13 Books You'll Want To Read Before They Hit The Big Screen
By Emma Volk, OffTheShelf.com
In classic Hollywood style, everything old is new again. They say the book is always better than the movie, but I’m of the mind that nothing’s better than experiencing your favorite stories first on the page and again on the big screen. So grab some popcorn, dim the lights, and check out these eleven books before their hotly anticipated adaptations arrive at a theater near you.
Dark Places
By Gillian Flynn
Gillian Flynn’s mega-bestseller Gone Girl was adapted into one of the most talked-about films of 2014, and now her second novel is getting the Hollywood treatment. If you thought Amy was an unreliable narrator, just wait until you meet Charlize Theron’s Libby.
Release date: August 7, 2015
Paper Towns
By John Green
John Green’s second book to hit theaters is more mystery than tearjerker, but don’t rule out a repeat of the swoon-worthy scenes that made last summer’s The Fault in Our Stars so beloved.
Release date: July 24, 2015
A Walk in the Woods
By Bill Bryson
A middle-aged duo attempts to trek the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail in Bill Bryson’s hilarious travel memoir, meeting a motley assortment of fellow hikers and black bears along the way. Robert Redford produces and stars in the film adaptation, with a supporting cast that includes Nick Nolte and Emma Thompson. No word yet on who’s playing the bears.
Release date: September 2, 2015
Black Mass: Whitey Bulger, the FBI, and a Devil’s Deal
By Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill
What happens when an infamous mobster spends years as a secret informant for the FBI? Drug dealing, racketeering, and murder—and that’s just the beginning. Starring Johnny Depp as the deliciously slimy Whitey Bulger, Black Mass is heavy on action and corruption.
Release date: September 18, 2015
Into Thin Air
By Jon Krakauer
Jon Krakauer’s been through the book-to-film process before (2007’s Into the Wild garnered substantial acclaim and award-season buzz), but this time, it’s personal. Into Thin Air details his presence on Mount Everest during the 1996 storm that left eight climbers dead and stranded several others. Adapted under the name Everest and starring Josh Brolin, Robin Wright, Keira Knightley, and Jake Gyllenhaal, it promises to bring the harrowing disaster to life.
Release date: September 25, 2015
The Martian
By Andy Weir
Stuck on Mars after a space mission gone awry, astronaut Mark Watney makes a desperate bid to survive despite near-impossible odds. The adaptation stars Matt Damon, who has some experience with stranded spacemen—he was in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar just last year.But don’t get the two tales confused: according to Damon himself, The Martian is “totally ______ different.”
Release date: October 2, 2015