Movie adaptation: ‘Maze Runner: The Death Cure’ by James Dashner

James Dashner is The New York Times’ best-selling author of young adult fantasy novels and best known for the Maze Runner trilogy and 13^th Reality series. His first book ‘A Door in the Woods’ was published in 2003 and since then he has written other books dealing with fantasy, adventure and science fiction. His work is often compared to The Hunger Games and Divergent. The Maze Runner trilogy is a post-apocalyptic science fiction series that consists of ‘Maze Runner,’ ‘The Scorch Trials’ and ‘The Death Cure.’ The movie adaptation of the ‘The Death Cure’ is due out in theaters on Friday January 26 and stars Dylan O’Bryan, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Dexter Darden.

According to Amazon, Thomas is back in ‘The Maze Runner,’ after WICKED has taken everything from him, his life, his memories and his friends. He completed the trials but what WICKED does not know is that Thomas remembers more than they realize. After beating the Maze and surviving the Scorch, he proved that he would do anything to save his friends, but the truth could be what ends it all.

Television adaptation: ‘The Alienist’ by Caleb Carr

Caleb Carr is an American novelist and military historian who has worked at the Council on Foreign Relations, Foreign Affairs Quarterly and MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History and has taught military history, including World Military History. As an author, he has written ten books, most of which were international bestsellers and prize-winners and have been translated into over two dozen languages. He is mostly known for the historical thriller ‘The Alienist’ which was adapted into a ten-episode television series on TNT. It premieres on Monday January 22 and stars Daniel Brühl, Luke Evans and Dakota Fanning.

According to Amazon, ‘The Alienist’ is set in New York in 1896. Newspaper reporter John Schuyler Moore is summoned by his friend Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a psychologist, or “alienist” as they were known then, to document the mutilated body of a young boy abandoned on the unfinished Williamsburg Bridge. This leads them to create a psychological profile of the perpetrator based on the details of his crimes and takes them on a tortured and twisted journey into the mind of a killer who will strike again unless he is stopped.

Movie adaptation: ‘Wonder’ by R.J. Palacio

wonderbokpic — The movie adaptation of ‘Wonder’ by R.J. Palacio is now in theaters.

R.J. Palacio is an American author, art director and book jacket designer. Her previous works include “Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories” and “365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne’s Book of Precepts.” She is best known for “Wonder,” her first novel and The New York Times best-seller about Auggie Pullman, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face. The feature film adaptation is now in theaters everywhere and stars Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson and Jacob Tremblay.

According to Amazon, “Wonder” tells the story of August Pullman who was born with a facial difference that has always prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Now he is starting the fifth grade at Beecher Prep and he wants nothing more than to be treated like an ordinary kid, but his classmates can not get past his looks. The narration begins from Auggie’s point of view and then switches to his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend and others. This serves to highlight one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion and acceptance. Friendship is the central theme with Auggie as the hero many will root for as he proves that people can not blend in when they were born to stand out. This book inspired the Choose Kind movement.

Movie adaptation: ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ by Agatha Christie

murderorientexpresspic — The new movie adaptation of Agatha Christie’s ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ is now in theatres.

Agatha Christie was an English crime novelist, short story writer and playwright. She wrote 66 detective novels and 14 short stories but is best known for her novels featuring the fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Her works have sold billions of copies worldwide and is she is listed as the best-selling novelist of all time. Most of her works have been adapted for television, radio, video games, comics and more than thirty feature films. The most recent is Murder on the Orient Express, based on her best-selling 1934 novel of the same name featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. It stars Kenneth Branagh as Poirot, with Penélope Cruz, Willem Defoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfeiffer and is the fourth adaptation of the book.

According to Amazon, in ‘Murder on the Orient Express,’ Poirot is on holiday and on his way to Istanbul aboard the famous Orient Express. On his first day, he is approached by Samuel Ratchett who believes his life is threatened and asks Poirot to be his bodyguard, but he refuses due to his instant dislike for the man. The next morning, he is found dead and Poirot is drawn into the investigation into his death. Isolated by an avalanche that disabled the train, he must find the killer among a dozen of the dead man’s enemies on board before the murderer strikes again.

Television adaptation: ‘The Long Road Home’ by Martha Raddatz

Martha Raddatz is an American reporter for ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir, Nightline and other network broadcasts and ABC News’ Chief Global Affairs Correspondent. In her book “The Long Road Home: A Story of War and Family,” she shares remarkable tales of heroism, hope and heartbreak that occurred during “Black Sunday,” a battle which took place during one of the deadliest periods of the Iraq War. It has been adapted to the small screen in a mini-series created by Mikko Alanne and will premiere on Tuesday November 7 on National Geographic. The cast includes Michael Kelly, Jason Ritter, Kate Bosworth, Sarah Wayne Callies, Jeremy Sisto and E.J. Bonilla.

According to Amazon, in “The Long Road Home,” Martha Raddatz chronicles the events of April 4, 2004 when the First Cavalry Division from Fort Hood was ambushed in Sadr City, Baghdad. The day came to be known as “Black Sunday” as more than seven thousand miles away, the soldiers’ families waited for news for forty-eight hours and expected the worst. The author takes readers from the streets of Baghdad to the home front and tells the day’s events through the courageous American men and women who lived it.

Television adaptation: The Mist by Stephen King

misttv17 — The most recent adaptation of Stephen King’s The Mist premieres on Spike TV on June 22, 2017.

Stephen King is the world-wide best-selling author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, science fiction and fantasy. His books have sold millions of copies and many have been adapted into feature films, miniseries, television shows and comic books. The most recent one, The Mist, is a short story first published in the horror anthology ‘Dark Forces’ in 1980 and a slightly edited version was included in the short story collection ‘Skeleton Crew’ in 1985. It was adapted into a feature film in 2007 and this month a television series of the same will air on Spike TV starting on Thursday June 22 for a total of ten episodes.

According to Wikipedia, the original story takes place after a violent thunderstorm hits the small town of Bridgton, Maine. A thick mist spreads across town reducing visibility to zero and concealing bizarre monsters that kill anyone caught outside. As a result, a large group of people become trapped in a supermarket while taking shelter, including a commercial artist named David Drayton, his son Billy and their neighbor Brent Norton. After some of them are killed off by these creatures, David and Ollie, the store’s manager, attempt to lead the survivors out of the supermarket but only a handful make it. They leave town driving for hours through the mist and monster-filled New England into an uncertain future but still hoping for the best.

Movie adaptation: ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul’ by Jeff Kinney

Jeff Kinney is an American game designer, cartoonist, producer, actor, movie director and The New York Times best-selling author of children’s book. He is a six-time Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award for Favorite book and is best known for the ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ book series. He was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World and he is the creator of the child-oriented website Poptropica, one of Time magazine’s 50 Best Websites. The movie adaptation of ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul’ will open in theaters on Friday May 19 and stars Jason Drucker as Greg, Alicia Silverstone as Susan Heffley and Tom Everett Scott as Frank Heffley.

According to Amazon, ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul’ is book nine in the series and has Greg and his family on a road trip. The trip includes a pacifier-stealing pig, hungry seagulls and a broken-down car until they end up stranded miles from home without any money. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series began in 1998 when he came up with the idea of a middle-school weakling named Greg Heffley, who writes illustrated stories about his personal life. Kinney released an online version of these stories on the website FunBrain where he made daily entries until June 2005. An online book version was created in 2006 and it became such a hit that he eventually released a printed version. There are twelve books in the series.

Television adaptation: ‘Anne of Green Gables’ by L.M. Montgomery

annegreengablestv — The television adaptation of ‘Anne of Green Gables’ by L.M. Montgomery will be available on Netflix on Friday May 12, 2017. Photo: Barnes & Noble

“Anne of Green Gables” is a 1908 novel by Canadian author L.M. Montgomery and is widely considered a children’s novel even though it is written for all ages. It is the author’s most popular work but she also wrote short stories, poems and essays. After the success of the first book, she wrote a series of sequels with Anne as the main character. They center around the adventures of Anne Shirley, an 11-year-old orphan girl who is mistakenly sent to live with Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. The original novel has sold more than 50 million copies, has been translated into twenty languages and is taught to students around the world. There have been many film and television adaptations in the past and the most recent one aired on CBC in Canada and will be available to stream on Netflix on Friday May 12, 2017. It stars Amybeth McNulty as Anne Shirley, Geraldine James as Marilla Cuthbert and R.H. Thomson as Matthew Cuthbert.

According to Amazon, “Anne of Green Gables” tells the story of a young orphan named Anne from a fictional community in Nova Scotia who is sent to live with a middle-aged brother and sister. They initially wanted a boy to help around the farm in the fictional town of Avonlea on Prince Edward Island. Anne is highly imaginative, eager to please and has a flair for the dramatic. She is also very vain and hates her red hair and thin frame and at first Marilla wants to send her back but ends up changing her mind when Matthew intervenes. Eventually she adapts to her new life in the close-knit farming village and the country school where she makes new friends while excelling in her studies.

Movie adaptation: ‘The Dinner’ by Herman Koch

thedinnerpic — The movie adaptation of ‘The Dinner’ by Herman Koch is due out in theaters on Friday May 5, 2017. Photo: Barnes & Noble

Herman Koch is a Dutch actor and writer who has written short stories, novels and columns. He is best known for his 2009 international best-selling novel “The Dinner.” It has been translated into 21 languages and has been adapted into three films. The new American adaptation will be released on Friday May 5 and stars Richard Gere as Stan Lohman, Steve Coogan as Paul Lohman and Laura Linney as Claire Lohman.

According to Amazon, “The Dinner” is a suspenseful and controversial story of two families struggling to make the hardest decision of their lives all during one meal. The story is narrated by Paul Lohman, a former history teacher. His wife is Claire and they meet his older brother Serge, a politician and his wife Babette at a fashionable restaurant for dinner. Between courses the conversation at first remains polite but they are aware of the underlying topic that they will eventually have to discuss. Each couple has a fifteen-year-old son named Michael and Rick respectively who committed a crime that was filmed by a security camera and shown on TV but they have yet to be identified. The point of the meeting between the parents is for them to decide on what to do. Eventually the meal ends and politeness and friendship break down as each couple displays just how far they are willing to go to protect those they love.

Television adaptation: ‘American Gods’ by Richard Gaiman

There is another book based series coming to television this month. This one is by Neil Richard Gaiman, British author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. He is best known for his comic book series The Sandman as well as the novels “Stardust,” “Coraline,” “The Graveyard Book” and “American Gods.” The first season consists of eight episodes and will premiere on Starz on Sunday April 30, 2017 and stars Ricky Whittle as Shadow Moon and Ian McShane as Mr. Wednesday.

According to Amazon, “American Gods” is a mixture of Americana, fantasy with elements of ancient and modern mythology centering around a mysterious character named Shadow Moon. The central theme is that gods and mythological creatures exist if people believe in them and their power diminishes as people’s beliefs decline. Due to America’s new obsessions with media, celebrity, technology and drugs, new gods have arisen. Shadow Moon is a man serving three years in prison who is unexpectedly released with only days remaining on his sentence after his beloved wife Laura is killed. He meets an enigmatic man named Mr. Wednesday who offers him a job as a bodyguard, driver and overall errand boy. The truth is that Mr. Wednesday is the god Odin who is making his way across America reuniting the old gods to confront the new gods, including Media and Technology, who are growing stronger.

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