For anyone who’s counting, the eighth and last Harry Potter movie comes out in exactly a week…but I’m much more excited about the other upcoming children’s book adaptations:
The Hunger Games (March 2012) seems slated to fill the vacuum left by the Harry Potter movie franchise. For proof of the strong fanbase, just check out this plate of culinary art.
War Horse (December 2011): the trailer looks good—almost too good. The epic grandness practically screams “look at me! I’m an Oscar contender!” At least they seem to have abandoned the book’s horse-as-narrator structure: there’s no way that would have worked well on screen.
From the War Horse trailer. (Subtext: please, sir, I'd like some Oscars).
The Invention of Hugo Cabret (December 2011): no trailer yet, but with such amazing book art for inspiration, it’s bound to look great. I’m rather puzzled by their decision to shorten the movie title to Hugo. Are they copying Pixar’s pithy title strategy? Or is it a ploy to ensnare the unsuspecting filmgoer who files in expecting a French writer’s biopic?
The Hobbit (part I-December 2012, part II-December 2013): I could not for the life of me keep track of all 13 dwarves in the book. Let’s hope the movie does a better job (I predict color-coordinated beards or dwarf-crafted name tags).
And now comes the fear part, because plans are underway to turn Lois Lowry’s The Giver and Number the Stars into movies. There are a thousand ways this could go horribly wrong–but how great would it be to see these canons of children’s literature as well-made films?
Finally: Brave isn’t based on a children’s book, but Pixar’s movies are quite Newbery-worthy, story-wise. Next summer’s feature looks incredible (a female protagonist! Scottish accents! and look at that landscape!)
The horse is saying, “I photograph better in profile!”