Five Book Adaptations I Actually Want to See

Aug 4

Aug 4 Five Book Adaptations I Actually Want to See

Like millions of others, I watched — and mostly enjoyed — the “Fear Street” film trilogy on Netflix. As someone who credits the books of R.L. Stine for giving me an early love of reading, I’m grateful that he’s getting exposure to a new generation of fans.

Admittedly, I don’t remember much about most of the “Fear Street” novels I read, outside of some random plot points (a character falling out of the bus in one of the “Cheerleaders” books) and book covers (why did I let my parents donate them when they moved?!).

I found the films to be more of an exercise in nostalgia (those soundtracks!) rather than adaptations, because — and let’s be honest — when was the last time you thought about “Fear Street?”

All that to say, I wasn’t clamoring for a movie, let alone three, but FOMO and the Netflix publicity machine are powerful, so I watched them anyway. But it did get me thinking about the book adaptations I actually want to see.

Hey, Hollywood executives (or at the very least Reese Witherspoon), these are the top five on my wishlist.

“The Nix” by Nathan Hill

An all-time favorite read, it is the very definition of cinematic with an equal mix of humor, heartbreak and action. The decade-spanning views of several characters — placing them in moments like the riots of the 1968 Democratic National Convention to the 2011 Occupy Wall Street protests — practically begs to be a television series. This one has supposedly been in development for a few years with J.J. Abrams and Meryl Streep attached. Please make it happen soon!

“Giovanni’s Room” by James Baldwin

First published in 1956, it has become one of the most influential queer novels in history, so how the hell has it not been adapted? Effectively capturing the emotional connection and pain between David and Giovanni would be difficult to translate to screen but could you imagine how fantastic it would be as a stage production?

“A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara

Technically this was already adapted for the stage in the Netherlands, but I think a premium streaming service could really do wonders with the journey of Jude, Willem, JB and Malcolm. While care would need to be taken with the sexual and physical abuse portrayed, “Life” is primed to deliver an immersive and perception-altering viewing experience.

Fun fact: I’ve cast and re-cast this story so many times in my head. Currently it stands at Jude = Rami Malek; Willem = Alexander Skarsgård; JB = Winston Duke; Malcolm = Donald Glover; Dr. Andy = Paul Rudd; Harold = Kevin Cline; Julia = Rene Russo; Brother Luke = John Krasinski; Dr. Traylor = David Strathairn; Richard = Dev Patel; Caleb = Jake Gyllenhaal.

“Dark Matter” by Blake Crouch

I’ve read a lot of Crouch over the years, and this is easily his best and most accessible work. While “Recursion” has already been optioned by Shonda Rhimes as a movie and series for Netflix, this one should really be on the development list as a film. A tight narrative, accessible science fiction and twisty plots make this pure escapism fun. My dream cast would be Matt Damon, Penelope Cruz, Gabrielle Union and Steven Yuen.

“American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century” by Maureen Callahan

While there’s a gluttony of true crime documentaries, we’re due for a “based on true events” limited series focused on one of America’s most notorious, and lesser known, serial killers — Israel Keyes. Callahan’s nonfiction book is solid source material as she puts the law enforcement officers and surviving family members front and center as they try to understand and uncover all the damage Keyes inflicted across the country — from Alaska to New York.

Others on my short list: