Read the book - then see the film

Calling all film buffs! Do you want to read a book before you see the film rather than the other way around? If so, we've gathered together most of the movies coming up that are based on books so that you can get in first.

Each title is linked to our catalogue and to the internet movie database so that you can see what's happening with the upcoming movie.

If you are interested in movies for a wider audience try our main list of Read the Book
For books based on movies and T.V. that have already come out see Books into Film and TV

Angus, thongs and full frontal snogging: Louise Rennison’s 1999 YA novel is coming to the screen directed by Gurinder Chadha who made Bend it like Beckham and Bride and prejudice. The main character, Georgia (who features in a series of novels of which this is the first) is played by Georgia Groome and her father is played by comedian Alan Davies with the film being made on location in Eastbourne on the South Coast.
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Arthur and the Minimoys: Luc Besson, the French film director, hasadapted his childrens book, first translated into English in 2005, for the screen and directs and produces as well. He claims it will be his last movie as he wants to devote his time to worthy causes. Its a mix of live action and animation starring Freddie Highmore (Charlie and the chocolate factory) and Mia Farrow. Madonna, David Bowie and Snoop Dogg are voicing some of the animated characters in this tale of a boy named Arthur who wants to save his grandmothers home from developers and travels to the land of the Minimoys, tiny creatures who live in harmony with their environment.
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Ballet shoes: Noel Streatfield’s 1936 novel was filmed for television some years back but this new television adaptation, scheduled to run in Britain over Christmas, has Emma Watson, Hermione in the Harry Potter films, in the lead and a prestigious cast of adults including Victoria Wood, Eileen Atkins, Richard Griffiths, Peter Bowles, Emilia Fox, Marc Warren and Gemma Jones.
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City of ember: In a future world the people of Earth have moved underground and the city of Ember is dying as its electricity generator is slowly failing. It’s up to two teenagers to save the day in this adaptation of the 2003 children’s novel by Jeanne Duprau. Gil Kenan, who made Monster house, is directing the film in Belfast and the two children are played by Saoirse Ronan (also the lead in The lovely bones) and Harry Treadaway with the adult cast headed by Bill Murray, Martin Landau, Toby Jones, Tim Robbins and Marianne-Jean Baptiste.
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Coraline: The market for big animated features is inexhaustible, and this adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s 2002 novel about a little girl who discovers a secret door which leads to another world where she has a different set of parents and a whole new life, is ideal screen material. As usual there are well known voices for the cartoon characters and they include Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Teri Hatcher and Ian McShane with Dakota Fanning doing the voice for the title character.
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The Dark Is Rising: This is an adaptation of the five novel sequence by Susan Cooper - (Over sea, under stone (1965), The dark is rising (1973), Greenwitch (1974), The grey king (1975) and Silver on the tree (1977). The series is an epic fantasy aimed at a young adult readership and about a group of contemporary English children who become involved in a cosmic battle between good and evil, referred to as Light and Dark in the books. The film is directed by David L. Cunningham, who made such disparate television series as The path to 9/11 and Little house on the prairie. The main character, Will, is played by Alexander Ludwig and the old man who mentors him, Lyon, is played by Ian McShane. Others in the cast include Christopher Eccleston, Frances Conroy, Jonathan Jackson, Amelia Warner and Frances Conroy.
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Inkheart: German writer Cornelia Funke’s 2003 novel is about a bookbinder who has refused to read books to his young daughter ever since the girl’s mother disappeared some years ago. The appearance of a mysterious stranger changes their lives and father and daughter go on the run from a bunch of dastardly villains. The author actually chose Brendan Fraser to play the leading part and the film, made in Britain with locations in Italy, has a large cast including Paul Bettany, Helen Mirren, Andy Serkis, Sienna Guillory, Jim Broadbent and Eliza Bennett
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Jumper: Jamie Bell, Tom Sturridge and Teresa Palmer star in Jumper, Doug Limans film from Steven Goulds 2002 YA novelabout a boy from a broken home who discovers he can teleport. Sturridge takes the lead, with Bell co-starring as a fellow jumper who shows him the ropes and helps him on his mission to find the man he thinks killed his mother. Samuel L. Jackson costars and Teresa Palmer is the romantic interest for the hero. With a hefty budget, plenty of visual effects on board and locations in Tokyo, Rome, Toronto and New York, this is the first part of a planned trilogy.
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Paddington Bear: A film based on Michael Bond's books about a Peruvian Bear living with a family in London, will combine live action and computer-generated imagery. It will be produced by David Heyman, who has been involved in all five of the Harry Potter films for Warner Bros. Christchurch City Libraries have a number of Paddington Bear books and audio books and related items including a book by Stephen Fry, Rescuing the Spectacled Bear (A Peruvian Diary).
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The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian: The second of the C.S. Lewis Narnia novels, originally published in 1951, is another large scale production, this time filmed in Czechoslovakia and Poland as well as in various locations around New Zealand (Coromandel, West Coast, Lake Moeraki, etc) and once again Andrew Adamson is directing. The four Pevensie children are once again played by Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Anna Popplewell and William Moseley. Prince Caspian is played by a young English actor, Ben Barnes, and Liam Neeson once again provides the voice of Aslan. Peter Dinklage plays Trumpkin, Vincent Grass is Doctor Cornelius, Ken Stott is Trufflehunter. Warwick Davis is Nikabri and Spanish actress Alicia Borrachero is Prunaprismia.
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The secret of Moonacre: A classic children’s novel from 1946, Elizabeth Goudge’s The little white horse, was first filmed for television as a 1967 series but this is its first outing on the big screen. Gabor Csupo, who has previously produced children’s fare in the Rugrats and Wild Thornberrys series but also directed the recent successful film of Bridge to Terabithia, is directing this adaptation of the story about an orphan girl who travels to Moonacre Manor in the West Country where she discovers she is the last Moon princess and is charged with rescuing her kingdom from ruin. Maria is played by Dakota Blue Richards and the supporting cast includes Nathascha McElhone, Ioan Gruffudd, Juliet Stevenson and Tim Curry.
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The tale of Despereaux: Kate DiCamillo’s 2003 novel, was a Newbery Award winner. This delightful fairy tale about a very clever mouse, an awkward servant girl and a devious rat, is yet another children’s title becoming a big animated feature. Mike Johnson, who c-directed The corpse bride, directs and the voices are done by Matthew Broderick, Robbie Coltrane, Kevin Kline, Dustin Hoffman, Sigourney Weaver, Tracey Ullman, William H. Macy and Emma Watson.
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The Thief Lord: The bestselling German novel — first translated into English in 2002 — is a children's book about a gang of orphans hired to steal the missing component of a magic carousel capable of changing adults into children and vice versa. Filming in Germany, the cast of English actors includes Jim Carter, Janet McTeer, Alexei Sayle, Vanessa Redgrave and Margaret Tyzack in the adult parts.
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The Waterhorse: This adaptation of the 1990 children’s novel by Dick King-Smith is a co-production between Walden Media, Beacon Pictures and Revolution Studios, tells the story of a lonely boy in Scotland who finds a mysterious egg on the shore of a lake. When the egg hatches, what emerges is a "water horse," a mythical sea monster of Scottish legend. The boy is played by Alex Etel (who was in the children’s film Millions) and his mother is played by Emily Watson. Others in the cast include David Morrissey, Ben Chaplin, Geraldine Brophy, Craig Hall, Marshall Napier and Joel Tobeck. Jay Russell, who has previously directed children’s films Tuck everlasting and My dog Skip, is directing and filming has been done on New Zealand locations.
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Where the wild things are: The Maurice Sendak picture book classic from 1963 about Max, the little boy who creates his own world of a forest inhabited by the wild things of the title, has been adapted for the screen by novelist Dave Eggers. The film, directed by Spike Jonze, is a mixture of live action, CGI and animatronics and was partly made in Australia. The cast includes Max Records (as Max), Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini, Forest Whitaker, Michelle Williams some in the flesh, some voicing characters.
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