Everybody (... or almost everybody I know) knows about the Narnia movie coming to theatres soon. And the Harry Potter and The Constant Gardener!
Here are some of the movies I hadn't heard of, which are based on books and which will be reeleased soon.
{Note : all movie dates are subject to change acc. to the whim of the studios. I have nothing to do with it.}
Memoirs of a Geisha
Based on the international best-seller by Arthur Golden, "Memoirs of a Geisha" is an epic story of love and betrayal set against the broad and rapidly changing social canvas of 20th century Japan. Nine-year old Chiyo, a poor fisherman's daughter, is taken from her family and sold to a geisha house.
From her start as a common household maid, she blossoms into one of Kyoto's most renowned geishas, surviving the envy and treachery of the competition. Set to release sometime late this year.
Below are movies set to release sometime in 2006 :
Freedomland
Based on Richard Price's bestselling novel, which opens as a bruised and bloodied white woman named Brenda Martin stumbles into a Dempsey, New Jersey, emergency room, claiming that a black man stole her car with her four-year-old son in the backseat. Veteran detective Lorenzo Council is assigned to investigate the case, and despite reservations about Brenda's story, he launches an all-out search for the abducted boy. Jesse Haus, an ambitious young reporter for the local newspaper, also suspects that Brenda is hiding something, and she befriends the grief-stricken mother in an attempt to break the biggest story of her career. But as the search for the alleged carjacker intensifies, smoldering racial tensions between the predominantly black city of Dempsey and its mostly white neighbor, Gannon, threaten to explode.
Flicka
Based on the novel "My Friend Flicka" by Mary O'Hara, "Flicka" is set against the backdrop of a modern-day ranch in Wyoming. It tells the story of Katie (Lohman), a teenager who dreams of running her family's ranch, much to the dismay of her father (McGraw); his hopes are pinned on her older brother. In the tale, Katie finds a wild horse she names Flicka and claims it for her own.
The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things
"The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things", is based on JT Leroy's critically acclaimed novel of the same name. The story is about Jeremiah, a child who is pulled from his foster home and thrown into a troubled life on the road with his teenage mother, Sarah. With Sarah, Jeremiah travels through the country roads of the U.S. and learns first hand about the troubles of the world.
Curious George
Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment bring "Curious George," the original "monkey see, monkey do" chimp, to the screen in an all-new animated adventure based upon the beloved tales that have been enchanting readers for more than 60 years. George, the inquisitive little primate transplanted from the jungle to the big city by The Man in the Yellow Hat, sets off in a brand new tale for the big screen, where his spunky and fun-loving nature endear him to new friends he meets along the way and lands him in a series of adventures.
Hoot
Based on the Carl Hiaasen's Newbery Award-honored book which has become a New York Times bestseller, "Hoot" revolves around a young boy who moves to Florida where he tries to solve an ecological mystery involving endangered owls, an assortment of other unusual creatures, and group of eccentric adults.
Aquamarine
Pop star Jojo plays a mermaid that two teen girls find in the swimming pool of their local beach club, but when she falls for the cute boy who runs the food bar, she tries to get their help in getting a date with him. Based on the novel by Alice Hoffman.
The Sentinel
A suspense film based on the novel by former Secret Service agent Gerald Petievich. Special Agent Pete Garrison (Douglas) suspects that the neo-Nazi Aryan Disciples have positioned one of their own in the White House, but his investigation is cut short by a blackmailer who knows of his affair with the First Lady Sarah Ballentine (Basinger) and tries to frame him for murder. Though he is officially relieved of his duties, Garrison doesn't stop trying to prove his innocence and save the presiden't life. He comes into a direct confrontation with his protege, hardheaded Agent Breckinridge (Sutherland).
Zoom
Based on Jason Lethcoe's comic book "Zoom's Academy for the Super Gifted", Tim Allen stars as the aging superhero Captain Zoom who has lost his powers and is forced to mentor a group of very gifted young people. He has to encourage their handicaps, which are, in a sense, super powers. But on the surface they're handicaps. He tells them that all super powers are that, handicaps on the surface. And by this resurrection of his caring spirit and a big, huge villain, Captain Zoom gets his very powerful powers back, and saves the world.
The Da Vinci Code
While in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) receives an urgent late-night phone call: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the body, police have found a baffling cipher. While working to solve the enigmatic riddle, Langdon is stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci -- clues visible for all to see -- yet ingeniously disguised by the painter. Langdon joins forces with a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, and learns the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion -- an actual secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci, among others. In a breathless race through Paris, London, and beyond, Langdon and Neveu match wits with a faceless powerbroker who seems to anticipate their every move. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle in time, the Priory's ancient secret -- and an explosive historical truth -- will be lost forever. *** Set to release Friday, May 19th ***
{Have to say, I'm greatly looking forward to seeing this one movie among all, despite previous dismal experiences in which Hollywood has successfully mangled a book's story enough to ensure the only common thing between the book and the movie based on the book is the title.}
Ok, this next one's not based on a book.
Rather it's based on a comic book series.
The only reason it's being included in this list is that I'm a HUGE fan of this series and even more particularly, a fan of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine!
You guessed it - it's the next X-Men movie!!!!
X-Men 3 is set to release on Friday, May 26, 2006. No info on the plot as yet.
Factotum
Based on the novel by cult author Charles Bukowski and adapted by Hamer and Jim Stark, "Factotum" is the story of a man living on the edge; of a writer willing to risk everything to make sure his life is poetry. Henry Chinaski (Dillon) works in factories and warehouses to support what he really wants to do: drink, bet the horses, take up with women as rootless as he is and, above all write stories no one wants to publish.
Eragon
Based on the Christopher Paolini-penned bestselling fantasy novel about a youth whose discovery of a dragon egg leads him to become a knight and battle an evil king. The medieval-set tale revolves around a farm boy who learns he is the last of a breed of benevolent Dragon Riders, whose magical powers derived from their bond with the beasts.
The Ant Bully
"The Ant Bully" is based on a book by John Nickle, which tells the tale of a young boy who floods an ant colony with his water-gun, and is magically shrunken down to insect size and sentenced to hard labor in the ruins. Before returning to half-pint stature, he comes to appreciate the selfless nature of the ants and learns a valuable lesson about tolerance and empathy.
Superman Returns
Following a mysterious absence of several years, the Man of Steel comes back to Earth in the epic action-adventure, Superman Returns, a soaring new chapter in the saga of one of the world’s most beloved superheroes. While an old enemy plots to render him powerless once and for all, Superman faces the heartbreaking realization that the woman he loves, Lois Lane, has moved on with her life. Or has she? Superman’s bittersweet return challenges him to bridge the distance between them while finding a place in a society that has learned to survive without him. In an attempt to protect the world he loves from cataclysmic destruction, Superman embarks on an epic journey of redemption that takes him from the depths of the ocean to the far reaches of outer space.
The Painted Veil
Based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham, "The Painted Veil" follows a doctor and his adulterous wife, Kitty, as they move to a remote Chinese village to fight a cholera outbreak in the 1920s. While there, Kitty has a spiritual awakening and falls back in love with her husband after seeing his dedication to his work.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
More book-into-movie news as and when I weed them out!
Here are some of the movies I hadn't heard of, which are based on books and which will be reeleased soon.
{Note : all movie dates are subject to change acc. to the whim of the studios. I have nothing to do with it.}
Memoirs of a Geisha
Based on the international best-seller by Arthur Golden, "Memoirs of a Geisha" is an epic story of love and betrayal set against the broad and rapidly changing social canvas of 20th century Japan. Nine-year old Chiyo, a poor fisherman's daughter, is taken from her family and sold to a geisha house.
From her start as a common household maid, she blossoms into one of Kyoto's most renowned geishas, surviving the envy and treachery of the competition. Set to release sometime late this year.
Below are movies set to release sometime in 2006 :
Freedomland
Based on Richard Price's bestselling novel, which opens as a bruised and bloodied white woman named Brenda Martin stumbles into a Dempsey, New Jersey, emergency room, claiming that a black man stole her car with her four-year-old son in the backseat. Veteran detective Lorenzo Council is assigned to investigate the case, and despite reservations about Brenda's story, he launches an all-out search for the abducted boy. Jesse Haus, an ambitious young reporter for the local newspaper, also suspects that Brenda is hiding something, and she befriends the grief-stricken mother in an attempt to break the biggest story of her career. But as the search for the alleged carjacker intensifies, smoldering racial tensions between the predominantly black city of Dempsey and its mostly white neighbor, Gannon, threaten to explode.
Flicka
Based on the novel "My Friend Flicka" by Mary O'Hara, "Flicka" is set against the backdrop of a modern-day ranch in Wyoming. It tells the story of Katie (Lohman), a teenager who dreams of running her family's ranch, much to the dismay of her father (McGraw); his hopes are pinned on her older brother. In the tale, Katie finds a wild horse she names Flicka and claims it for her own.
The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things
"The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things", is based on JT Leroy's critically acclaimed novel of the same name. The story is about Jeremiah, a child who is pulled from his foster home and thrown into a troubled life on the road with his teenage mother, Sarah. With Sarah, Jeremiah travels through the country roads of the U.S. and learns first hand about the troubles of the world.
Curious George
Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment bring "Curious George," the original "monkey see, monkey do" chimp, to the screen in an all-new animated adventure based upon the beloved tales that have been enchanting readers for more than 60 years. George, the inquisitive little primate transplanted from the jungle to the big city by The Man in the Yellow Hat, sets off in a brand new tale for the big screen, where his spunky and fun-loving nature endear him to new friends he meets along the way and lands him in a series of adventures.
Hoot
Based on the Carl Hiaasen's Newbery Award-honored book which has become a New York Times bestseller, "Hoot" revolves around a young boy who moves to Florida where he tries to solve an ecological mystery involving endangered owls, an assortment of other unusual creatures, and group of eccentric adults.
Aquamarine
Pop star Jojo plays a mermaid that two teen girls find in the swimming pool of their local beach club, but when she falls for the cute boy who runs the food bar, she tries to get their help in getting a date with him. Based on the novel by Alice Hoffman.
The Sentinel
A suspense film based on the novel by former Secret Service agent Gerald Petievich. Special Agent Pete Garrison (Douglas) suspects that the neo-Nazi Aryan Disciples have positioned one of their own in the White House, but his investigation is cut short by a blackmailer who knows of his affair with the First Lady Sarah Ballentine (Basinger) and tries to frame him for murder. Though he is officially relieved of his duties, Garrison doesn't stop trying to prove his innocence and save the presiden't life. He comes into a direct confrontation with his protege, hardheaded Agent Breckinridge (Sutherland).
Zoom
Based on Jason Lethcoe's comic book "Zoom's Academy for the Super Gifted", Tim Allen stars as the aging superhero Captain Zoom who has lost his powers and is forced to mentor a group of very gifted young people. He has to encourage their handicaps, which are, in a sense, super powers. But on the surface they're handicaps. He tells them that all super powers are that, handicaps on the surface. And by this resurrection of his caring spirit and a big, huge villain, Captain Zoom gets his very powerful powers back, and saves the world.
The Da Vinci Code
While in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) receives an urgent late-night phone call: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the body, police have found a baffling cipher. While working to solve the enigmatic riddle, Langdon is stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci -- clues visible for all to see -- yet ingeniously disguised by the painter. Langdon joins forces with a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, and learns the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion -- an actual secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci, among others. In a breathless race through Paris, London, and beyond, Langdon and Neveu match wits with a faceless powerbroker who seems to anticipate their every move. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle in time, the Priory's ancient secret -- and an explosive historical truth -- will be lost forever. *** Set to release Friday, May 19th ***
{Have to say, I'm greatly looking forward to seeing this one movie among all, despite previous dismal experiences in which Hollywood has successfully mangled a book's story enough to ensure the only common thing between the book and the movie based on the book is the title.}
Ok, this next one's not based on a book.
Rather it's based on a comic book series.
The only reason it's being included in this list is that I'm a HUGE fan of this series and even more particularly, a fan of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine!
You guessed it - it's the next X-Men movie!!!!
X-Men 3 is set to release on Friday, May 26, 2006. No info on the plot as yet.
Factotum
Based on the novel by cult author Charles Bukowski and adapted by Hamer and Jim Stark, "Factotum" is the story of a man living on the edge; of a writer willing to risk everything to make sure his life is poetry. Henry Chinaski (Dillon) works in factories and warehouses to support what he really wants to do: drink, bet the horses, take up with women as rootless as he is and, above all write stories no one wants to publish.
Eragon
Based on the Christopher Paolini-penned bestselling fantasy novel about a youth whose discovery of a dragon egg leads him to become a knight and battle an evil king. The medieval-set tale revolves around a farm boy who learns he is the last of a breed of benevolent Dragon Riders, whose magical powers derived from their bond with the beasts.
The Ant Bully
"The Ant Bully" is based on a book by John Nickle, which tells the tale of a young boy who floods an ant colony with his water-gun, and is magically shrunken down to insect size and sentenced to hard labor in the ruins. Before returning to half-pint stature, he comes to appreciate the selfless nature of the ants and learns a valuable lesson about tolerance and empathy.
Superman Returns
Following a mysterious absence of several years, the Man of Steel comes back to Earth in the epic action-adventure, Superman Returns, a soaring new chapter in the saga of one of the world’s most beloved superheroes. While an old enemy plots to render him powerless once and for all, Superman faces the heartbreaking realization that the woman he loves, Lois Lane, has moved on with her life. Or has she? Superman’s bittersweet return challenges him to bridge the distance between them while finding a place in a society that has learned to survive without him. In an attempt to protect the world he loves from cataclysmic destruction, Superman embarks on an epic journey of redemption that takes him from the depths of the ocean to the far reaches of outer space.
The Painted Veil
Based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham, "The Painted Veil" follows a doctor and his adulterous wife, Kitty, as they move to a remote Chinese village to fight a cholera outbreak in the 1920s. While there, Kitty has a spiritual awakening and falls back in love with her husband after seeing his dedication to his work.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
More book-into-movie news as and when I weed them out!