With a huge vaccuum of fantasy book series turned films coming, every publisher is hoping to fill that gap and become the next Harry Potter, or the next Twilight. Both adapted series’ will draw to a theatrical close next year.
Mandalay Pictures has just picked up the rights for Firelight, a trilogy from author Sophie Jordan that revolves around the Draki, a race that claims dragons as their ancestors.
The story follows twin teenage sisters, the descendants of dragons who live in secret with their endangered pride. When their mother learns that the pride has a dark plan for one of the girls who possesses the rare talent of fire breathing, she spirits the twins away to live a normal life among humans.
Any one of the dozens upon dozens of supernatural fantasy book series that have flooded the market stands a chance of filling that gap. This book is no different than any other franchise hopeful out there.
Each one we hope has some unique twist or edge to it that for every reason we want to love it as a book, we will want to love it as a movie. Is it a bad thing to mine the current trend in novels for films? Not at all. Frankly, I encourage them to do this. I made a deal with my kids that if they read the book series I will take them to the movie, so I want as many of these as possible to come out.
I also want them to adapt better than Percy Jackson did. Reboot that one with a script closer to the novel and you would have a hit. There was nothing wrong with Percy Jackson except that it strayed too much from the source material, which made up a lot of its built in audience.
I am just happy that its not another Vampire story.
I always thought The Amtrak Wars series of books (Patrick Tilley) would have been either a good basis for a series, either on cable or movies.
I also liked the Dorsai books (Gordon R. Dickson) would have been interesting as well.
And Peter F. Hamilton’s Nights Dawn trilogy would make for some interesting films.
Reminds me of Steven King’s Sleepwalkers. Except they’re not a dying out cat-people race, but dragon-people. That movie was pretty cheesy, gotta say, until I see a trailer I just don’t know.
As for novels I’d love to see made into film, The Darth Bane series, I want this one so damn bad. The Witcher series, and it sucks Terry Giliam can’t get his Don Quijote movie off the ground.
I’d also say The Silmarillion, but I know this will probably never happen.
Trust me the first book in the series was amazing I’m a huge ready I normally truck through about 3 every two days. I finished the first firelight in 3 hrs a record for me. And I’ve read it 3 times since then. It’s an amazing read I’m just hoping the movie will do the same for me.
The Keys to the Kingdom or the Artemis Fowl series would be a nice adaptation to the silver screen.
City of Glass too.
I was JUST thinking about how perfect Keys to the Kingdom would be as a film franchise. Somebody needs to get on that.
Bobby Pendragon series?
I’d be down for that, too. I loved those books.
I also want them to adapt better than Percy Jackson did. Reboot that one with a script closer to the novel and you would have a hit. There was nothing wrong with Percy Jackson except that it strayed too much from the source material, which made up a lot of its built in audience.
Never saw Percy Jackson myself but from what I read/heard it sounds like they strayed from the source (as you say) in an effort to create the next HP/Twilight. (Kinda like Snakes on a Plane. You can’t intentionally make a cult classic. It has to happen on its own, usually over time.) I’m about half way through book 2 and I personally think Percy could very easily stand with those two other book to movie franchices. If not better. I think one big advantage to Percy Jackson is that its telling classic Greek myth with a new school spin.
Never heard of this Firelight before. I better go look it up since it might be the next big thing.
I would love to see the Vampire Earth novels adapted to the big screen. There are plenty of books, all with action packed and intriguing story lines. I may have to check the above books out now too!!!
Still…. Vampires.
Thats been done to death. Pun intended.