“The book is the greatest invention of man. It’s a shame that people read so little. They don’t have time.” José “Pepe” Mujica, former President of Uruguay
There is an argument to be made for, and against reading a book before watching a film. Most of my friends, when I asked if they had ever done that, say the films never live up to the written word. Personally, I have been known to enjoy watching a film, then reading the book which inspired it afterward, to relive the magic I watched on the big screen. This way, I hear the voices of the characters interpreted by the actors who played them and imagine my surroundings as those I’ve just viewed in the film. Try it, it is extraordinary! Anyway, whichever your pleasure or order of doing things, reading these books and watching their cinematic interpretations on the big screen should be on your to-do list for the upcoming autumn season. Here are five reasons why.
Firebrand by Karim Aïnouz, from the book Queen’s Gambit: A Novel of Katherine Parr by Elizabeth Fremantle
We may all know the know the story of Henry VIII and Katherine Parr from history class, but we’ve never seen it, or read it quite like this before. Karim Aïnouz is a Brazilian-Algerian filmmaker whose take always involves questioning the roles of matriarchs in a patriarchal society and Firebrand is no exception. The film features Alicia Vikander as Parr and a scene-stealing “obese and oozy” — as The Guardian called him in their review fo the film — Jude Law as the King known for his a legendary appetite for women and food. In the hands of Aïnouz, a historical drama turns into a tale of excess and beautifully filmed horror, a thriller that will make you want to study your history books all over again. Needless to say, this is definitely a film to watch before reading the book, when Firebrand opens in UK theaters on 6 September. You can find more info and screening venues here:
Wicked by Jon M. Chu, from the book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
The upcoming musical fantasy, to be released by Universal Pictures from 22 November here in the UK, comprises of part one of the 1995 book, which in turn took its inspiration from the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum. The Baum book is what the 1939 film starring Judy Garland is based on. While Macguire’s book inspired the long running stage musical Wicked, on which the film is also based. But don’t expect to find it all in the film, since this is only part one and the plot here follows green-skinned Elphaba and her path to ultimately becoming the Wicked Witch of the West, alongside an unlikely friendship, which then turns into rivalry, with a classmate who later becomes Glinda the Good. The film stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Galinda/Glinda, along with a stellar supporting cast that includes Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard and Jonathan Bailey. The official movie website is here:
Watch a featurette here:
Frankenstein by Guillermo del Toro, from the book Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley
So you think you may have seen all the Frankenstein adaptations you can take, including the hilarious Young Frankenstein by Mel Brooks starring Gene Wilder and the cockeyed Marty Feldman? Well, you haven’t, not until you watch this latest science fiction horror version by the Oscar winning Mexican filmmaker, who famously turns his visually stunning films into political commentaries, filled with religious symbolisms from his Catholic upbringing. Plus, this version of Frankenstein, slated for a 2025 Netflix release, stars it-boy of the moment Jacob Elordi as the creature, Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, and Christoph Waltz as Dr. Pretorius, the man who tracks down Frankenstein’s monster forty years later, to continue with the experiments started by Dr. Victor. The film is worth watching if only to find out how del Toro has managed to make a monster out of the gorgeous Elordi, whom we know and love for his turns as Elvis Presley but also as Nate Jacobs in Euphoria.
Uglies by McG, from the book Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
The Uglies is set to premiere on Netflix by the end of the year and stars Golden Globe nominated American actress Joey King, who also brought the project to the attention of the streaming giant. The film is set in a post scarcity dystopian future world where everyone is born “ugly” and a mandatory operation at 16 erases physical differences, to enforce a specific beauty standard. The protagonist, Tally Youngblood, faces choices that alters her life. The book was written with a YA audience in mind, and deals with themes of change, both emotional and physical. It co-stars Chase Stokes, Brianne Tju and Laverne Cox. The book is part of a series of books which also includes the titles Pretties, Specials and Extras, so you may end up wanting to read them all. Here is the link to the Netflix page for the film:
Watch the just released trailer here:
The Amateur by James Hawes, from the book by Robert Little
The upcoming espionage thriller, which will be released by 20th Century Studios in April of 2025, is based on a 1981 novel that was already adapted into a film, that same year, starring John Savage, Christopher Plumber and Marthe Keller. This version stars Oscar-winning actor Rami Malek as Charles Heller, a CIA cryptographer who loses his wife in a terrorist attack in London and discovers that his bosses will not pursue the culprits due to conflicting internal priorities. Heller takes matter into his own hands and the result will be edge of your seat entertainment, from the English director responsible for relaunching Dr. Who, the series. The film also stars Laurence Fishburne and Julianne Nicholson and perhaps reading the book before watching it on the big screen will help flesh out the characters and get into the atmosphere of the film. Since we’ve got a way to go before this one comes to a big screen near us!
By E. Nina Rothe. Check out all of her amazing platforms! https://www.eninarothe.com/
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