I read the book A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs many years ago when I was at school although I enjoyed it at the time hadn’t given it a second thought until the trailers for the movie John Carter appeared a few months ago. Judging from the trailer it is a lose adaptation at best taking characters and ideas but not the plot from the novel originally published nearly a century ago (1917). Given the number of versions Edgar Rice Burroughs other creation, Tarzan it surprising to learn this is the first big screen outing for John Carter and “Barsoom” series of novels. Tomorrows releases got me thinking about other books I have read that will be hitting the cinema this year:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: From a novel I read a long time ago to one I have only just read. I saw the box set of the three Hunger Games novels while Christmas shopping last year, having seen the movie trailer I purchased the books and read them over Christmas. Although it loses its way in the third book and isn’t as good as Koushun Takami’s Battle Royale with which it will be forever compared (despite Suzanne Collins insistence that she was unaware of the Japanese novel) it is still worth reading. The casting looks to be perfect most notably Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, a character with clear parallels with Ree Dolly, her Oscar nominated role in Winter’s Bone. Release date: 23rd March.
On the Road by Jack Kerouac: The adaptation of this seminal novel of the Beat Generation is a bittersweet one for me, I have often thought it could make an excellent movie but my anticipation is tempered by fear that it will never live up to the book. It is in short, one of my all time favourite novels. Fortunately producer Francis Ford Coppola (who has owned the rights for many years) has chosen a perfect director in the shape of Walter Salles who did a fantastic job with The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) and has assembled a talented young cast. Release date: 21st September. 
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2: The startling revelation, I have read the Twilight books. As for the movies, the first and third actually aren’t bad. Depending on your point of view, spitting Breaking Dawn into two movies is the only way to do justice to the epic final novel or a cynical attempt to extort the maximum amount of cash from the franchises loyal following. I’m going for the latter. Still as with the final part of Harry potter, Part two promises to better than the dull part one. Release date: 16th November
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: With four adaptations to date do we need another? The 1974 version staring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow is a good film but is somehow lacking, it fails to capture the mood and the magic of the novel that is as important to “The Lost Generation” as On the Road is to the “Beat Generation“. I was a little dubious of the casting of Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire but actually think it could work. It is a novel that deserves a great adaptation, Baz Luhrmann could be the visionary director to give it to us, but why does he have to make it in 3D? UK release TBA, USA: 25th December
Gatsby I’m definitely looking forward too and considering I’ve studied English and the Lost Generation for three years I’m sure my friends will hate how critical I’ll probably be.
I like the twilight series.. they are pretty good. I just found your site I’m going to look around on it awhile and see what else I see. thanks
Jeremy http://www.txholdemfree.com
Well my favorite on this list is The Hunger Games. I lately my lost interest in Twilight series. Hope that won’t happen to Hunger Games
I’ve never had an interest in Twilight.
So do you plan to see John Carter — just to see how it compares?
My manfriend (yeah, I know, but boyfriend just seems so — young…) read the book when he was young, and we took my kids to see movie this past weekend. His analysis: It was “good.” Not great, not ok, but “good.”
I guess that’s something. 😉
I think for Edgra Rice Burroughs fans, we are a big analytical on first viewing…. picking out what is different from the book, A Princess of Mars. But if you go a second time, that’s when it really becomes fun.
I wasn’t even sure if I’d like Taylor Kitsch in the role, (Adrian Paul is my image of the Warlord of Mars), but he totally won me over.
John Carter maintains the feel of Barsoom, and is great fun !!
I’ll be seeing it for the forth time tomorrow !
The more I see John Carter, the more I love it. I notice so much more of the humor in it, plus, I now find myself weeping at the end !!
More in my blog: https://lowiczanka.wordpress.com/2012/03/14/dejah-thoris-of-barsoom/
John Carter was the biggest bomb to hit Disney in awhile!
It’s too bad; the books were a big part of my childhood.
Great book-to-moviie post!
The problem was the marketing, or lack of. People not knowing who John Carter is, and that he is the inspiration for all the other action sci fi films, like Superman, Flash Gordon, Dune, Star Wars, Avatar, etc.
Those who have seen John Carter say they loved it !!
my most recent book read turned movie was The Help. I thought they did an excellent job.
I loved this movie also. I think it did the book justice, at least as well as it could. 🙂
Is Hunger Games going to be a series of movies or one?
I thought John Carter was alot better than the critics made out. I recommend everyone tries it and makes up their own mind.
I think the great gatsby will be the best on the list.
Leo doesn’t dissapoint (usually) 😉
Nice list
Cheers
-Ron
The John Carter books were the first e-books I ever read about ten years ago now… I don’t think the film is as bad an adaptation as the hitch hiker’s guide to the galaxy film was to the book/tv series/radio series..
Carey Mulligan is usually just amazing, as in Shameless recently. So maybe she will be able to lift the Great Gatsby above the norm.
I think I need to read the book “A Princess of Mars”. I didn’t find the movie too bad…the big problem was the way it was marketed, completely! Epic fail disney….epic fail.
To bad about John Carter.I heard they were going to do three films, but with the poor box office? It could have been great.
i read the Help, and thought the movie was good, depsite the many differences. I also thought that it was interesting to hear that the Barsoom books were being made into novels (I researched Edgar Rice Burroughs in elementary school for a report). And Twilight? Haven’t read it, but you are probably right about the motive for splitting the film: who cares if they are accurate? All the girl’s will be caring about is Edward’s lovely hair or Jacob’s sculpted body. When they can scream over that, who cares about accuracy?
The reason the John Carter of Mars books haven’t been made into movies until now; is because the special effects industry is only now becoming advanced and adept enough at creating the special effects required.
Obviously, you have never seen Dune 😛 That movie came out with horrible graphics back in the mid 80s. I agree with you that now is definitely the time to put those types of movies out because they will look better, but that didn’t stop those eager directors in those days. Think of King Kong. Wow that looked horrible compared to today, but it still worked I guess.
I’m uber interested in seeing “On the Road.” I’m wary about what will happen, how it will be filmed. That and “The Great Gatsby” are what I’m most eager to see. DiCaprio is a very fine actor, so I think he will bring depth to Gatsby. From what I’ve seen in his period films, I could easily believe he may have lived in the 20s.
Great post. I have watched John Carter and Twilight Saga, the rest I will plan to watch soon. Congrats for being freshly pressed.
Can I guess that because you don’t have The Hobbit on your list that you haven’t read it yet? I’m very excited about that movie because I loved the book as a kid.
I look forward to On the Road and the Hunger games. Nice, informative and interesting post 😀
I can definitley see The Hunger Games being a controversial movie – I hope they do it justice. Congrats for being Freshly Pressed!
I’m curious about On the Road, but I’m afraid that it will fail hard. The trailer looks promising, but generally when I get excited about movies based on books I’m just setting myself up for disappointment.
I had very low expectations of John Carter when I went to see it. So I was pleased to have enjoyed it so much. Admittedly, it has been so long since I read the books in my teens that I didn’t remember much of them.
The film deserved to have done better at the theaters. But they did a very poor job advertising it and they seemed to assume the younger male target would be familiar with this older sci-fi classic. It it wasn’t for disney and cartoons, I don’t think the teens and twenty somethings would even know who Tarzan let alone John Carter.
Is that the real poster art for Breaking Dawn, the second? Looks like a student put it together, John Carter was amazing, , Looking forward to Gatsby, although I don’t see it as a fit for Leo. Although, with Catch Me If You Can he did play someone carrying on above his station. Either way, can’t wait. Now if they remade Catch-22 with Leo, he’d be great as Yosarian.
The “Hunger Games” and “On the Road” both look amazing! I’m watching the hunger games tomorrow, loved the book! Hopefully the movie is good as well..
“John Carter” was a reasonable facsimile to the book and the plot.
It could have been better. But, ERB has been long gone.
IMHO.
Wayne
Another book to movie coming out April 13 is Blue Like Jazz: The Movie. Don’t know if you’ve ever heard of it, but I can’t wait for its release. It’s follows a disillusioned evangelical as he uproots to “the most godless campus in America,” Reed College in Portland. I love that it’s not a Christian movie, but it tells the story of a Christian. Heck, it even has a homosexual that isn’t condemned for being so.
It’s a good read.
http://theblogbasher.blogspot.com/
if you’re looking for books based on upcoming movies, check out ender’s game, savages, abraham lincoln: vampire hunter and world war z. all books i would recommend
I have found that I always enjoy the books better than the movies. With Twilight, my daughter had to have the books so – dad also read them. That is correct, Dad read them too. I am going to see the hunger games with my daughter [ opening night, as chaperon to unofficial date ] But I think I am going to read the books as well. My imagination can never be duplicated no matter how much they spend on effects.
Can’t wait to see The Hunger Games!
Aarg, it’s so difficult! The more you love the book, the scarier it is when they make the movie. And, yet, I still get excited because a good adaptation is like chocolate after Lent. I really want Gatsby and On the Road to be good, but it’s hard to imagine.
My biggest disappointment so far this year has to be Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close – they murdered it. 😦
Oh! I feel secluded; I have just read Breaking Dawn among all these beautiful books. And I loved Breaking Dawn(it’s the best in the twilight series) and thus, I am looking forward to watch it.
John Carter’s trailer was horrendous; doesn’t seem like an interesting movie to watch.
I would like to give The Hunger Games a try.
Well, congrats on being freshly pressed.. 🙂
Nice post, just watched Battle Royale and it was amazing. Interesting to see how Hunger Games compares…
The Great Gatsby was one of the few novels I was forced to read in High School that I actually enjoyed, but for some reason I’m not too excited to see the movie adaptation. The 1974 version was pretty blah and I don’t see how 3D will improve on the story or characters.
I loved the John Carter movie and was extremely sad when I heard it got so much negative reaction from fans. They said such sci-fi was dated, that the “He-Man” getups were cheesy, but personally I thought it was a window into the imagination of an era much like the works of Jules Verne were. People want everything to be gritty and cynical today.
I’m hoping The Great Gatsby movie will be great. I love Leo DiCaprio’s work.
Maybe if Hollywood keeps remaking the movies based on books they will one day get it right. I agree about Hunger Games, a strong first, yet got a bit thin by the third one. I would really like to see the Narnia series take hold. The first one was magical. Not sure about how The Great Gatsby will do with Baz at the helm; I was not happy with his treatment of Romeo and Juliet.
Happy Pages
CricketMuse
Sounds like you are a Book Booster–interested in joining the rest of us biblios?
http://cricketmuse.wordpress.com/book-boosters/
Reblogged this on Stephanie Abbott's Blog and commented:
Interesting…
Beautiful blog with nice pictures. I love movies. Good work. Thanks for sharing. Greetings from Italy!
Nice comparisons. I began doing the same thing of reading a book and watching its movie counterpart or vice versa. If the movie disappoints me or leave me wanting, I read the book. If the book is fabulous, I watch the movie to see how closely they followed the book. In the past few months I’ve done this with East of Eden, Red Dog, and South Pacific. I loved all of them, books and films too.
while.. im in a middle of reading your beloved ex president.. Jimmy Carter ” an hour before day light” ~ as my inspiration to wake up early and performmy prayer as within that time… its about love of virginia.. what a coincidence.. But.. John Carter just a fiction. Nothing to impress since i’ve wrote about my golden cave with a king without a name in my ma7ahari.blogs.friendster.com which have been erased with the manager… nothing to impress plus john carter copy our beautiful ayah on the story of one our prophets about killing with only a punch!! and the war… just like a star wars.. and…. ermm… to many to compare yet i love jimmy carter thou way of thinking… to understand better the white world.
love this post. thanks.
Reblogged this on sky's stalker!.
The Great Gatsby is going to be in 3D?! WHAAAT? I did love Carey Mulligan in An Education. And Leo’s done good work now that his Titanic days are far behind him (although, that’s back in 3D too!).
I’ve read the Hunger Games trilogy last year, and loved them. I didn’t realize it was compared with the other Japanese series though. I’m looking forward to watch the movie.
I’ve also heard many great feedback from “The Great Gasby” readers, although I haven’t had the chance to read it, maybe I’ll give it a try.
Congrats on being Freshly Press!
I had low expectation for John Carter. Maybe that’s why I enjoyed it? I thought it was pretty good for a big screen adaptation, circa 2012. Movie executives, as a species, suck all the life out of these things.
I’m hoping to go see The Hunger Games this weekend! Can’t wait.
As for On the Road and The Great Gatsby, I hadn’t even heard that either film was being made! Crazy. I wonder how similar in style On the Road will be to beat film The Last Time I Committed Suicide starring Thomas Jane as Neal Cassidy. And I love the Great Gatsby – old school version with Robert Redford, but I feel pretty good about this casting for the new one. Very excited to see that now!
The Great Gatsby and Jack Kerouac-I knew these because of Murakami’s novels. =)
I’m looking forward to Mulligan’s portrayal in Great Gatsby.
HUNGER GAMES IS SO SOON OH MY GOD
I am afraid of what is going to happen with On The Road. Maybe if I am expecting to be disappointed, I will be pleasantly surprised??
I’m certainly impatient to see The Great Gatsby!
Even though there were some changes from A Princess of Mars, the film, John Carter, really felt true to Edgar Rice Burroughs’ vision of Barsoom. I loved it !!! What a fun adventure !!!
I am so glad that after 100 years, this film was finally made !!
Unfortunatley, Disney did not market it properly, so most people did not realize that Superman, Flash Gordon, Dune, Star Wars, Avatar, etc. etc. got their material from John Carter, the original action hero !!
Why is my comment not being posted?
wow mega excited for the great gatsby! and also the hunger games is such an amazing book 🙂 i think that the story should allow for an awesome film i just hope it lives up to it! abraham lincoln: vampire hunter looks like an amazing book adaptation also 🙂
keep smiling, look forward to your next post
I’m really gearing up for The Great Gatsby, i hope to read it within the year. ^_^
Love it 😀
Love it
Reblogged this on xoxocriseldalovestowrite.
I really liked the adaptation of the Princess of Mars. Alltough, John Carter of the book is only described to do superhuman feats allowed by the difference in gravity between Earth and Mars (ie. jump few meters high and less than a dozen meters away), but in the film he almost flies like the Superman.
The good thing about the film, was how the idea of a dying world and the different ways to face this problem were presented. It is a good question, if we should continue to fight over the lessening resources of try to co-operate to save the planet. Much more to critical at our time, then it was when the author lived.
Maybe, if the film has sequals, they will have more issues from the original series of books, like questioning organized religion, and tampering with DNA for example. The obvious Fascism of the green people was a bit watered down. -Disney?
I allways thought that the Mars series was the masterpiece of Edgar Rice Burroughs and that the Tarzan and Pellucidar stories were just breadwinning pulp.
I don’t think Breaking Down ending will be as good as Harry Potters but still as I have read the books I still want to watch despite their really bad actors :).
Looking forward for the Hunger Games.
The twilight saga and the great gatsby? Really? Honestly, and you have to ask yourself. What do you bring to the table. What a load of shit.
For me, I would have put the three Steig Larson “Girl with Dragon Tattoo” books. I loved all three books and I loved all three of the Swedish movies. When I learned there was to be an American version, I was a bit cynical, for the Swedish versions were still current and very, very well done. But my cynicism was wrong: The American version of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” is excellent. Different from the others and a bit more inclusive of plot points from the book.
If you haven’t read them or seen them, do. It is a treat.
I’m looking forward to all of these, I won’t lie, especially the Hunger Games. I am planning on reading A Princess of Mars more because I have three sons in a row and I always preview read before letting them read. I’m always on the lookout for good “boy” books. Good post!
Great post! My blog is devoted to books-turned-film check it out! http://www.mookology.com
I’m particularly excited for The Great Gatsby movie! And I am seeing an advanced screening of the Hunger Games today 🙂
Reblogged this on mookology. and commented:
Awesome blog and sweet posting on 2012 mooks!
Excited to see Hunger Games but even more excited for Gatsby. There’s yet to be a brilliant adaptation and I think it could showcase some very innovative use of 3D.
wonderful!
Cool post. I’ll bet you read The Lorax, too, at some point, so that’s one to add.
Despite the reviews, I thought John Carter actually surpassed the book in a number of ways (more interesting character arc for Carter, introduction of the Thrals earlier to create a more interesting meta-enemy for starters) and was a really fun ride. I’ll definitely be heading to see Hunger Games tomorrow, as I enjoyed the “Winter’s Bone meets The Running Man” plotline of the book, and my 10-year-old is entirely obsessed with it right now.
A couple that you may not have read but are out or coming are Secret Life of Arrietty (aka The Borrowers), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, and Dorothy of Oz. I’ve been doing a “Read It Then See It” series on the family-oriented book-to-screen flicks this summer over on my blog Stop Hitting Your Brother.
If you’re interested, here’s my writeup on The Hunger Games: http://stophittingyourbrother.wordpress.com/2012/03/02/the-hunger-games/
Great recommendations!!!
Like the author of this blog as well as many others I too read the John Carter series when I was a kid, in my case Junior High School. I always thought they would make a great move and I was excited to see that it actually was making it to the big screen. Unlike many others, and the movie isn’t doing well in the US, I fully enjoyed the film and thought that it captured the theme and tone of the books exceptionally well.
This is the kind of movie I like, pure entertainment, something I can’t experience on TV or in real life. It reminded me of the Indiana Jones and Star Wars films which were heavily influenced by the Burroughs books. Good old fashion, no sex entertainment. And at the end the audience applauded!
The Hunger Games trilogy is nice. I’m done reading the books. I will be watching the movie to see if its good movie like in the book. 🙂
I’m really looking forward to The Great Gatsby, because I love Baz Luhrmann. I think Leonardo DiCaprio is the perfect choice to play Gatsby. I’m going to skip the 3-D and see it in 2-D, though.
It’s rare for a film adaptation to be totally faithful to the original novel. Film is a different medium and so perhaps we shouldn’t expect them to be carbon copies of each other. Having said that, no one likes to see a cherished novel disrespected by a film maker. Have just started reading the first of the John Carter on Mars series and it will be interesting to see how the movie version compares.
Nice !! I Like John Carter ^^
Reblogged this on The Girl Who Could Fly.
This post reminds me that I have to read more!
Although I enjoyed The Great Gatsby much more than On the Road, I’m looking forward to the film adaptation of the latter a more. I liked Motorcycle Diaries (and anything with Garcia Bernal). Me and the beaux find Leo’s voice a little affected, but I’m sure that I can get over it. I’m most excited about the upcoming The Bell Jar (with Julia Styles) if it ever gets done.
Great Post!!! Can’t wait for Great Gatsby.
Am I the only one who was expecting a two thousand and twelve-long list of movie adaptations? Haha, I’m joking. Looking forward to Gatsby! Great post! 😀
I totally agree with you about Hunger Games–Book three was a let down, but I am still excited to see the movie. Although I might have to wait until teeny-bopper central ends before I brave the theater. Congrats on freshly pressed!
I have the same plan: wait until teeny-bopper central ends & then see it. Besides, you can’t trust those teens (the ones in “The Hunger Games,” at least)!
Twilight is a great movie.
I really enjoyed John Carter as well, very disappointed in the critical mashing it took.
What a great post! I love reading and sometimes it takes a movie (sometime good, sometime not so good) to bring a good book to your attention- I’ve just started reading the Princess of Mars, and will be searching for the hunger games today!
I frankly did not know John Carter was based on a book. Thank you for notifying me. A Princess from Mars is now officially on my reading list!
great list.you should watch out for Life of Pi, the book is one of my favorites alltime, and the movie’s coming in December.
And also the Hobbit too!
Is the Life of Pi being made into a film? How will they pull that off? Looking forward to seeing that one. It is a stunning book.
yes, they are in production right now, it will be in 3D with the great Ang Li helming the daunting task of adapting it to the bigscreen. I hope they’ll make a good film out of it.
Thanks for letting me know. If Ang Li is at the helm, that bodes well. Cheers for the heads up – looking forward to seeing it when it comes out.
Yes, The Hobbit should be good, or at least I hope so! I look forward to The Hunger Games and just read the first book.
Never Interested In Twilight
Great stuff! You might enjoy on my own experiences reading the Mars series in the fourth grade. Is There Life on Mars? The combination of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Frank Frazetta blew me away and inspired me to pursue my art.
3 out of 5 isn’t bad right? I’m hoping John Carter is good, because the 1st 3 books of the series are FANTASTIC! Can’t wait to read the rest! And I thoroughly enjoyed the Hunger Games. 😀
Reblogged this on jombangshop.
As others have said, the Hobbit’s out this year too. I think Peter Jackson did an excellent job with the LOTR adaptations and hopefully he can recreate it!
I’m gonna enjoy on the road. Kerouac is by far one of my favorite authors but I loved Dharma Bums better than this one.
Also I can’t wait to see the great gatsby. Leonardo didn’t fail me in Total Eclipse when he played the part of Rimbaud. Before that I wasn’t fond of him except in blood diamond. But personally, I hate the twilight series and I’m not even going to try to watch it. Good to know people out there still have taste though :>
There are a lot of movies that are out or are coming out in the near future that are based on great books. I’m pretty excited having been an English major. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Paradise Lost, The Hunger Games (seeing that in just a few hours actually), The Millenium Trilogy (UK version), etc. all look really good. I’m currently reading the Song of Ice and Fire saga, so the HBO series is reeling me in. I’m a sucker for movies/shows based on books it seems.
Congrats on FP!
If you get chance read Yes Man, it’s a great book and an incredibly funny and uplifting story by Danny Wallace. It made a decent film as well
The only one of these I’m looking forward to is the Hunger Games but I loved that book and everything I’ve heard about the movie promises to be great! I’m also quite looking forward to the Hobbit! 🙂
Personally I don’t understand how you thought the first movie was great. It lacked all the details and the anticipated fight scene well it sucked ass for lack of better words. However because of this blog, I feel like I’m gonna read most of the books and watch the movies.
I love when I’ve enjoyed a book and then get the opportunity to see it come to life. I love comparing it to all the wonderful things I’ve imagined to what the movie people create. Great post.
Didn’t know about the great gatsby film. I’m just about to start the book, I’ll no doubt see the film when its released, the fact Leonardo is in it helps ever so slightly 🙂
Stumbled upon your blog and mighty glad I did. Books to movies can go either way, so it’s great to hear what people think about them especially if they’re big names, classic or ones you just love. Looking forward to having a ganders through your site on the archive!
I saw ‘Jhon Carter’ yesterday and I slept very well at the begining of the film! Sorry, I think the movie will be a movie to see for the gay comunity. A lot of skin and muscles. I know now why super man and many of the rest of the super “heros” uses Lycra!!!
I must say that the landscapes were wonderfull!!! Very inspirational for architects! But poor photography or at least, it could have been better! Maybe, with time, will be a film ‘de culto’ for many people.
great p0st!
Would you recommend reading the Hunger Games books before watching the movie? -Greeting from the Netherlands
I haven’t read any of the books mentioned above but I have seen The Hunger Games and the Twilight movies and think they’ve been good! A fave book-movie of mine was The Help- great story and think all of the actors did a great job! Ooo, I’m looking forward to The Great Gatsby, didn’t know it was coming out!
The Hunger Games will be a huge success. I am also looking forward to The Great Gatsby (English major). I enjoy your blog, very nice indeed!
I absolutely love watching movies based on books. I have 2 favorites: “The Reader” and “The End of the Affair”. I’ very excited about “The Great Gatsby”, also a wonderful read, but as usual, it will takr a long time to come to Brazil…