Summer is often associated with a boom in big-budget film releases -- plenty of movie choices to satisfy those lazy, hot days. When school's out, the superhero, action-heavy flicks come out swinging. And when the wind starts to cool, the movies with a little more heft and brains graze the silver screens.
In short, fall is when the good stuff hits theaters.
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One trend we've seen is the rise of books being turned into movies. If the book has an existing and solid fan base, the movie version is bound to do just as well if not better. Even though this mentality could be seen as less risky than taking a chance on an original screenplay by a young screenwriter, it's still a risk either way (Beautiful Creatures or Immortal Instruments, anyone?).
In the coming months, we'll see over ten films that have been adapted from the page to fit the wide theater screens. Here are seven to keep on your radar:
The Maze Runner, September 19
Like any typical young adult fiction book these days, The Maze Runner is set in a dystopian future where the entire world has undergone something horribly horrific and it's up to a group of young teens to save humanity. Based on the books by James Dashner, the story follows a group of boys who are trapped in the center of an ever-changing maze. It isn't until one unique boy, Thomas, gets dropped into the greenery that things start to change. The two most refreshing things about this movie are how it is carried by a cast of actual young adults (no super-famous-A-list actors here), and it was directed by first time feature director, Wes Ball. We got a chance to sit down and chat with stars Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, and Will Poulter, so look out for our interview in the coming weeks.
A Walk Among the Tombstones, September 19
Liam Neeson with a handgun and kicking ass. Do you really need more reasons to see the movie? Okay, how about adding to the mix Downton Abbey-alum Dan Stevens as the brooding man who lost his wife and now seeks revenge? We thought so. In this crime-thriller based on Lawrence Block's 1992 bestselling novel by the same name, a private investigator gets hired to find the men who kidnapped and tortured another man's wife. It's almost like Taken, but, like, the person taken isn't Neeson's kin.
Gone Girl, October 3
Oftentimes, authors who have their books get picked up for a movie deal or television show adaptation leave the adapted screenwriting to another chum. But not Gillian Flynn. Gurl has officially expanded her resume to include both novelist and screenwriter. Utterly impressive; especially since the film stars Ben Affleck (we smell an Oscar nod) and Rosamund Pike as the husband and wife duo who experience some marital issues and one ends up six feet under. With Flynn on board, the film should certainly please fans of the book and also pull in a new wave of readers.
