Booking Through Thursday - Movie Potential

Booking Through Thursday
was inspired by Tami this week and is all about Movie Potential.



Mercy! There are so many books out there that have potential for being made into movies. Michelle Gagnon's mysteries "Boneyard" or "The Tunnels" have the potential for being great movies. Boneyard is about a mass graveyard being found on the Appalachian Trail and the pursuit of of killer crossing the boundaries of many states. J.R. Robb's In Death series has a wonderful capacity for being made into a movie or series of movies. Terri Blackstock's novel "Last Light" in which an electromagnetic pulse takes out all the electronics planet wide and one family's struggle to survive. The only suggestion I would have for the producers is to remain true to the story.

One movie I would have loved seen turned into a movie is John Grisham's The Runaway Jury which was about a landmark tobacco case and the jury is acting strangely. Excellent, excellent story and very riveting. Oh, but wait, it was turned into a movie. But the writers changed the whole concept from tobacco to guns, totally destroying what I thought was a good story. That is what I really dislike (intensely) when books are turned into movies. The license movie writers and producers take when they totally change the original concept of a book to serve their own political purposes.

At the moment, I can't think of any books that should never have been made into a movie. What book can you think of that has and you think was a mistake?


  1. I haven't heard of ANY of those titles except for Runaway Jury which, you are right, would make a very fun movie!

  2. I bet the In Death series would make awesome movies or PBS Mystery entries. Good choice!

  3. I wish they would make Rainbow Six by Tom Clancy into a movie. It's a video game, but that's it. *SIGH*

    I'm a sucker for Clancy thrillers. :)

    Can't think of any movies right now that shouldn't have been made into movies. I can think of some really bad renditions.... like Eragon.

  4. Haha! When you were describing Runaway Jury at first, I thought, "Hmm, that sounds familiar..." And yep, they definitely made it into a movie -- which, as you say, was nothing like the book. That frustrates me, too -- how much the cinematic versions can differ from beloved books. I know sometimes it's just a necessity to change some details when you make a film based on a novel, but I hate when they change key details like that. Seems strange and disappointing!

  5. I loved Runaway Jury and was not fond of the movie. My response is here:

  6. Please tell me HOW to make the nice box with the question inside.

    smilingsal55 AT yahoo DOT com

  7. I can't believe I did not think of the In Death series.

  8. The Jack Reacher series by Lee Childs. My goodness, I would like to see Reacher whip butt on the big screen.

  9. Thanks for thinking of Boneyard and Tunnels! I agree, they'd make great movies- from your lips to a Hollywood execs ears!
    Also, I heard a rumor that rights to the Reacher series were acquired by Tom Cruise, not sure what the status is, though.
    I think Brent Ghelfi's books Volk's Game and Volk's Shadow would both make for gritty, Bourne-style films.

  10. Thanks ya'll.

    Lady Glamis - Yes - Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six. Good idea.

    Crimogenic and Michelle. I haven't read the Reacher Series yet, or Ghelfi's. Checked them out on amazon and just put both on my wish list. Thanks for the great suggestions.


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