The biggest film adaptation opening tomorrow is based on comics characters. Thor: The Dark World, is the second movie in the series based on Marvel comics by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby. Reviews of the film are not kind, with USA Today saying, “Unlike Iron Man and Captain America, Thor is too dull a character to pin a franchise on, though Chris Hemsworth certainly looks the part and the production design is striking,” but one writer begs to differ.

Tie-in: Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World Prelude. Also available is a collection of the original comics, The Mighty Thor Omnibus, Vol 2.

YA Adaptations 

The adaptation of Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief debuts in a very limited Oscar-qualifying release, just four screens, with plans to roll it out more widely. How widely depends on whether it gets Oscar nods. Early reviews, which  repeatedl yuse the lackluster term “earnest,” don’t bode well. The Forbes reviewer notes that it is based on a “somewhat popular novel” (guess 230 weeks on the NYT best seller fails to impress him). He’s also not impressed by the star power of Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, and newcomer Sophie Nélisse as Liesel. The movie did, however, win over fellow YA novelist John Green and has brought new readers to the book, which has been moving up the USA Today best seller list to #15 as of the 11/7 list, its highest spot to date.
Showtimes. Tie in: The Book Thief , (RH/Knopf YR)

In a less limited opening (over 60 theaters, as well as VOD), How I Live Now, starring Saoirse Ronan, is the adaptation of Meg Rosoff’s debut novel, a Printz Award winner published in 2004. Ronan is getting strong reviews for her performance.
Showtimes. Tie-in: How I Live Now, (RH/Ember).

A Classic and a Modern Story

Also opening in a limited number of theaters is  Great Expectations, directed by Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), starring Helena Bonham Carter as Miss Havisham and Ralph Fiennes as Magwitch. Although Charles Dickens’ book has been adapted before (a two-part series aired just last year on PBS Masterpiece) both the trailer and reviews indicate this is a different take on the story.
Showtimes. Tie-in: Great Expectations: (Movie Tie-In)  

The indie movie, The Motel Life is the directorial debut of brothers Alan Polsky and Gabe Polsky. Fittingly, it is based on a novel about two brothers by Willy Vlautin. It stars Emile Hirsch, Stephen Dorff, Dakota Fanning, and Kris Kristofferson
Showtimes. Tie-in: The Motel Life Movie Tie-in Edition, (HarperPerennial).

To view the trailers of these and other upcoming film adaptations, click on links at right, under Movies & TV Based on Books — Trailers.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 7th, 2013 at 3:41 pm and is filed under 2013 -- Fall, Books & Movies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.