For the last two weeks, I’ve been sharing with you the titles of books that are going to be turned into movies in 2014. This is the last of the 16 titles, and once again, they all sound very interesting. Be sure and grab the book before the film comes out!
Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand: This is the remarkable biography of Louis Zamperini, a budding juvenile delinquent turned Olympic runner who competes in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. When war breaks out, Louis joins the Army, manages to survive a plane crash only to be rescued by the Japanese and taken to a POW camp. His story is incredible, to say the least, and one of my favorite books. The movie stars Jack O’Connell as Louis; the film is written by Joel and Ethan Coen, and is directed by Angelina Jolie. It opens in December.
The Maze Runner, by James Dashner: Ever since The Hunger Games books hit the scene, readers have been searching for more novels like them. The Divergent trilogy fits the bill, but so does The Maze Runner, again the first book in a trilogy set in a dystopian United States. Sixty boys survive in a completely enclosed environment, with a new boy arriving every 30 days. Thomas is the new arrival, and is soon involved in planning an escape from the glade through a maze that surrounds their living space. The film will star Dylan O’Brien as Thomas, and will open in September.
The Hundred-Foot Journey, by Richard C. Morais: This is a debut novel about a man named Hassan Haji and his rise to fame as a Parisian chef. Haji’s grandfather owns a modest restaurant in Bombay and this is where Hassan’s story begins. We follow him from India to England to Paris, and watch his culinary star rise to great heights. The movie stars Manish Dayal and Helen Mirren and is being produced by Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey. It opens in August.
The Giver, by Lois Lowry: First published in 1993, Lowery won the Newbery Award for excellence in children’s literature with this story of 12-year-old Jonas. In a world with no poverty, no unemployment, no unhappiness, Jonas is chosen to be the community’s Receiver of Memories. Once he begins his study, he starts to understand the truth about his world. The Giver will star Meryl Streep and Taylor Swift. It should hit theaters in August.
Serena, by Ron Rash: Newlyweds George and Serena Pemberton travel to North Carolina in 1929, where George plans on creating a timber empire. They work hard to make this dream come true in very dark, even violent ways. Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss in The Hunger Games movies) plays Serena, while Bradley Cooper plays George. This pair made last year’s Silver Linings Playbook a winner; hopefully their on-screen chemistry continues. I couldn’t find a definite release date for this film.
