TMP Television Edition: Books You Want to be Adapted into a TV Series: Wandering through the Shelves hosts a weekly movie challenge in which you choose 3-5 movies based on that Thursday’s theme and explain why you chose those movies. Today’s theme is Books You Want to be Adapted into a TV Series.
needful things (stephen king)
Needful Things was adapted into a movie in 1993 starring Ed Harris and Max von Sydow. It’s not my favorite, although I think Max von Sydow was wonderful as the Needful Things proprietor, Leland Gaunt. However, the wonderful thing about this novel is how it builds the tension between the people of Castle Rock until anger and jealousy escalate into full-blown violence. I don’t think a 2 hour movie can truly do the book justice, and this is the one King novel that I want desperately to become a series.
Synopsis: The town of Castle Rock, Maine has seen its fair share of oddities over the years, but nothing is as peculiar as the little curio shop that’s just opened for business here. Its mysterious proprietor, Leland Gaunt, seems to have something for everyone out on display at Needful Things…interesting items that run the gamut from worthless to priceless. Nothing has a price tag in this place, but everything is certainly for sale.
The heart’s desire for any resident of Castle Rock can easily be found among the curiosities…in exchange for a little money and—at the specific request of Leland Gaunt—a whole lot of menace against their fellow neighbors. Everyone in town seems willing to make a deal at Needful Things, but the devil is in the details. And no one takes heed of the little sign hanging on the wall: Caveat emptor. In other words, let the buyer beware…
fear street: the cheerleaders saga (r.l. stine)
I grew up on Fear Street, and in many ways, it was my introduction to horror. With the success of the Fear Street trilogy on Netflix, I will keep my fingers crossed that some of the novels will be picked up for adaptation. My very favorite of the series was the Cheerleader saga, and given how many books there are devoted to the Evil, I think it would make an amazing series if it’s done right.
Synopsis: Newcomers Corky and Bobbi Corcoran want more than anything to make the cheerleading squad at Shadyside High. But as soon as the Corcoran sisters are named to the team, terrible things happen to the cheerleaders.
CYCLE OF THE WEREWOLF (sTEPHEN KING)
Okay, I know Cycle of the Werewolf was adapted into a movie (Silver Bullet), but I would absolutely love to see this become a six-episode limited series as it goes through a year of werewolf attacks. I would also love to see it stay a little more faithful to the short story, although Silver Bullet was fine. This is one of my favorite Stephen King novellas, especially the artwork by the late, great Bernie Wrightson. I would love to see someone take his vision and translate it to the screen… it’s certainly a dream of mine to see.
Synopsis: Terror began in January—by the light of the full moon… The first scream came from the snowbound railwayman who felt the werewolf’s fangs ripping at his throat. The next month there was a scream of ecstatic agony from the woman attacked in her cozy bedroom.
Now scenes of unbelievable horror unfold each time the full moon shines on the isolated Maine town of Tarker’s Mills. No one knows who will be attacked next. But one thing is sure. When the full moon rises, a paralyzing fear sweeps through Tarker’s Mills. For snarls that sound like human words can be heard whining through the wind. And all around are the footprints of a monster whose hunger cannot be sated…
Joel
August 26, 2021A theme within the theme!!! Love those….although I’m not a horror guy so these books wouldn’t be things I’d watch if they were adapted. I did read many Stephen King novels (though neither of the two you chose) there for a while, after reading and loving The Stand I went back and started with Carrie and followed him through Firestarter but I didn’t like The Dead Zone and afterward his stuff started to feel very repetitive so I moved on.
I’ve seen some adaptations of his work, the most atypical Stand by Me is the best, but outside that and decent versions of Salem’s Lot and The Stand most have been terrible.
No theme within for mine, though they all have a historical aspect, but I loved all three and think they would make fine minis.
The All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton by Jane Smiley: In Illinois of the mid-1850’s clever, fiercely independent Lidie (Lydia), only 20 but already considered a spinster by her sisters, marries abolitionist Thomas Newton after a very brief courtship and departs for the wild and wooly Kansas Territory. Upon arrival they find a place on the verge of statehood but with hostilities erupting between the “free-state” abolitionists and Missouri’s pro-slavery factions. As a rough and tumble frontier confronts the pair in “Bleeding Kansas” Lidie becomes immersed in the societal, political, psychological, ethical, and economic conditions that led to the violent conflicts while both trying to find her place in the world and survive the tumult.
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley: Time: summer of 1950. Place: the once grand English mansion Buckshaw. 11-year-old Flavia de Luce, lover of everything to do with chemistry and a passion for poison but zero patience for older sisters Ophelia and Daphne who she sees as twits, is intrigued by a series of inexplicable events: A dead bird found on the doorstep, a postage stamp pinned to its beak, followed shortly afterward by finding a dying man lying in the cucumber patch. Flavia, both appalled and delighted, turns instant sleuth. Atop her trusty if ramshackle bicycle “Gladys” she starts searching for clues but starts to worry when the trail seems to point in an unwanted direction. First in a series of adventures featuring Flavia, followed by The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag and 8 others, this could be a great comic mystery miniseries.
Mrs. Adams in Winter by Michael O’Brien: In 1797 English born Louisa Johnson married rising politician and future sixth president, the brilliant but difficult, John Quincy Adams and took up life as a diplomat’s wife in far flung locales. In the winter of 1815, Louisa left the Russian city of St. Petersburg with her 7-year-old son Charles to travel via coach to Paris, nearly 2000 miles away across a Europe dangerously torn from the aftermath of Napoleon’s defeat and exile. In the 40 days it took her to reach Paris she learns to arrange her own affairs, loses babies to illness and miscarriage and graces the highest courts in Europe as the wife of the American ambassador meeting Russian Czars, Prussian Kings, British Princes and Rhineland Electors. Based on her personal diaries, letters and essays.
Sara
August 26, 2021King can be very hit and miss but I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read (mostly!) I recently read Duma Key and it became one of my favorites. A slow burn with incredible characters and a gut punch ending. Loved it! Joyland was pretty great too and I would love to see that made into a movie. I’ve never heard of your picks though I don’t read a lot of historical fiction. I feel like I would love to see The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie as a series.
Sonia
August 27, 2021I completely forgot about Cycle of the Werewolf but I agree, it’d be nice if they decided to turn it into a limited series.
PS I love the design!
Sara
September 2, 2021Thank you! And yes, Cycle of the Werewolf would be so amazing. Even as a 6 episode limited series. Give me gruesome!
Brittani
August 27, 2021I haven’t read any of these but they sound like something I’d watch!
Kat Impossible
August 27, 2021I don’t really think we’re reading the same kind of books, because I’m way too much of a scaredy cat to read a lot of horror, I always love to see people’s passions when it comes to book to screen adaptations. You’re absolutely right about the success of the Fear Street movies on Netflix, so, I’m gonna keep my fingers crossed for you!
Katy
August 29, 2021Ashamed to say I haven’t read these, but Fear Street sounds promising on Netflix.And there seems to be even more R.L.Stine series in the works. It’d be nice to see lesser-known works by Stephen King adapted instead of the mainstream reboots (like I picked with IT for this week).
Sara
September 2, 2021I agree with some of King’s other novels being adapted. It seems like they keep re-doing the same ones (IT, Pet Sematary, etc). So many other wonderful novels that deserve the adaptation treatment.
ThePunkTheory
August 30, 2021I love all things spooky, so I’d definitely watch all three adaptations! 😀
Sara
September 2, 2021Yes! They would be perfect Halloween series.
Wandering through the Shelves
September 2, 2021I love the Fear Street books. I read a lot of them but now of course I remember none of the plots. I think it would be so cool if they do another saga…but maybe this time take more from the books, plotwise. Because I think the current Fear Street movie trilogy wasn’t really an adaptation of any of the books…it just took the name of the places and the general style of the Fear Street stories.
Hey, have you read the Point Horror books? They were popular around the time of Fear Street too but were written by several YA horror authors that also included R.L Stine.
Sara
September 2, 2021I agree that I would love to see FS series based on the actual books and those plots! That’s definitely what I am hoping for should they do more. I have not read the Point Horror books nor had I heard of them but I am going to look into those now 🙂