Mandy Says: Books To Movies In 2013 (Part One)

Well, it looks as though 2013 is shaping up to be a huge year for those of us who enjoy going to the movies – especially those of us who like to see a much loved novel turned into something special for the silver screen.

There’s always that nervous anticipation: Will the filmmakers get it right? Will the heroine maintain her gutsy, confident and assured demeanour? Will the hero sound like he does in my head? Will he look like he does in my head? How much will they change? Will there be crucial scenes left out, while new ones are popped in to help with the move from page to screen?

There will always be changes – there has to be. No 400 page novel can be filmed word-for-word and then squished into two hours. But that’s (usually!) okay with me. As long as I can keep the book close to my heart, I like to look at movies as an extension of a favourite story.

So, to kick this year off, the first book-to-movie on my list (yeah, sadly there’s only room for a handful here, so we’re gonna miss a few hundred) is Beautiful Creatures. Based on the Supernatural Romance novel by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, release date is set for February 13 th in Australia, and the 14th elsewhere. The blurb goes something like this: ‘A young man and his mysterious new love interest uncover dark secrets about their families and the small Southern town where they live.’

Oz the Great and Powerful is due to hit the screens in early March. Based on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel ‘Wonderful Wizard of Oz’, this one is set before the 1939 film starring Judy Garland. But don’t think Oz is just for the little kids. There’s some fabulously dark themes running through these books. Some big names are associated with Oz the Great and Powerful, including director Sam Raimi (think: the early 2000’s Spiderman trilogy, The Evil Dead, The Gift…) and main cast members Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz.

Another March release is the remake of Carrie, a remake of the 1976 horror classic based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. I’m guessing this one will be for an older teen/adult audience – if you know anything about Carrie’s story, you’ll know that there’s blood. Lots of it. And a Carrie remake – well, I’m not too sure about this one. It’s scary stuff – not just the blood and gore bit – but the whole ‘let’s remake a classic’ thing. Hmmm.

To round March off is The Host. Based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer (yes, she of the Twilight saga), The Host tells the story of an Earth that has been invaded by alien beings called ‘Souls’. Basically, Souls are parasites who take over human bodies. But Melanie Stryder isn’t so keen to let her invader – Wanderer – have her body to itself. I think this movie could go either way, (I’m hoping it’s awesome) especially since in the novel, much of the story happens between Melanie and Wanderer inside their shared mind.

So what about you? Which movies are you hanging out to see on the big screen? Which ones won’t you bother at all with, and which ones will you wait for on DVD? Are you worried that turning your favourite books into movies will leave a permanent scar on how you feel about the story, or are you like me, expecting to see small changes that will hopefully enhance your memories of the time spent between pages?