The Book Stacks

Tintin, Belgian comic-strip hero extraordinaire, is headed for the big screen in the not too distant future. It is not yet known if Tintin will arrive on the screen in live-action or animation, nor which of his 23 books will be the basis of his first adventure this time around. (He has previously appeared in a couple of live-action films back in the 1960s.) The word is that Steven Spielberg is to produce this film for DreamWorks. Apparently he is a big fan of Tintin, as am I. I wonder when they will have a tentative date for this?

Tintin, Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks

As I mentioned last week, Tanya Huff’s “Blood” series is being made into a television show. For your edification, the books in this series are Blood Price, Blood Trail, Blood Lines, Blood Pact, Blood Debt, and a collection of short stories. The show itself is called Blood Ties, and it premiered on Lifetime last Sunday at 10pm with a two-hour long episode called Blood Price. The basics from the books were there: Vicki Nelson, former policewoman now Private Investigator who is losing her sight; Henry Fitzroy, bastard son of Henry VIII who is also a vampire; and Mike Celluci, Vicki’s former partner. I was also happy to see that the story still takes place in Toronto. (All you Forever Knight fans may be amused now. There is a new Vampire in TO.) The show itself had its cheesy and predictable moments, but on the whole I quite enjoyed it. The actors did a great job, and I had fun playing “what have I seen you in before?” while I was watching. The first episode was mostly drawn from the first book of the same name. I did notice that Henry is a graphic novelist rather than a romance novelist, but that wasn’t a major change. Obviously, the storyline was greatly simplified overall, but I shall be interested to see how the closely the rest of the series sticks to the books. I will definitely be tuning in next week…and I think that I’ll read book one again. Did anyone else see the show? What did you think?

Tanya Huff, Blood Price, Blood Trail, Blood Lines, Blood Pact, Blood Debt, Blood Ties, Forever Knight

Well, I’ve got a few books being filmed to tell you about this week. First of all we have Emma Mclaughlin and Nicola Kraus’s The Nanny Diaries coming to the big screen on 20 April 2007. I haven’t read the book myself, but I thought that y’all might be interested to know. So, if any of you have read the book, could you let me know if you think that a film adaptation will work? The next adaptation is of Tanya Huff’s Blood series. It is coming to television as a series on The Lifetime Channel called Blood Ties starting on March 11, 2007. This one I am very curious about, as I own the first four books in the series. I’ve checked out the website for the series, and…well..I’ve set my Tivo. I think that I might enjoy Blood Ties. Okay, actually I’m really looking forward to it. I may finally have a weekly tv show that I care about. I hope so, anyway. Finally, I don’t think I’ve mentioned that the incredibly popular The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher is currently appearing on the Sci Fi Channel. So far, the reviews that I’ve heard of this adaptation have been favorable. Has anyone out there seen it?

As usual, if you hear about a book making the transition to screen, please use the “Contact Me” link on the right side of the blog to let me know. Thanks!

Emma Mclaughlin, Nicola Kraus, The Nanny Diaries, Tanya Huff, The Lifetime Channel, Blood Ties, The Dresden Files, Jim Butcher, Sci Fi Channel

Pardon me while I permit myself a fangirl squee. Christopher Eccleston (Doctor Who, Heroes) has been added to the cast of the upcoming filmed version of Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising. The news is all over the place, but here’s IGN’s article and the IMDB listing for the film. Eccleston will be playing “The Rider” (a villain). Now, I generally prefer to see him play a good guy, but I know that he will do a great job in this role. He brings such focus and depth to any character that he plays. I begin to have hope that they won’t screw up this film. (Don’t let me down WaldenMedia!)

Christopher Eccleston, Susan Cooper, The Dark is Rising, WaldenMedia

Sci Fi Wire is reporting that The Jim Henson Co. is planning to turn three fantasy books into films. The three books in question are: The Boggart by Susan Cooper, The Doubtful Guest by Edward Gorey, and Monster Blood Tattoo (which is actually a trilogy) by D.M. Cornish. The Henson.com Press Release is here. Apparently, the Creature Shop will be in the thick of things for all three productions. I shall be very interested to see what The Henson Company comes up with for these titles. I am particularly curious about what they plan to do with Edward Gorey’s The Doubtful Guest. It isn’t very long, but it is certainly very interesting. I love Edward Gorey’s work. Susan Cooper has one other property currently heading for film right now. Good on her! I have yet to read anything by D. M. Cornish. I guess I’ll just have to add it to my list. Looks like the Jim Henson Company is keeping busy.

The Jim Henson Co., The Boggart, Susan Cooper, The Doubtful Guest, Edward Gorey, Monster Blood Tattoo, D.M. Cornish

Well, it looks like they are now making a film of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. I have not yet read this huge tome of a book, though I do have fond memories of a friend who read it in college, and then threw it into the pool from his second story balcony. (I guess that he was just really happy to have finished it.) This film is expected to arrive in theaters in 2008. Bearing in mind that the book is 1,168 pages long, I wonder how long the movie will be? (Depending upon the version, The Fellowship of the Ring is less than half that size, and look at how long it was.) So far the cast link only contains Angelina Jolie as “Dagny Taggart.” So…I just have one question. Who is John Galt?

Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

It occurs to me that I have mentioned quite a few books that are being made into films over the past few months. So, as a service to my readers, and because I like to compile information, here are the status updates for the films so far.

Alatriste: Appeared in US theaters 22 December 2006. No DVD yet.
Blood and Chocolate: Due in US theaters on 26 January 2007.
Bridge to Terabithia: Due in US theaters on 16 February 2007.
Casino Royale: Available on DVD - March 13, 2007
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: In pre-production. Current release date - 16 May 2008.
The Dark is Rising: In pre-production. Current US release date - 28 September 2007.
Eragon: Still in some theaters. Not well reviewed.
Flicka: Available on DVD - February 6, 2007.
The Giver: In pre-production with 2007 release date.
The Golden Compass: In post-production. Current US release date - 7 December 2007
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: In post-production. Due in US theaters on 13 July 2007.
Miss Potter: Currently in US theaters.
Nancy Drew: Due in US theaters on 15 June 2007.
The Ruby in the Smoke: Has appeared on BBC TV. No sign of a DVD yet.
A Spell for Chameleon: Still listed as “announced” with a theoretical release date of 2008.
The Spiderwick Chronicles: Currently in production. Due in US theaters on 15 February 2008.
Stormbreaker: (aka Alex Rider - Operation Stormbreaker) Currently available on DVD.

Alatriste, Blood and Chocolate, Bridge to Terabithia, Casino Royale, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, The Dark is Rising, Eragon, Flicka, The Giver, The Golden Compass, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Miss Potter, Nancy Drew, The Ruby in the Smoke, A Spell for Chameleon, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Stormbreaker

Okay. I’m feeling a bit conflicted about this one. The Dark is Rising is one of my favorite series ever. No, seriously. I adore this series. I have seen Susan Cooper in person, and she autographed my copy of Over Sea, Under Stone. There, in fact, lies my first quibble. The Dark is Rising is book two of the The Dark is Rising series. Over Sea, Under Stone is book one. Walden Media has decided to start with book two for some reason. I admit that book two may seem a bit more exciting that book one, but if they wish to make a film of book three at some later point they will have to figure out some way to introduce the characters from book one. In any case, this project is listed as being in pre-production at this point with a release date currently set for September 28, 2007. There is no word on the cast as of yet. I wonder who they will choose to play Merry Lyon? Now, I would love to seen this series on film, but only if it is done well. The fact that they are not doing book one first, doesn’t really inspire my confidence. Please do a good job, Walden Media.

The Dark is Rising, Susan Cooper, Over Sea, Under Stone, Walden Media

Yes, it’s true. Yet another book is coming to the big screen. At this rate who know what they might decide to film? It looks like I might actually attend the theater regularly this year. This time around it’s Annette Curtis Klause’s Blood and Chocolate that is being translated to film. I wonder if they will do The Silver Kiss next? It would make sense to do Werewolves and then Vampires, right? (Sigh. Okay, just me then.) Blood and Chocolate is the story of a young female werewolf who falls in love with a human. As you can imagine, this does not work out as well as she would like. It doesn’t help that her pack is in something of a crisis at the moment. Will she reveal herself to an outsider? Agnes Buckner (”Linda” from 24) plays Vivian, the werewolf, and her beloved Aiden is played by Hugh Dancy from Ella Enchanted. Now, I may have a weakness for werewolves, but I’m thinking that I’ll have someone else see this film first to let me know how scary it is. As you know, I am not too big on scary films. As usual I am left wondering how far they strayed from the book this time around. I suppose that only time will tell.

Annette Curtis Klause, Blood and Chocolate, The Silver Kiss, Agnes Buckner, Hugh Dancy

The life of Beatrix Potter, author of many classic children’s books including The Tale of Peter Rabbit, is coming to the big screen. Miss Potter stars Renée Zellweger as Beatrix Potter and Ewan McGregor as her friend Norman Warne. I’ve seen the trailer, and it looks like I need to see this one. There are all kinds of films arriving in 2007 that I need to see. Looks like I need to make it a New Year’s Resolution to get out to the cinema more often. Miss Potter is due in theaters worldwide on January 12, 2007. It’s rated PG, by the way. This makes me want to read some of her books again. Watch the trailer, and you will feel the same way.

Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Miss Potter, Renée Zellweger, Ewan McGregor

The IMDB has a listing for a film version of The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. The fabulous Freddie Highmore is listed as playing the twins, Jared and Simon Grace. This film is due in US theaters 15 February 2008. As usual, this leaves me wondering how close to the books the movie will be. In this case, I would like to know specifically how many of the books this movie will cover. There are currently 5 books in the series, plus a Field Guide, Notebook, and The Care and Feeding of Sprites. Here’s hoping that the film reflects some of the art style of the book’s illustrations. Oh! I just noticed that Andrew McCarthy is listed as being in the film, but no word as to which character he plays. (I used to have such a crush on him.) Well, I haven’t read this series yet, but it looks like I’ll be adding them to my list. I’ve got a year. I can do it.

The Official Spiderwick Chronicles Website: http://www.spiderwick.com/

The Spiderwick Chronicles, Tony DiTerlizzi, Holly Black, Freddie Highmore

Nancy Drew is coming to the big screen June 15, 2007. The famous female detective will be played by Emma Roberts this time around. You can watch the trailer and get more infor over at Worstpreviews.com. This updated version of the classic Nancy Drew character actually looks really good. I hope that I have time to see this movie. I loved the trailer.

Nancy Drew

Walden Media, the filmers of many books, are in pre-production for the filming of Lois Lowry’s The Giver. Currently, Jeff Bridges is listed on the IMDB as playing The Giver. I’m not too sure about that casting choice, but I suppose we’ll see. I wonder who they will find to play Jonas. The film is supposed to arrive in theaters sometime in 2007. How well will this dystopian novel translate to the screen? Opinions?

Walden Media, Lois Lowry, The Giver

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is in pre-production. It looks like it will be released 16 May 2008 in the US and the UK. So, those of you who have been dying for the next film to arrive (yes, Mom, that includes you) will have to wait a bit longer. Be aware that the date in question has already changed once, so it could change again. This should give me enough time to actually re-read the book. I can tell you that the same actors are portraying the Pevensie children and that much of it is being filmed in New Zealand. So, there you are. The next of C. S. Lewis‘ Narnia films is on its way.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, C. S. Lewis, Narnia

Okay. I’m not sure how I feel about this one, but the IMDB now has a listing for a film version of A Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony. It’s targeted for release in 2008. Now, I have found that many of this sort of film project end up getting scrapped. Artemis Fowl, for example, lingered for a couple of years as “announced” on the IMDB before finally fading from view. All I can say is…I have a love/hate thing with Piers Anthony books. I read the first of a series and enjoy it (as I did with this first of the Xanth series.) Then I try to read the second one and never finish it. Maybe I just get bored easily, I don’t know. In any case, I shall be interested to see what becomes of this film. Do you suppose that they will actually film it in Florida?

film, A Spell for Chameleon, Piers Anthony