YA books being made into films

Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver is in development and also The Scorpio Races, which I can't wait to see if it comes to fruition.

Chazemataz said:

I feel exactly the opposite, oddly enough. If I ever wrote a book that received a movie adaptation, I would prefer someone else to put their own spin on it or even change it around entirely. That way, I could enjoy it from someone else's perspective, if that makes sense. Same characters that I envisioned, only in different situations. Just the thought gives me goosebumps.

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Me too. I'd love to see someone else's spin on my story. That would be fascinating in a fabulously narcissistic way I'd love to see actors' takes on my characters. That would be fascinating.

Y'know what would be awesome? A movie or TV series based on Y. S. Lee's The Agency novels. A BBC miniseries would be ahhhhmazing.

*wishes she hadn't thought of it because now she's going to constantly wish it existed*

A lot of books nowadays are getting sold for film rights, or at the very least, optioned. That means a lot for writers, even if the project doesn't go through. Specifically a lot of YA novels nowadays. I'm always on the look out for something new coming out that has a good following. I'm such a sheep sometimes.

Personally I picture my book/wip as more of an anime, or anime movie. With the outlandish character descriptions, some flaming red yellow hair and grey eyes and matching greyish/silver/white hair, I imagine it would be difficult to capture realistically. Though with the GameofThrones Danaerys character has such a distinct look, it was pulled off. I'd love to see my future work adapted, but I'd also really want to be involved and have a lot of input.

I find that there is on occasion a YA book to movie where the movie is much better than the book. (Yeah, I'm talking about HP here). I'm sorry but the seventh book was 85% camping and 10% disappointing character developments because Rowling didn't like her fans putting Harry and Draco together.

I liked the last two HP films far better than the books. I am currently off-put by many of the YA book/movies. I'm not a Twilight fan, so having those thrown at me every time I go to the theater is getting old, and the Hunger Games just makes me sad. I'd like to see a YA book to movie in an upbeat tone, just for a change of pace.

HUGELY excited to see how Chaos Walking translates to film, and also can't wait to see How I Live Now. Haven't read Beautiful Creatures, but the film seems to have attracted some big names, and I love a Southern Gothic setting.

Evan Daugherty (Snow White and the Huntsman) is writing a script for Divergent.

Movie rights sold that I really hope make it into production: Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Prague! Moroccan souks! Necklaces made of teeth! Blue hair!) They really need to get the Pan's Labyrinth team creating the Chimaera creatures. So much potential for visual spectacle in this one. And also The Scorpio Races could be magical. Fingers crossed.

It's MG rather than YA, but I'm really gutted that Michelle Paver's Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series hasn't made it to the screen yet. I love stone age settings. (As far as I know) rights were picked up by Ridley Scott's production company years ago, but it still seems to be languishing in production limbo.

missouridalton said:

I find that there is on occasion a YA book to movie where the movie is much better than the book. (Yeah, I'm talking about HP here). I'm sorry but the seventh book was 85% camping and 10% disappointing character developments because Rowling didn't like her fans putting Harry and Draco together.

I liked the last two HP films far better than the books. I am currently off-put by many of the YA book/movies. I'm not a Twilight fan, so having those thrown at me every time I go to the theater is getting old, and the Hunger Games just makes me sad. I'd like to see a YA book to movie in an upbeat tone, just for a change of pace.

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So true. And it's funny how particularly annoyed J.K. Rowling was by fan fiction. Why bother to get upset over it? I feel like the whole reason she wrote an epilogue was to dissuade fan ficcers/shippers. (Not to mention the endings she gave all of the other characters. Personally, I did not need to know what happened to every Tom, Dick, and Harry; I'd rather imagine what happened after the end myself. But, oh well.)

I didn't really like the last two HP books all that much either, but between the books and the movies, I don't know which was worse. They were disappointing all-around, for me.

I thought the very last movie was terrible, in particular. They seemed to have cut a lot, despite slicing the book into two parts. I remember a scene where Harry goes into the forest, and Hagrid shouted, "What are you doing here, Harry?" And I was very tempted to shout, "What are YOU doing there, Hagrid?" because by then it was a few minutes into the forest scene and I didn't even know Hagrid was there until they cut to him asking why Harry was there. They didn't even bother to establish he was there. It's a little thing, but little things added up, and the film didn't feel very coherent as a whole... IDK, I saw it a while ago, but I wasn't impressed. Not a very good film, IMO. And the ending... I died. The epilogue was too funny.

/thread derail

When I go into a movie adaptation of a book, I always have to treat the two as completely separate entities because things do change from paper to screen. But I'm okay with that (except for when it comes to Sullivan Entertainment's treatment of the Anne series. Movie #3- bleeeeech!)

My favorite example is "The Princess Diaries"-- the movies are absolutely nothing like the books, but both are fun. Meg Cabot did a great job addressing that in one of the sequel books (and apparently had a lot of fun with it, as well.) The TV adaptation of 1-800-WhereRU was also great. Avalon High? Notsomuch (Uhm, Disney? REALLY?) She has a good attitude about it all.

It seems that studios (outside of Disney) are starting to get the message that fans do want the movies too stay closer to the books, so I anticipate more "Hunger Games-like" treatment of novels rather than "Princess Diaries." And if the book-to-movie gets people (esp teens) reading the books, than I count it as a success reguardless of what they do in the film.

example: the made-for-tv Disney adaptation of "Geek Charming" was so adorable that I bought the book. Halfway through already and I prefer the book version, but I wouldn't have known about it without the movie. Success.

There was a film adaption of Beastly that was awful. If they had stuck closer to the book it would have been a GREAT film as the book was really, really good. It also would have helped if they hired people who could you know...actually act. Vanessa Hudgens just kind of stands there and repeats her lines without any emotion. The kid who played the Beast did the same thing. The only good thing about the movie was Neil Patrick Harris who made all of the stupid, cheesy moments not totally cringe-worthy.

Oh man, I LOVED The Princess Diaries books and films (although it irked me a little that **spoiler alert** her dad was alive in the books but not in the movie **spoiler alert**)

I wasn't in love with Beautiful Creatures (in fact, I couldn't finish the book), but I'd love to see a film version of it.

YA I'd love to see as movies: If I Stay (I'd really love this to move into production), Wicked Lovely (or just the second book because I heart Irial ), Perfect Chemistry (because I want to see CP being addressed on the big screen darnit), Burn Bright (an Aussie YA, but I just want to see the steampunk/dystopian/angel mess of it on the big screen ) and the Gallagher Girl book series by Ally Carter.

Belle_91 said:

There was a film adaption of Beastly that was awful. If they had stuck closer to the book it would have been a GREAT film as the book was really, really good. It also would have helped if they hired people who could you know...actually act. Vanessa Hudgens just kind of stands there and repeats her lines without any emotion. The kid who played the Beast did the same thing. The only good thing about the movie was Neil Patrick Harris who made all of the stupid, cheesy moments not totally cringe-worthy.

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THIS. God, the movie was terrible! It's like they just casted them based on their appearence and not acting capabilities!

I would love to see The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare as a movie series!!

(Although, my agent has said my manuscript is in front of movie producers. *terrified*)

I also want The Mortal Instruments on screen like...yesterday. Seriously. That needs to happen!

(Good luck with your novel, ex_machina)

I'm really excited about Perks of Being a Wallflower. Chobsky is directing and he's secured a pretty incredible cast minus Emma Watson and Nina Dobrev. The trailer just premiered today at the MTV movie awards. Did anyone catch the trailer? Logan Lerman and Ezra Miller were fantastic choices for Charlie and Patrick.

The trailer is out? *goes to YouTube to watch*

WHAT?!?! Sooooooo watching that trailer after the episode of Downton Abbey I'm watching

Smiley0501 said:

The trailer is out? *goes to YouTube to watch*

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Yea! It's on MTV. Perks is one of my favorite books of all time so finally seeing the trailer slightly made my day. This is why I love indies . Summit has come a long way since the Twilight travesty.

Link: http://www.mtv.com/videos/movie-trailers/787596/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower.jhtml#id=1686368

Becca C. said:

WHAT?!?! Sooooooo watching that trailer after the episode of Downton Abbey I'm watching

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How is Downton Abbey? I've heard the series is fantastic. I'm a a HUGE Game of Thrones nerd, but season 2 ends tonight so I'm going to need a carry over series in the meantime lol

Yes, I really enjoyed Perks. I read it way back when...I was about 15 at the time, so I don't really remember it but I do know I enjoyed it (Charlie's voice is/was memorable to me; I still recall reading passages in my head in his voice)

The trailer looks great!

Smiley0501 said:

I also want The Mortal Instruments on screen like...yesterday. Seriously. That needs to happen!

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It's in production and set for release in 2013 . There isn't much information in the IMDB page, but I get updates from Cassandra Clare's fan page on Facebook.

YA Books Being Made Into Movies

Do we have a thread for news of books being made into films? There are a lot I've been reading about (I guess there always are) but I think it could have it's own thread? Just a thought.

So just to throw out some recent news on that front:

• In what is officially the most annoying trend in adapting YA books to movies, Lionsgate has decided to split the last Hunger Games Book MOCKINGJAY into two movies. I guess most of us saw that coming.

• On the contemporary end, Nina LaCour's HOLD STILL has been up on Kickstarter for a while now and they finally met their intended goal and have already began filming. Based on the budget, it's obviously going to be an indie flick. She wrote the screenplay herself.

• This one is pretty well known but BEAUTIFUL CREATURES by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl is underway and currently (as of last month?) filming in Louisiana. The MC Ethan is being played by Alden Ehrenreich. Ehrenreich isn't all that well known, but anyone who saw him in his first feature role TETRO (Francis Ford Coppola) can attest to his acting chops and super dreamy eyes/bone structure.

• Also, Courtney Summers announced not to long ago on her twitter and blog that THIS IS NOT A TEST has been options for a television movie. Obviously optioned doesn't mean anything will be made, but it's exciting news for her.

• And more recently (I think like earlier today?) Cassandra Clare announced on her tumblr that the role of bff brooklynite vampire bro Simon Lewis in the film adaption of THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS has gone to Irish actor Robert Sheehan, best known for his portrayal of Nathan on the British TV show Misfits.

Okay y'all that's all I have for now. Anyone with other updates is of course free to share. But I'm both a YA writer and a film nerd, so I could potentially run this thread all alone and just pretend other people are reading it.

xx

How do you feel about the casting for The Mortal Instruments? Robert Sheehan seems like a really good fit for Simon!

OMG OMG OMG A HOLD STILL MOVIE???? Must see!

Another one:

A film adaptation of FAT KID RULES THE WORLD by K. L. Going comes out this year and it's currently touring on the Vans Warped Tour (makes me even more sad that Warped isn't coming to my city this year!). It's and indie film directed by Matthew Lillard, who fell in love with the story when he recorded the audiobook version. I can't freaking wait to see it.

Apparently, The House of Night Series by PC & Kristin Cast is being made into a movie--I think it has a producer and director already, but that's pretty much it. I don't know much else, but if they are going through with it...they have to make a ton of movies...about essentially the same thing each time. I think the HoN movies could do with combining a few books together.

Another one I've heard, though not necessarily a movie, is The Selection. It's been said to be a TV Show on the CW.

Kalea said:

How do you feel about the casting for The Mortal Instruments? Robert Sheehan seems like a really good fit for Simon!

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I was really really surprised, but I do like him as an actor. And honestly, I'm not a fan of the series but I think it'll actually be a pretty entertaining movie. It's been a while since there was a good urban fantasy flick and they've always been a guilty pleasure of mine.

Awesome thread idea.

Well, DIVERGENT is to begin filming by the end of the year. Kind of premature and there's no casting yet... but still cool. The book was entertaining (not SUPER-AMAZING, imo), but I think it will make a fun movie.