Rueben's Ramblings

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Last year, I posted two separate articles about books that are being made into films, which included The Hunger Games trilogy, The Mortal Instruments series of novels and The Millennium Trilogy (among others).

It’s been far too long since I’ve posted another article about books being made into films so here is yet another list of books that you can expect to see on the big screen sooner or later. They appear in no particular order:

A Discovery of Witches – This is the best-selling novel by Deborah Harkness that has been optioned by Warner Bros. The debut novel is about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch and a mysterious manuscript who are drawn together. The series is also being written as a trilogy.

The Darkfever Series by Karen Marie Moning

The Darkfever Series – This book series by Karen Marie Moning will come out under the DreamWorks banner. The series follows MacKayla Lane, an ordinary young woman from Georgia who travels to Ireland to track down her sister’s killer. While overseas, she discovers an extraordinary world filled with ancient secrets, vampires and other tough-to-kill creatures. Protag, who has special abilities, is tasked with finding the Sinsar Dubh, a powerful yet elusive book that can help her save both the fantasy realm and the mortal world.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

The Scorpio Races – This new young adult fantasy novel from Maggie Stiefvater has been picked up by Warner Bros. The story follows the first female competitor in the titular races which utilize mythological flesh-eating horses from Celtic lore on an island where the woman falls in love with her horse trainer.

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter Of Smoke & Bone – The Laini Taylor novel has been acquired by Universal Pictures. The protagonist is a 17-year old art student who is sent by her awful father on travels across the globe to collect teeth for an unspecified but creepy purpose. This leads her to an encounter with an angel and revelations about her family that lead her into adventures involving otherworldly beings. This book is also the first in a trilogy.

Tiger’s Curse by Colleen Houck

Tiger’s Curse – The novel by Colleen Houck, which has been acquired Paramount Pictures, follows a 17-year-old girl who takes a temp job caring for a white tiger at the local circus and sets off on an epic adventure when she discovers the tiger is a cursed Indian prince who turns into a man for only 24 minutes per day. Their quest to end the curse leads them through exotic locales in India and brushes with Hindu gods and goddesses.

Insignia by S.J. Kincaid

Insignia – The planned futuristic young adult trilogy by S.J. Kincaid has been acquired by 20th Century Fox. It follows a 14-year-old gamer named Tom Raines, who is recruited into an elite military training academy that wants to hone his skills for use in World War III. He’s got girls, tech, and the life he’s always wanted, but when Tom discovers the military intends on implanting a computer in his brain, he may have already gotten in too deep to do anything about it.

The Paladin Prophecy by Mark Frost

The Paladin Prophecy – Reliance Entertainment and Kintop Pictures has acquired the upcoming young adult trilogy written by Mark Frost (co-creator of Twin Peaks). The series chronicles Will West, a teenager who initially tries to hide his “unusual abilities” before entering a complex world of secret societies and supernatural conflicts.

The Diviners by Libba Bray

The Diviners – Paramount Pictures has acquired the screen rights to this upcoming novel (that will be part of a four-book series) from Libba Bray that is set in the 1920s and follows a group of young New Yorkers with mysterious powers who play a dramatic role when a series of occult-based murders begins to terrify the city.

The Grisha Trilogy (Shadow and Bone) by Leigh Bardugo

The Grisha Trilogy – The first book in this young adult fantasy trilogy is Shadow and Bone, which was written by Leigh Bardugo, was purchased by DreamWorks Studios. The novel series is about a young woman who must learn to control her newly discovered power in order to save her country from the Shadow Fold, a creature-filled darkness that threatens to overrun the land.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – 20th Century Fox purchased this young adult novel by Ransom Riggs. The story integrates a creepy collection of real, oddity images into a haunting narrative. The original story revolves around a teenage boy who journeys to a remote island off the coast of Wales where a crumbling home that housed a collection of very peculiar children stands ready to share its secrets.

Black City by Elizabeth Richard

Black City – Screen Gems closed a deal on developing the feature film based on the young-adult fantasy series from author Elizabeth Richard. The first book in the series won’t be out until November 13, telling the story of a city where humans and Darklings are separated by a high wall but tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war. But when 16 year olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary meet, they do the unthinkable: they fall in love.

These are just some of the books that are being adapted into film. It will be interesting to see how these adaptations turn out; especially to learn if they will become box office smashes or disasters. Do you have a book you would like to see made into a film? Or do any of the above strike your fancy? Or would you rather not see any of the books to films listed above for whatever reason? Please share.