Hollywood seems to be taking notes from Hulu these days because there are at least a dozen books being made into TV shows this year. I guess this is the thanks we get for watching The Handmaid’s Tale.
HBO, PBS, AMC, Amazon, and Lifetime are all creating shows from breakout bestsellers. Big networks are attracting big names:
- Meryl Streep is adopting The Nix by Nathan Hill
- Amy Adams is starring in Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn for HBO
- Barry Jenkins is directing The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead for Amazon
- Julia Roberts is starring and directing Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple (whose first book, Where’d You Go, Burnadette is currently becoming a film) for HBO
…and this is just a few examples. So, why do people prefer to watch a movie or TV show when they can read the book??
- Is it because it’s faster to spend a few hours watching a movie or TV show instead of spending the time reading the whole story?
- Is it because people don’t like to read? (Barnes & Noble’s profits will disagree with this one)
- Is it because a hit book can make even more money as a TV show or movie?
I don’t know the answers, but I do know that for me – nothing will beat reading the book. Even those movies and TV shows I have watched after reading the novel didn’t hold up to the story and images I received while reading.
My favorite book, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, was made into a movie by Alfred Hitchcock. It’s a wonderful movie and I love watching it. But even Mr. Hitchcock can’t capture everything on the silver screen – I love the book more.
Your thoughts? Has your favorite novel been put on screen? Have you read something recently that you wish would be adopted into TV or movie? Do you dispose this practice always?
Comment and let me know!
And please forward this to all the bibliophiles and movie connesiouirs you know!
