12 Books That Inexplicably Haven

8/11/2019 12 Books That Inexplicably Haven

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12 books that inexplicably

haven't been turned into filmsOdd List Ali Bianchi 8 Nov 2013 - 07:03Share on printShare on emai lShare on stumbleuponShare on twitter

There are some terrific books that would make some terrific films. Such as this collection here...Turning a popular book into a movie seems like a no-brainer, doesn't it?Movie execs love established properties, and adapting something that's got a

built-in fanbase seems like a guaranteed way to get bums on cinema seats.

But although it sometimes seems like every book to sell more than a handfulof copies has been turned into a film (even non-fiction plotless stuff like He's

Just Not That Into You and What To Expect When You're Expecting , of allthings) there are some famous stories that have yet to grace the silver screen.Here are 12 of the best books yet to be adapted into films, and our picks fordirectors and stars...

A Confederacy Of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

The book: Ignatius J. Reilly is a vastly overweight 30-year-old man livingwith his mother. Seeking employment in New Orleans, he suffers a series ofmisadventures in his one-man battle against the modern world.Why it hasn't been filmed: There have been repeated attempts to make a filmversion, most notably with Harold Ramis in 1982, with John Belushi linked tothe lead until his death that year. John Candy and Chris Farley were alsotouted to play Ignatius before their premature deaths, giving the adaption areputation for being cursed.Dream casting: Will Farrell has recently been linked to the role of Reilly, butso far his version has failed to materialise.Ideal director: Jason Reitman.The Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett
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The books : A comic fantasy series, chronicling the adventures of the kookyinhabitants of Discworld, a flat disc balanced on the back of a giant turtle.Why it hasn't been filmed: With the exception of some made-for-TVefforts, Discworld is probably too complex for a feature film. Essentially

parodies of books like Lord of the Rings , Discworld stories interweave andoverlap, rather than following a linear narrative, making their adaptation atricky proposition. There is, however, a rich vein of interesting characters andscenarios ready to be tapped into by some brave filmmaker.Dream casting: Sir Ben Kingsley as Rincewind, the reluctant and unmagicalwizard.Ideal director: Guillermo del Toro.Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

The book: Essentially the coming-of-age story of Holden Caulfield, a 17-year-old excluded from every school he has been to, who navigates his waythrough the challenges of growing up.Why it hasn't been filmed: With bucketfuls of teen angst, it should be perfectfor the Twilight audience, especially given its huge international success.However, its liberal use of profanity and portrayal of sexuality may make itdifficult to adapt for that particular demographic. J.D.Salinger, the author, wasreluctant to agree to a film adaptation, but since his death in 2010 there have

been renewed attempts to secure the screen rights.Dream casting: Ezra Miller as Holden.Ideal director: Stephen Chbosky.Nostromo by Joseph Conrad

The book: Charles Gould owns a silver mine which provokes revolution andwarring tribes in the fictional nation of Costaguanero. He orders Nostromo, adaring sailor, to keep the silver out of the hands of the revolutionaries, which

he does, but ultimately becomes corrupted.Why it hasn't been filmed: David Lean was due to film the epic tale, withMarlon Brando, Christopher Lambert, Dennis Quaid and Isobella Rosellini setto star (along with Spielberg offering to produce the film for Warner Bros).Sadly, Lean died as principal photography was about to begin, putting a stopto the whole project.


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Dream casting: Daniel Craig as Seor Gould, as Robert Downey Jr as Nostromo.Ideal director: Paul Thomas Anderson.Ubik by Philip K Dick

The book: Set in the near future where man has begun to colonise the moon,the book follows Joe Chip, a technician who employs people with the abilityto block psychic powers, in order to enforce privacy. After being set up onfake lunar mission, Chip and his crew mates experience strange phenomena,with those that separate from the group winding up dead.Why it hasn't been filmed: Just about the only book by science fiction writerPhilip K Dick still to be turned into a feature film, an attempt was made in

1974 by French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Gorin, commissioning the author towrite a screenplay edited heavily from his initial book. In 2011, MichelGondry was rumoured to be working on a film adaptation, but there are nosigns so far. What happened to it?Dream casting: Tom Cruise as Joe Chip.Ideal director: Alex Proyas.100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The book: 100 Years of Solitude recounts the story of seven generations ofthe Buendi family who founded the town of Macondo, believing it to be a kindof utopia. Soon, and over generations, the town befalls a series ofextraordinary and unfortunate events, which the family appear to be unable toescape from.Why it hasn't been filmed: Although the book has rich themes that are

perfectly suited to a cinematic interpretation - and is the author's best-sellingwork - Gabriel Garcia Marquez has so far refused to sell the rights to

producing the film. That'd explain that, then.

Dream casting: Al Pacino as Jose Arcadio Buendia, patriarch of the Buendiafamily.Ideal director: JJ Abrams.Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace


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The book: Set in a future world, Infinite Jest is a highly complex affair,revolving round the missing master copy of a film so entertaining that peoplelose all interest in anything other than viewing it, leading to their inevitabledeath in a state of catatonic bliss. Separatists are attempting to get a hold of a

copy to aid their terrorist campaign against the United States.Why it hasn't been filmed: Simply, the story is so lengthy and complex, withsuch a disrupted narrative involving themes of substance addiction,depression, child abuse, family relationships, and popular entertainment, thatto translate it to film could well be impossible. Just look what happenedwith World War Z .Dream casting: The character list is so massive, that there are no real leadroles - another reason it would be difficult to film.Ideal director: Paul Haggis.At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft

The book: Geologist William Dyer discovers the remains of unknown ancientlife forms in Antarctica. An exhibition sent to study the remains encountersdifficulties as members of their party start to go missing.Why it hasn't been filmed: Guillermo del Toro has written a screenplay

based on the book, initially mooted as a 3D film starring Tom Cruise.However, due to del Toro's desire to make it a R-rating, alongside the lack of a

happy ending or any kind of love story, he has struggled to raise the financeneeded. Given that the premise is very similar to that of Prometheus, anadaptation is unlikely to be arriving anytime soon.Dream casting: Harrison Ford as Professor William Dyer.Ideal director: Gareth Edwards (if del Toro doesn't get to do it).Drood by Dan Simmons

The book: A fictionalised account of the last years of the life of Charles

Dickens. Charting his downward spiral after disaster on a train, the bookwitnesses him sinking himself into the nightlife of the London slums,alongside an obsession with corpses, murder and opium dens.Why it hasn't been filmed: The newest of the novels featured, since it wasonly written in 2009, it's early days for this one yet. There's certainly

precedent for the idea of a historical figure mingled with fictional elements


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(see: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter ). However, this is a very dark and psychological affair, delivered through an unreliable narrator. Unsurprisingly(and we don't mean this in any kind of grumpy way!), Guillermo del Toro issaid to be circling the project.

Dream casting: Daniel Day-Lewis as Dickens.Ideal director: Werner Herzog.The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The book: Influenced by their classics professor, six students at Vermontcollege seek to broaden their thinking and style of living through recreatingarcane rites. With normal moral boundaries out of the window, the group soonspirals into obsession, betrayal and murder.

Why hasn't it been filmed: A movie version of The Secret History wasreportedly in development by Alan Pakula before his death in a car accidenton Long Island in 1998. Tense, bizarre and compelling, and filed in the totallyhot right now gritty teen drama category, it's strange that studios have not yetcome knocking with more fervour.Dream casting: Some kind of combination of Joseph Gordon Levitt, AndrewGarfield, Emily Watson and Carey Mulligan.Ideal director: Darron Aronofsky.Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner

The book: Absalom, Absalom! details the rise and fall of Thomas Sutpen aman born into poverty in West Virginia but who dreams of becoming a

powerful family patriarch, a dream which ultimately turns on him. Events areretold out of order, gradually peeling back the layers of truth behind Sutpen'slife.Why it hasn't been filmed: Telling the same story from three interconnected

perspectives would make it difficult to translate into a coherent narrative.

Dream casting: Joaquin Phoenix as Sutpen.Ideal director: Christopher Nolan.House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski


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The book: A mixture of both horror and love story, the multiple plot threadsfocus in on a family who move into a new house, only to discover that theinside is larger than the outside, which gradually drives them insane.Why it hasn't been filmed: As a piece of writing, it's unconventional to say

the least - it uses frequent footnotes, different coloured text and unusuallayouts, and it's written in a very disorientating style. As it stands, the author iscurrently refusing to sell the movie rights, but even if these were obtained itwould take a very skilled director to thread together all the elements.Dream casting: James Franco as Johnny Truant, the central protagonist.

Ideal director: Spike Jonze.

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12 Books That Inexplicably Haven