Upcoming SFF novel/novella/short story movie and TV Adaptations

[JD]

I know comic book adapations are the big thing now, but we're also getting a lot of novel, novella, and short stories over the next couple years, so I thought I'd put together a list and a thread to dicuss them.

Coming before 2016 ends:
Movies:
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - based on novel by Ransom Riggs

Cast: Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris O'Dowd, Allison Janey, Rupert Evans, Terrance Stamp, Ella Purnell, Judi Dench
Director: Tim Burton
Writer: Jane Goldman
Release: Sept. 30
​

Arrival - based on short story "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang,

Cast: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Writer: Eric Heisserer
Released: Nov. 11, 2016
​

The Dark Tower - based on novels by Stephen King

Cast: Idris Alba, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Taylor,
Writer/Director: Nikolaj Arcel
Released: Feb. 17, 2017​

Anna Dressed in Black

Cast: Cameron Monaghan, Maddie Hasson
Writer: Allison Wood
Director: Trish Sie
Release: ?
​

TV:
Continuing:
The Expanse - based on novel series by James S.A. Corey (Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck)

Cast: Thomas Jane, Steven Strait, Shoreh Aghdashloo, Cas Anvar, Dominique Tipper, Wes Chatham, Florence Faivre, Shawn Doyle, Frankie Adams
Developed by: Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby
Network: Syfy
Season 2: 2017​

The Magicians - based on novel series by Lev Grossman

Cast: Jason Ralph, Stella Maeve, Olivia Taylor, Dudley, Hale Appleman, Arjun Gupta, Summer Bishil
Created by: Sera Gamble, John McNamara
Network: Syfy
Season 2: 2017​

Game of Thrones - based on A Song of Ice and Fire novel series by George RR Martin

Cast: Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj-Coster Waldau, Lena Heady, Emilia Clarke, Kit Harrington, Aiden Gillen, Liam Cunningham, Carice van Hoten, Indira Varma, Sophie Turner, Nathalie Emmanuel, Maisie Williams, Conleth Hill, Alfie Allen, John Bradley, Gwendoline Christie, Kristopher Hivju, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Ian Glen
Created by: David Benioff, DB Weiss
Network: HBO
Season 7: Mid-2017​

The Shannara Chronicles - based on novel series by Terry Brooks

Cast: Austin Butler, Poppy Drayton, Ivana Banquero, Manu Bennett, Aaron Jakubenko,
Created by: Alfred Gough, Miles Millar
Network: MTV
Season 2:?​

Shadowhunters - based on The Mortal Instruments novel series by Cassandra Clare

Cast: Katherine McNamara, Dominic Sherwood, Alberto Rosende, Emeraude Toubia, Isaiah Mustafa, Harry Shum Jr.
Developed by: Ed Decter
Network: Freeform
Season 2: ?​

Upcoming:
Emerald City - based on Land of Oz novel series by L. Frank Baum

Cast: Adria Arjona, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Ana Ularu, Gerran Howell, Vincent D'Onofrio, Joely Richardson, Jordan Loghran, Mido Hamada, Florence Kasumba, Roxy Sternberg
Developed by: Matthew Arnold
Network: NBC
Release: Jan 6. 2107

​

In Development:
Ringworld - based on book by Larry Niven

note: Announced around the same time as Childhood's End, but I'm not sure what's going on with it now)
Network: Syfy​

Wheel of Time - based on novel series by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
Chronicles of Amber - based on novel series by Robert Zelazny
Queen of Shadows - based on Throne of Glass novel series by Sarah J. Maas

Written: by Kira Snyder​

3001 - based on novel by Arthur C. Clarke

Network: Syfy
Note: Announced in 2014, but not heard about since then​

Alias Grace - based on novel by Margaret Atwood

Network: Netflix/CBC​

I'm pretty sure there is other stuff on the way, so feel free to add your own additions and I'll edit the list to include them.
Anncilary Justice - based on novel by Ann Leckie

Note: Tor's novel says it will be film, but the description says it was optioned for TV in 2014​

Beacon 23 - based on novel by Hugh Howie

Developed by Josh Friedman
Biopunk- based on Biopunk: DIY Scientists Hack The Software of Life
Cast: Zachary Quinto
Pilot written by Chas Palmer​

Brave New World - based on novel by Aldous Huxley

Writers/Exec Producers: Grant Morrison and Bryan Taylor​

EDIT 1: Found a list on Tor.com
EDIT 2: Ok, I'm stopping there for now, the list I found is huge. I'll more later if people are interested.

 

[Greg Cox]

The new tv series, TIME AFTER TIME, is based on the movie that based on a novel by Karl Alexander.

On the continuing front, we might also include BATES MOTEL, which is a prequel to the classic movie based on a novel by Robert Bloch.

In both cases, the TV shows are arguably one step removed from the original books, but . . ..

 

[JD]

I didn't realize Time After Time and Psycho were based on books. I'll add those tomorrow when I update. Apparently there's a simliar situation with The Exorcist, so I'll add that too.

 

[Greg Cox]

I didn't realize Time After Time and Psycho were based on books. I'll add those tomorrow when I update. Apparently there's a simliar situation with The Exorcist, so I'll add that too.

Yep. THE EXORCIST was based on a bestselling novel by William Peter Blatty, which was a very big deal back in the seventies.

Trivia: Robert Bloch, who created PSYCHO, also wrote two STAR TREK episodes back in the day: "Wolf in the Fold" and "Catspaw."

I'm saddened but not surprised that you didn't know PSYCHO was based on a book. The Hitchcock movie long ago eclipsed the original novel in the popular imagination and Bloch tends to get swept under the rung whenever PSYCHO is discussed.. Trust me, you really have to look fast to spot his name in the TV show's closing credits . . .. .

True story: Years ago, when the PSYCHO remake was first announced, I called Universal Studios to look into publishing a tie-in edition. The conversation went something like this:

"You want to do a novelization?"
"No, I want to reprint the original novel."
"What novel?"
"Um, the novel the movie is based on."
"Our movie isn't based on a novel. This is a remake of the Hitchcock film."
"Which was based on a novel, PSYCHO by Robert Bloch . . .."
"Really? Are you sure about that?"
"I'll Fedex you a copy . ... "

And that's how Tor got to use the movie poster on the book!

 

[JD]

That is funny.
I honesty didn't even realize The Exorist was based on a book until I saw it mentioned in the Wikipedia page for the new show.
Wizard of Oz is another case where the movie seems to be a lot more well known than the book(s), although not quite at the same level of The Exorcist or Psycho. When you mention Wizard of Oz, I think most people's minds go right to Judy Garland and the Ruby Slippers, rather than the book.
I don't have a ton of time the next couple days so I probably won't update the list until Friday or Saturday. So if anybody wants to just put some in a new post feel free.

 

[Greg Cox]

I wish I could say that was the only time I had conversation like that with a movie studio, but it's not.

"Wait, you're saying there's a book?"

Believe it or not, THE EXORCIST was a big bestseller before there was a movie. That's why they filmed it. Then again, I'm discovering that a lot of people these days don't recall that JAWS by Peter Benchley was a bestselling novel before it was a movie . . ..

 

[JD]

I didn't learn about that one until recently too. Same goes for Logan's Run, and I didn't know about the Planet of the Apes movie for years after I saw the original movie. I actually did have the PotA novel for a while, but I traded it at a used book store after I had it for years and never read it. Now that I've actually gotten more into the franchise I've thought about buying the (e-) book again, and actually reading it this time.

 

[Greg Cox]

I didn't learn about that one until recently too. Same goes for Logan's Run.

I feel old . . . .

See also Soylent Green, I Am Legend, Somewhere in Time, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, etc.

I remember when Real Steel (the robot boxing movie with Hugh Jackman) came out, everybody assumed it was based on the old Rock-Em Sock-Em Robots toy, when it was actually based on a 1956 short story by Richard Matheson that had previously been filmed as an episode of "The Twilight Zone" back in the sixties--before the toy was ever a thing.

 

[Owain Taggart]

AMC greenlit an adaptation of The Terror by Dan Simmons. Not sure how far along it is though, but I have been looking forward to it ever since it was announced.

http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/the-terror-series-amc-adaptation-1201720587/

Consequently, the ship itself was recently found. which now makes both Franklin Expedition ships having been found.
http://deadline.com/2016/09/the-terror-ship-found-amc-series-1201819189/

Also, I think it would help if you'd list wether it's TV series/Miniseries, or Movie on your list.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

^ On a side note, probably not the best idea to name your ship HMS Terror if you want to have a lucky voyage.

 

[JD]

I feel old . . . .

See also Soylent Green, I Am Legend, Somewhere in Time, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, etc.

I had no idea Soylent Green and Invasion of the Body Snatchers were based on books. How close were the movies to the books?

AMC greenlit an adaptation of The Terror by Dan Simmons. Not sure how far along it is though, but I have been looking forward to it ever since it was announced.

I'll add that one

Also, I think it would help if you'd list wether it's TV series/Miniseries, or Movie on your list.

I did separate the TV series and theatrical movies, but I did all of the TV stuff together.

 

[Scout101]

^ On a side note, probably not the best idea to name your ship HMS Terror if you want to have a lucky voyage.

Eh, it was a bombardment ship early in life, so saying you sent Terror to your enemies isn't the worst thing. Also just an English version of the same idea used to name the moons of Mars. Phobos and Deimos are just Greek for Fear and Terror...

Entertaining bit is that when they FOUND the HMS Terror recently, it was in Terror Bay. Sure they named the bay that because of the supposed connection to the ship, but a funny place to end up finding it (you'd assume it was the first place you'd look )

 

[Greg Cox]

Entertaining bit is that when they FOUND the HMS Terror recently, it was in Terror Bay. Sure they named the bay that because of the supposed connection to the ship, but a funny place to end up finding it (you'd assume it was the first place you'd look )

Rumor has it President Grant's body might be found near Grant's Tomb . . .

 

[Dick Whitman]

I wonder how many people realize that DC and Marvel characters started out as comic book characters? May seem crazy to think they would not know it. But for many their only exposure to the characters is in other media. Plus so many film and tv properties have comics which ad to confusion. Even if it's a very small number now I suspect in the future most people will only know those superheroes as tv and movie characters. That they started out in comics may no longer even be thought of.

 

[Greg Cox]

I wonder how many people realize that DC and Marvel characters started out as comic book characters? May seem crazy to think they would not know it. But for many their only exposure to the characters is in other media. Plus so many film and tv properties have comics which ad to confusion. Even if it's a very small number now I suspect in the future most people will only know those superheroes as tv and movie characters. That they started out in comics may no longer even be thought of.

It's hard for us to imagine, but not inconceivable. Even more common, perhaps, are people who are vaguely aware that certain characters originated in comics books, but who really only know or care about the movie or TV versions.

Lord knows I've run into people on-line who seem to think that WONDER WOMAN begins and ends with the old Lynda Carter TV series, and who neither know nor care that WW was starring in comic books for decades before the tv show came around.

And, up until 1989 or so, most people's idea of BATMAN was very much shaped by memories of the old Adam West tv show rather than the comics.

"Batman? Sure, I remember Batman. Zap! Bam! Pow! Holy reruns, Batman, right?"

 

[dahj]

And, up until 1989 or so, most people's idea of BATMAN was very much shaped by memories of the old Adam West tv show rather than the comics.

Without Adam West I doubt Batman would be a global phenomenon that he is today. That show was the only exposure to the character in parts of the world where DC comics weren't published.

Anyways, even if people aren't particularly interested or likely to pick up an actual comic book it's impossible to escape the knowledge that DC and Marvel movies are based on comic book characters these days, if for nothing else those movies are most often referred to as comic book movies

I would actually think at this point the opposite is more likely, superheroes are so identified with comic books, that even if you invented a totally new superhero for a movie, people would think it's based on a comic book.

 

[Greg Cox]

And then there are characters like The Green Hornet who people assume are comic-book characters even though they originated on radio or in the pulps. Or characters like Blade or the Men in Black that most people don't realize were based on comics at all.

And then there's the subtle distinction between comic strips (The Phantom, Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, etc) and comic books (Superman, Wonder Woman, Iron Man, etc.)

 

[JD]

I wish the original MiB comic was still in print, I would love to check it out sometime.

 

[DrCorby]

I feel old . . . .

See also Soylent Green, I Am Legend, Somewhere in Time, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, etc.

I had no idea Soylent Green and Invasion of the Body Snatchers were based on books. How close were the movies to the books?

I've never read Make Room! Make Room!, the Harry Harrison novel upon which Soylent Green was based, but Wikipedia says the movie's plot was quite different. Harrison wrote some other novel series which I think might make fun movies or TV series -- Bill, the Galactic Hero and The Stainless Steel Rat. The satire could be sharp, yet with likeable characters, such as Slippery Jim diGriz. I also enjoyed his alt-history series West of Eden. <Makes mental note to dig out for a re-read...>

 

[Greg Cox]

The Stainless Steel Rat has been optioned endlessly by Hollywood, but has yet to make it out of development hell. One of these days . . . although it's a shame that Harrison won't be around to see it.

(I edited a couple of the later books in the series, not that Harry needed--or wanted--much in the way of editing by that point. )

Never read Make Room! Make Room!, but my understanding is that the movie's famous shock ending is not from the book.

Never read Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney either, but I believe that the original movie was a fairly faithful adaptation of the novel, which has been sitting in my library waiting to be read for aeons now . ...