Some of thegreatest sci-fi movies of all timehave been adaptations that have brought these incredible books to life. The recent trailers for the Ryan Gosling movieProject Hail Maryand the Glen Powell movieThe Running Manhave raised anticipation for theseupcoming sci-fi moviesthat also happen to be based on books.
Adapting a book is no easy task, and it is famously rare for a movie to actually match the satisfaction of the source material. Of course, there have been somegreat movies that have done the book justicein the past, likeThe GodfatherandNo Country for Old Men.
This extends to the world of sci-fi movies, where it can be even harder to bring all the big ideas from these sci-fi novels into a digestible and enjoyable film. Luckily, there are more than a few examples of sci-fi movies that have done their source material proud while also being excellent entries in the genre.
It would be hard to ignore one of the most popular sci-fi movie franchises around, which got its start from an equally popular book.TheHunger Gamesfranchiseis based on the novels by Suzanne Collins, exploring a dystopian future in which young citizens are forced to participate in an annual fight to the death with other young people.
Interestingly, in both the books and the movies, it is the second installment that is the best.The Hunger Games: Catching Firefinds Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) thrown back into the deadly competition against past winners. However, beneath the surface, a rebellion is beginning to form.
With the world already established in the first story,Catching Fireis able to build on the mythology and tell a more complete tale. Lawrence continues to be iconic in the lead hero role, while the movie does a great job of bringing in the new characters Collins has introduced, with cast members like Jeffrey Wright and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Cormac McCarthy is one of the most celebrated American authors, and the adaptation of his novelNo Country for Old Menis considered one of the best movies of the 21st century. However, his most popular book is the bleak dystopian story ofThe Road, which follows a man and his son trying to survive in the desolate new reality.
It is a story about being a parent and the idea that there is nothing more important than the safety of your child.
Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee are excellent as the father-son duo, infusing the relationship with a fear for survival as well as genuine love and nurturing.Like McCarthy’s novel, the movie simply allows the audience to observe these two making their journey together, telling us everything we need to know about their relationship.
It is a story about being a parent and the idea that there is nothing more important than the safety of your child. To place such a story in such a dark and brutal world makes it a harrowing experience, but ultimately one that has its own kind of beauty.
The Prestigeis perhaps Christopher Nolan’s most underrated movie, and fans might not even be aware that it is an adaptation. The original story comes from Christopher Priest’s book of the same name, dealing with obsession and sacrifice as it explores a rivalry between two magicians in the late 1800s.
Christopher Priest chose Christopher Nolan as the director after seeingFollowing.
Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman are excellent in the lead roles, with their commanding performances doing justice to the movie’s dual narrative approach. Each character, though opposed to the other, is able to show their side of the bitter and deadly feud while also giving insight into their ambitious journey.
Of course,Nolan is a masterful storyteller in his own right, adding new elements to the story. This includes the non-linear approachthat gives it new layers and helps build the tension that leads toThe Prestige’s unforgettable ending.
It takes a bold filmmaker like Stanley Kubrick to tackle as provocative a novel as Anthony Burgess’A Clockwork Orange. The result is one of the most unsettling movies that also showcases a perfect marriage between source material and visionary director. Set in the future, it follows a violent and sadistic young man subjected to experiments to “cure” him.
Malcolm McDowell deserves strong acclaim for his interpretation of the main character, a fascinating yet disturbing embodiment of evil. However, it is the visual language Kubrick utilizes that is most impactful, casting an eerie and removed vision over the grim story.
It is a rather faithful adaptation for the most part, while also allowing Kubrick to shine through on his own. However,it is also notable that Kubrick made some very telling changes to the more redemptive ending, leaving the movie in the bleak world it had created throughout its runtime.
Children of Menis one of the most underrated movies of the 2000s and a brilliant sci-fi film. It is also a great example of how an adaptation can follow the same story as the source material while also having its focus and message be completely different. Alfonso Cuarón’s engrossing long-takes put the audience into this realistic dystopia.
Children of Menis made into an ambitious and exhilarating story of how such a miracle would be taken by the world, and if it were too torn apart to care.
In a future in which humanity has stopped producing babies, a man is tasked with transporting a woman to safety who is the world’s first pregnancy in decades. This is also the setup of P.D. James’ novel, butthe world feels very different compared to the novel, as Cuarón depicts a brutal yet grounded reality.
The movie also moves away from the more focused story of how this journey affects one man.Children of Menis made into an ambitious and exhilarating story of how such a miracle would be taken by the world, and if it were too torn apart to care.
Sometimes it is just a brilliant concept that makes an adaptation worth making, even if very little else remains. Such is the case withPlanet of the Apes, which was adapted from the French novelLa Planète des Singesby author Pierre Boulle. However, the movie that audiences know and love is quite a departure.
Boulle’s novel is more of a satire, looking at the fragility of humanity’s superior hold on the natural world on Earth. WhilePlanet of the Apescertainly addresses similar ideas, it deals with paranoia of the time, including nuclear war, while also delivering a thrilling sci-fi adventure.
There are 10Planet of the Apesmovies to date.
Planet of the Apeshas an endingthat is one of the most famous in movie history. However, that was a complete creation of the film. In fact, while it is revealed that this strange planet populated by smart apes was actually Earth all along, the book does indeed take place on an alien planet.
The excitement forProject Hail Maryis partially because of how good the last adaptation of an Andy Weir sci-fi novel was.The Martianstars Matt Damon as an astronaut who is accidentally left behind after an abandoned mission to Mars. As NASA mounts a rescue mission back home, he must learn how to survive alone on the planet.
This is a unique sci-fi story as it does not feature aliens or space battles, but instead uses a concept that is slightly removed from current reality and uses it to tell a story that celebrates science.Weir was able to make complex scientific ideas accessible and entertaining for readers, and the movie achieves the same feat.
The Martianis elevated by a star-studded cast that includes Jessica Chastain, Sebastian Stan, Kristen Wiig, Sean Bean, and more. However, it is Matt Damon who carries the movie, playing a character who is on his own for the majority of the runtime, yet is compelling, funny, and heroic in his own ways.
When Michael Crichton wrote a novel with the concept of dinosaurs being brought back into the modern world, it was only a matter of time before Hollywood got around to making it. Thankfully,Jurassic Parkwas made by one of the greatest filmmakers around. Steven Spielberg turned the entertaining sci-fi book into one of the best blockbusters ever made.
While Crichton’s story is excellent, that Spielberg magic really turnsJurassic Parkinto something special.
The one downside ofJurassic Parkin book formis that it introduces this amazing concept, but we never get to see the dinosaurs come to life. Spielberg follows through on that promise by capturing them with a sense of wonder and fear. It is a stunning work of visual effects and practical creations that have helped it age perfectly.
While Crichton’s story is excellent, that Spielberg magic really turnsJurassic Parkinto something special. The characters are more alive, the humor works better, and the sense of thrill is virtually unparalleled in blockbuster movies.
The sci-fi genre seems to lend itself to a lot of books that are deemed impossible to adapt. That was the outlook on Frank Herbert’sDunefor quite a long time, with David Lynch’s attempt being largely regarded as a noble failure. However, Denis Villeneuve was up for the challenge and delivered one of the most epic sci-fi movies in recent memory.
Villeneuve tackles the expansive story of intergalactic war and betrayal with an immersive approach that effortlessly builds the complex world of this story. While it is all complicated, we are never left lost as an audience, as the pieces gradually fall into place.
Timothée Chalamet continues to cement himself as an incredible talent, taking on the layered hero of the story. He also leads an incredible cast, including Javier Bardem, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, and Zendaya. Along withDune: Part Two, this epic blockbuster tackles this bold story better than anyone could have expected.
Phillip K. Dick is a renowned sci-fi writer whose work has gone on to inspire many different movies and television shows. Of course, the masterpiece of these adaptations isBlade Runner, coming from the novel,Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?It took another sci-fi legend to adapt the story, with director Ridley Scott coming straight offAlien’s success.
The story examines the concept of androids and whether they really differ so much from humans. However,it is Scott’s vision that really makesBlade Runnersuch an iconic sci-fi movie. He creates a fully realized and lived-in world of the future that is dreamlike but also immediately believable.
The movie offers the profound concepts of the story brilliantly, making it a film fans return to again and again to explore its complexities more deeply.Blade Runner 2049proved the universe Scott created is still ripe for exploration.
