Movie adaptation: ‘Hide’ by Lisa Gardner

Lisa Gardner is the New York Times’ bestselling author of thrillers that include the series FBI Profiler, Detective D.D. Warren and Tessa Leoni as well as several stand alone novels and romance novels written under the Alicia Scott pseudonym. Lisa’s books have received awards from across the globe. Her novel “The Neighbor” won Best Hardcover Novel from the International Thriller Writers and she was recognized with the Daphne du Maurier Award in 2000 for “The Other Daughter.” She received the Grand Prix des Lectrices de Elle in France and the Silver Bullet Award from the International Thriller Writers in 2017 for her work on behalf of at-risk children and the Humane Society. On the lighter side, Lisa invites her readers to enter the annual “Kill a Friend, Maim a Buddy” Sweepstakes on her website. Every year, one Lucky Stiff is selected to meet a grand end in Lisa’s latest novel. Past winners have nominated spouses, best friends and even themselves. Her second Detective D.D. Warren novel “Hide” was adapted into a movie which aired on TNT and is now available on Amazon Prime. Her newest release is “When You See Me,” the eleventh book in the Detective D.D. Warren series.

In “Hide,” Bobby Dodge has to deal with the return of a killer he thought was dead and buried. It all begins with the gruesome discovery of six mummified corpses in an underground chamber of the grounds of an abandoned Massachusetts mental hospital. One of those bodies is wearing a necklace bearing the name Annabelle Granger; the only problem is the real Annabelle is still alive. To solve this mystery, Bobby must team up with his former lover, partner and friend D.D. Warren from the Boston P.D. and search deep into Anabelle’s past. A past that includes a childhood that included a blur of new cities and assumed identities as she and her father seemed to be running from an unknown stalker.

“When You See Me” reunites Boston Detective D.D. Warren, FBI Agent Kimberly Quincy and vigilante Flora Dane to investigate a cold case that quickly turns red hot in a small town where nothing is as it seems. Flora always assumed her kidnapper Jacob Ness took his secrets to the grave but with lives hanging in the balance, she must finally learn the explosive truth. For all the evil he committed while alive, his worst secret is still to be revealed and Quincey and D.D. must use their exceptional skills and experience to solve the most disturbing case of their career. Flora must also face her own past to save others.

Movie adaptation: ‘Falling Upwards: How We Took to the Air’ by Richard Holmes

Richard Holmes is a British author and academic best known for his biographical studies of major figures of British and French Romanticism. His works include “The Age of Wonder,” which was one of The New York Times Book Review’s Best Books of the Year in 2009, “Footsteps, Sidetracks, Shelley: The Pursuit” and “Falling Upwards: How We Took to the Air: An Unconventional History of Ballooning.” The latter is in part the basis for the 2019 biographical adventure movie The Aeronauts starring Felicity Jones, Eddie Redmayne, Himesh Patel and Tom Courtenay. It is now available on Amazon Prime Video.

In “Falling Upwards,” Richard Holmes combines history, art, science and biography to resurrect the daring men and women who first risked their lives to take to the air in balloons. He weaves together exhilarating accounts of early balloon rivalries, pioneering ascents over Victorian cities and astonishing long-distance voyages. One of those accounts is the high-altitude flights of James Glaisher who helped to establish the science of meteorology as well as the notion of a fragile planet. Holmes tells the history of ballooning from every angle—scientific to poetic—through the adventurers and entrepreneurs, scientists and escapists, heroes and fools who were possessed by the longing to be airborne.

The balloon flight depicted in The Aeronauts is based on the September 5, 1862 flight of British aeronauts James Glaisher and Henry Coxwell, whose coal gas filled balloon broke the flight altitude record reaching 30,000 to 36,000 feet. Glaisher appears in the film, but Coxwell is replaced by Amelia, a fictional character who is the combination of Coxwell and actual female contemporaries including Sophia Blanchard, the first woman to work as a professional balloonist and Margaret Graham, a British aeronaut and entertainer. In this exciting air adventure movie, James and Amelia successfully fly a hot air balloon to break an altitude record while successfully allowing James to prove his weather predicting theories. Enduring hypoxia, high altitude and bone chilling temperatures, they are both injured but euphoric that they managed to survive. James’ findings eventually paved the way for the first weather forecasts.

Movie adaptation: ‘Doctor Sleep’ by Stephen King

doctorsleepmovie — The movie adaptation of Stephen King’s ‘Doctor Sleep’ is in theaters this weekend. Photo: Google

Stephen King is the “King of Horror” and the American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense and fantasy novels. His books have sold more than 350 million copies, many of which have been adapted into feature films, miniseries, television series and comic books. He has published 61 novels, six non-fiction books and approximately 200 short stories, most in book collections. In 2015, King was awarded with a National Medal of Arts from the United States National Endowment for the Arts for his contributions to literature. Some of his best known novels include ‘Carrie,’ ‘Pet Sematary,’ ‘The Shining’ and ‘Doctor Sleep,’ the best-selling sequel to ‘The Shining.’ The movie adaptation of ‘Doctor Sleep,’ starring Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson and Kyliegh Curran is in theaters this weekend.

In ‘Doctor Sleep,’ a now adult Danny Torrance (Dan) carries on his father’s legacy of anger and alcoholism. After years of aimless drifting across the United States, he settles down in the small town of Frazier, New Hampshire working at a hospice and attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Meanwhile, Abra Stone is born in 2001 and has amazing psychic abilities. Slowly and unintentionally, she establishes a telepathic bond with Dan and as her powers develop, she psychically witnesses the torture and murder, by a cult known as True Knot, of a young boy. The True Knot wanders across the United States feeding on people’s “steam,” a psychic essence produced when the people who have the shining die in pain. Their leader, Rose the Hat, becomes aware of Abra and her abilities and soon plots to kidnap her and keep her alive as an endless supply of steam. With Dan’s help, as well as ghosts from his past, Abra confronts the cult and kills them to stop their destructive patterns of terror and violence.

Movie adaptation: ‘The Goldfinch’ by Donna Tartt

Donna Tartt is an American author best known for the novels “The Secret History,” “The Little Friend” and “The Goldfinch.” She won the WH Smith Literary Award for “The Little Friend” in 2003 and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for “The Goldfinch” in 2014. The latter is the coming-of-age story of 13 year-old Theodore Decker, who survives a terrorist bombing at an art museum where his mother dies. The movie adaptation is now in theaters and stars Ansel Elgort as Theodore. It is directed by John Crowley and written by Peter Straughan.

“The Goldfinch” is told is retrospective first person narration by Theodore “Theo” Decker. His life is turned upside down during a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with his mother and she is tragically killed when a bomb explodes in the museum. They were there to see an exhibition of Dutch masterpieces, including a favorite painting of hers, Carel Fabritius’ The Goldfinch, which Theo takes with him during his panicked escape. Abandoned by his father, he goes to live with the family of a wealthy friend but he feels out of place and is constantly tormented by memories of his mother. Through it all, he clings to the one thing that reminds him of her, the painting. Throughout the years, it becomes a source of hope for him as he descends into a world of crime.

Movie adaptation: ‘Blinded by the Light’ by Sarfraz Manzoor

Sarfraz Manzoor is a British journalist, documentary maker and broadcaster. He is a regular contributor to The Guardian, presenter of documentaries on BBC Radio 4 and a cultural commentator who appears on programs such as Newsnight Review and Saturday Review. His first book, ‘Greeting from Bury Park: Race, Religion and Rock N’ Roll,’ a charming memoir about the impact of Bruce Springsteen’s music on a Pakistani boy growing up in 1970s Britain, was published in 2007. The movie adaptation is now in theaters as Blinded by the Light and stars Viveik Kalra, Hayley Atwell, Rob Brydon, Kulvinder Ghir and Nell Williams. Manzoor co-wrote the script and Gurinder Chadha directed it.

According to Amazon, ‘Blinded by the Light,’ originally published as ‘Greeting from Bury Park,’ centers around Sarfraz Manzoor. He was two years old when, in 1974, he emigrated from Pakistan to Britain with his mother, brother and sister. He spends his teenage years in a constant battle, trying to reconcile being both British and Muslim, trying to fit in at school and at home. When his best friend introduces him to the music of Bruce Springsteen at age sixteen, his life changes completely. From the moment Manzoor heard the opening lines to “The River,” Springsteen became his personal muse, a lens through which he was able to view the rest of his life. Both a tribute to The Boss and a story of personal discovery, ‘Blinded by the Light’ is a warm, irreverent, and exceptionally perceptive memoir about how music transcends religion and race.

Movie adaptation: ‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette’ by Maria Semple

bernadettemovie — The movie adaptation of Maria Semple’s best selling novel opens in theaters this Friday August 16. Photo: google

Maria Semple is an American novelist and screenwriter best known for the novels “This One Is Mine,” “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” and “Today Will Be Different.” Her television credits include Beverly Hills, 90210, Mad About You, Saturday Night Live, Arrested Development, Suddenly Susan and Ellen. “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” spent a year on The New York Times’ bestseller list, won the American Library Association’s Alex Award and was shortlisted for Women’s Prize for Fiction. It centers around an agoraphobic architect, mother and wife who is struggling to adjust to life in Seattle and goes missing just before a family trip to Antarctica. The movie adaptation starring Cate Blanchette will be in theaters starting this Friday August 16.

In “Where’d You Go, Bernadette,” everyone has their thoughts about Bernadette Fox. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she is a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she is a disgrace; to design mavens, she is a revolutionary architect; and to 15-year-old Bee, she is her best friend and, simply, Mom. Then Bernadette vanishes. It all began when Bee aced her report card and claimed her promised reward: a family trip to Antarctica. But Bernadette is so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India runs her most basic errands. A trip to the end of the earth is problematic. To find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents and secret correspondence.

Movie adaptation: ‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark’ by Alvin Schwartz

scarystoriesposter — The movie adaptation of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark opened this weekend. Photo: google

Alvin Schwartz was an American author and journalist who wrote more than fifty books dedicated to and dealing with topics such as folklore and word play, many of which were intended for young readers. He is mostly known for Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, a series of short stories for children originally illustrated by Stephen Gammell. The series consists of “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,” (1981) “More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” (1984) and “Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones” (1991). The film adaptation, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, opened this weekend and stars Zoe Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Austin Abrams, Dean Norris, Gil Bellows and Lorraine Toussaint. It is directed by André Øvredal and the screenplay was adapted by Dan and Kevin Hageman, from a screen story by producer Guillermo del Toro, Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan.

According to Wikipedia, the author drew heavily from folklore and urban legends for his stories and each book features numerous short stories in the horror genre. Influences include Shakespeare, T.S. Eliot, Mark Twain, Joel Chandler Harris, Bennett Carl and Jan Harold Brunvand. The series has sold more than seven million copies with the books appearing on numerous children’s bestseller lists. While being considered a “cultural touchstone for a generation,” they have also been criticized by parents and social groups for being inappropriate for children.

In the movie, it is 1968 in America. Change is blowing in the wind but far removed from the unrest in the cities is the small town of Mill Valley where for generations, the shadow of the Bellows family has loomed large. In their mansion on the edge of town, Sarah, a young girl with horrible secrets, turned her tortured life into a series of scary stories, written in a book that has transcended time-stories that have a way of becoming all too real for a group of teenagers who discover Sarah’s terrifying home. – Lionsgate and CBS Films.

Dark Star Pictures acquires rights to The Prey

Dark Star Pictures has announced today that it has acquired North American rights to action thriller The Prey. The company is planning an October theatrical release followed by VOD and DVD release. The film has excited audiences and critics at festivals including Busan International Film Festival 2018, BFI London Film Festival 2018, Hawaii Film Festival 2018, Night Visions and most recently Fantasia Film Festival 2019. (Dark Star Pictures, 2019)

Loosely based on Richard Connell’s story of survival and adventure “The Most Dangerous Game,” The Prey comes from writer/director Jimmy Henderson and the team behind genre festival hit Jailbreak. Undercover Chinese cop Xin (newcomer Gu Shangwei), is on a secret international mission when a surprise raid puts him in a remote Cambodian jungle prison that plays by its own rules. Ruthless warden (Vithaya Pansringarm of Only God Forgives) sells prisoners as human prey for rich hunters looking for thrills in the jungle. After years of hunting down ruthless criminals, Xin suddenly finds himself running for his life. If Xin manages to survive this sadistic game, he will walk out of the jungle the same way he came in: as a free man. If Xin fails, he is just another hunting trophy.

Theatrical openings will include Los Angeles, New York, and more to be announced. The deal was negotiated by Dark Star President Michael Repsch and Pip Ngo of XYZ Films on behalf of the filmmakers.

DIRECTOR: Jimmy Henderson (Jailbreak)
WRITTEN BY: Jimmy Henderson, Michael Hodgson, Kai Miller
CAST: Byron Bishop, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Nophand Boonyai, Vithaya Panringarm (Only God Forgives), Gu Shang Wei

Distributed by LA-based Dark Star Pictures.

RT: 93 minutes; Color; Language: Cambodian and Chinese with English subtitles; Rating: Not Rated

“The Prey is an exceptionally fun, high strung action film that is exhilarating from start to finish. But what really drew us to the film was the societal context – specifically the look at how class systems can be taken to the extreme, which could not be more relevant in our society today.” – Michael Repsch

Movie adaptation: ‘Mortal Engines’ by Philip Reeve

Philip Reeve is a British author and illustrator of children’s books and is best known for the 2001 young adult novel “Mortal Engines” and its sequels. “Mortal Engines” won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize in ages 9-11 years and made the Whitbread Book Award shortlist. The book is the first in a series called the Mortal Engines Quartet which includes “Predator’s Gold,” “Infernal Devices” and “A Darkling Plain.” This was followed by the Fever Crumb prequel series: “Fever Crumb,” “A Web of Air” and “Scrivener’s Moon,” which depict events many years prior to those of “Moral Engines.” The books feature two young adventurers, Tom Natsworthy and Hester Shaw, who live in a lawless post-apocalyptic world inhabited by moving cities. The movie adaptation of “Mortal Engines,” directed by Christian Rivers and a screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Peter Jackson, opens this Friday December 14. It stars Hugo Weaving, Hera Hilmar, Robert Sheehan, Jihae, Ronan Raftery and Stephen Lang.

“Mortal Engines” is set in a post-apocalyptic world that is a product of a “Sixty Minute War” which caused geological upheaval. To escape the earthquakes, volcanoes and other instabilities, a nomadic leader named Nikola Quercus installed huge engines and wheels on London and enabled it to dismantle (or eat) other cities for resources. London is now hunting again, chasing a terrified little town across the wastelands and soon, it will eat. The book focuses on a futuristic steampunk version of London, now a giant machine striving to survive on a world running out of resources. Tom is a young Londoner who has never lived outside his traveling hometown. His first taste of the outside world comes when he gets in the way of an attempt by the masked Hester to kill Thaddeus Valentine, a powerful man she blames for her mother’s murder and both Hester and Tom end up thrown out of the moving “traction” city to fend for themselves.

Movie adaptation: ‘The House with a Clock in Its Walls’ by John Bellairs

John Bellairs was an American author best known for his fantasy novel “The Face in the Frost” and many gothic mystery novels for young adults featuring the characters Lewis Barnavelt, Rose Rita Pottinger, Anthony Monday and Johnny Dixon. One of his biggest works, “The House with a Clock in Its Walls,” is a juvenile mystery novel illustrated by Edward Gorey and the first in the series of novels featuring the fictional American boy Lewis Barnavelt. It follows the adventures of a young boy who goes to live with his uncle in a creaky old house. The movie adaptation starring Jack Black and Cate Blanchett and directed by Eli Roth is now in theaters everywhere.

According to Amazon, when Lewis Barnavelt, an orphan, goes to stay with his uncle Jonathan, he expects to meet an ordinary person. It turns out that his Uncle Jonathan and his next-door neighbor Mrs. Zimmerman, are both magicians. His uncle’s house was previously owned by Isaac and Selenna Izard, a sinister couple who practiced black magic and plotted to bring about the end of the world. Before he died, Isaac hid a clock inside the walls of the house; it was meant to eternally tick and as it pulled the world into the magical alignment and allow him to destroy it. When Lewis befriends a popular and athletic boy named Tarby Corrigan, he tries to impress him by raising the dead in the local cemetery on Halloween and ends up releasing Selenna from her tomb. Her ghost wreaks havoc in town and leads to a final confrontation in Jonathan’s basement where Lewis must stop her from finishing her husband’s work to destroy the world.

SA Examiner

Your Insider Source For Entertainment And Business Headlines

Category: Movie adaptations