of the exact name, helmed by Steven Spielberg, was made also titled Jurassic Park. The movie was well-received by critics and audiences alike, topping box office records in the period and inspiring several new films.

 Michael Crichton uses all of his captivating skill and analytical acumen in Jurassic Park to produce his greatest thrilling technothriller.

Everyone loved this dinosaur movie. It became the highest-grossing film in that period with a global earning of $914 Million. The movie won multiple accolades globally including 3 Academy Awards and the BAFTA award for best special effects in 1994.

It – another horror novel for kids by Stephen King

American novelist Stephen King published ‘It’ as a horror book in 1986. It was his 17th novel and 22nd book, both authored in his real name. The plot centers on the memories of 7 children who are frightened by a terrible being that hides his existence whilst chasing its target by playing on their anxieties. For the most part, “It” manifests as Pennywise the Dancing Clown enticing small kids, which are his favored victim.

The tales in the book alternate among two points in time and most of it is written from 3rd person’s perspective. It explores issues that subsequently evolved to be King cliches, like the importance of remembrance, the impact of adolescence trauma on maturity, the darkness that lurks under the bucolic surface of the American tiny city, and the triumph of good against bad by cooperation and sacrifices.

The movie received multiple nominations globally and it won the IGN award for Best Horror Movie. Bill Skarsgard who played the antagonist Pennywise received a critical appraisal.

The Lord of the Rings – fantasy novel By JRR Tolkien

J. R. R. Tolkien, an English writer, and researcher wrote the sweeping fantastical epic – masterpiece The Lord of the Rings. The novel is set in Middle-earth, which is supposed to be Planet at some point in the distant past. The Lord of the Rings is among the finest works worldwide, with over 150 million volumes printed. It was published in phases between 1937 and 1949. The name alludes to the major adversary of the narrative, the Dark Lord Sauron, who built the One Ring during a previous era to control several other Rings of Powers granted to humans, dwarves, and elves during his effort to annex all of Middle-earth.

The work was planned by Tolkien to be one book of two sequences including the Silmarillion, despite being frequently referred to as a trilogy. The Lord of the Rings was released in 3 parts, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, over a year from 29 July 1954 to 20 October 1955 due to financial constraints. Fundamentally, the story is structured over six books, two in each volume, plus many supporting supplements.

The games were developed by many companies attracting mixed opinions. However, the movies were praised by critics and the series is considered to be the greatest trilogies in the history of cinema.

The Witcher – set of 6 novels by Andrzej Sapkowski

The Witcher is a collection of 15 children’s books and 6 young adult novels by Polish novelist Andrzej Sapkowski. Geralt of Rivia, the game’s titular “witcher,” serves as its central character. In Sapkowski’s stories, “witchers” are people who pursue feral creatures and animals using magical skills they learn as children.

In May 2017 a TV adaptation of The Witcher working with Netflix and Sean Daniel Company was announced, with Tomasz Bagiski serving as among the executives and Sapkowski serving as a production assistant. Henry Cavill plays Geralt in this Lauren Schmidt Hissrich production.

The Witcher, a computer adventure created by CD Projekt Red, was published in 2007. The very same crew followed up with The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, which was launched in 2011. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the series’s concluding game, was unveiled in 2015. Sapkowski seemed to have zero influence on the gameplay, allowing the company permission to use his characters in a brand-new narrative. The 3 titles garnered generally favorable reviews, with Metacritic awarding them scores of 81, 88, and 93, correspondingly. As of May 2020, they had sold more than 50 million copies, with greater than 30 million of those coming from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt itself.

The list ends here! Jump into the pool of emotions and entertain yourself with mesmerizing performances from the actors and actresses this week.  Hopefully, the post was able to give some more members for the novel and movie bucket list.

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