Interesting. I believe the novelization of Tim Burton's PLANET OF THE APES was also missing the "twist" ending.
Best SFF Movie and TV Novelizations
- Thread starter JD
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Interesting. I believe the novelization of Tim Burton's PLANET OF THE APES was also missing the "twist" ending.
Which is probably an improvement...
The novelization of the second X-Men movie, which came out before the film, actually changed the ending so that the character who died in the movie survived in the book.
That's funny, cause it's true.Seems like a common theme with novelizations for Singer's superhero movies, the one for "Superman Returns" also didn't reveal that Jason was Superman's son.
I've read the adaptions of Superman Returns and Jurassic Park, Especially SR I really loved.
There was a novelization of Jurassic Park?!
So no piano scene???
I own an illustrated copy of 'Metropolis' by Thea von Harbou, wife of director Fritz Lang. Like '2001: A Space Odyssey' it was written as a companion piece to the movie so there are scenes in the novel that expand upon/explain actions that are happening on the screen, especially the relationship/rivalry between Fredersen, Rotwang and Fredersen's deceased wife Hel.
Also prior to the discovery of the almost complete print of 'Metropolis' in Argentina in 2008, it was probably the only place to read about the scenes that were cut from the movie after it's initial release.
Also prior to the discovery of the almost complete print of 'Metropolis' in Argentina in 2008, it was probably the only place to read about the scenes that were cut from the movie after it's initial release.
Showing my age, some of my favorite movie novelizations are:
Nosferatu the Vampyre by Paul Monette, based on the Herzog film. Which is all the more impressive when you realize that it's a novel based on a remake of a silent movie based on a novel.
Yeah, that's pretty clever.
Agreed! Unfortunately, some of the best, more thoughtful novel passages (based on the John & Joyce Corrington script) were shot, but ended up on the cutting room floor. However, starting with the laserdisc era all the way up to blu ray, the cut scenes are available and give some indication on how they would have helped the movie.
I would also add Michael Avallone's novelization for Beneath the Planet of the Apes as a winner; although the film was strong, the novel added more substance to the anti-war / anti-human plots than the film, and intensified the Paul Dehn script's grim judgement on the impossibility for human or ape survival thanks to their own instincts.
The Omen by David Seltzer, who also wrote the original screenplay for the movie. It's fairly rare for the screenwriter to write the novelization as well, probably because screenwriting pays better.
You're hitting it out of the park, Greg! The Omen was a wonderful novelization, with more character development (including a rather sickening background to Father Brennan), and explanation of the prophecy. About Seltzer--he was so involved in fleshing out Robert Munger's idea, that he made it his own.That said, when Fox wanted to release a novel in advance of the film (as part of the famous marketing of the film), there was no one better to handle it than the man who brought it all to life.
Does it explain why Fredersen deliberately endangers the city by ordering the gates to be opened?
...Does anything?
Thanks! Clearly I read way too many movie novelizations in my ill-spent youth!
@Set Harth
In the novel at least Joh Fredersen likens the city of Metropolis to the biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and it must be destroyed so that his son, who has lived in both worlds (above ground and below ground), can lead the survivors and redeem them.
In the novel at least Joh Fredersen likens the city of Metropolis to the biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and it must be destroyed so that his son, who has lived in both worlds (above ground and below ground), can lead the survivors and redeem them.
I read the 'Batman Begins' novelization by Dennis O'Neil and there was a lot of extra stuff that definitely wasn't in any script or deleted scenes. A lot of stuff was taken from 'Batman: Birth of the Demon'.
I enjoyed the 'Star Trek Generations' novel immensely as it had Bones and Spock in it and showed us more of Kirk in the Nexus.
Personally if I read reviews that a novelization is lacking extra goodies I am less inclined to buy it.
I enjoyed the 'Star Trek Generations' novel immensely as it had Bones and Spock in it and showed us more of Kirk in the Nexus.
Personally if I read reviews that a novelization is lacking extra goodies I am less inclined to buy it.