10 Top Movies/TV Shows that Should Be Books

I love books (obviously), but I also love a good movie and over the years, I have seen movies that were based on original screenplays, but not on books. Yet I liked those original movies so much that I was really disappointed to learn that they were, sadly, not based on books. I wish books were written based on these movies and just to have some fun, I made a list of 10 movies that I wish were books, too.

In no particular order, the list is as follows:

1. Penelope. This is a sweet romantic comedy/modern fairy-tale about a girl who is under a curse, and a boy who wants to free her of it, but can’t, as he does not have the means she needs for that. You see, the girl, Penelope has a pig’s nose, and to get rid of the curse, Penelope must marry a blueblood, as she is a blueblood herself. The boy is poor. However, there may be some misinterpretation as to the words that the curse can be lifted “by the one who learns to love her” and so the story ensues. It is a really beautiful, romantic and fun movie, with a great moral, and it would be great to read a book based on it.
TRAILER

2. Moonlight. This is a TV show about vampires from 2008 and although it was well accepted, it was cancelled. The show was done before the whole vampire mania began, so it was kind of special. It features great, interesting vampire and human characters, has a great plot and romance. I would love this show to be a book series, like Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novels. I would really love to get the insight into these character the way a novel can offer it. In short, this is a story about a vampire, Mick, who works as a P.I., saving mostly vampire crimes with a human reporter Beth, his love interest.
TRAILER

3. Pushing Daisies. Another TV show that has been described as a “forensic fairy-tale” with delightfully quirky characters. Ned, a pie maker, has the gift to bring the dead to life, but there are two conditions. If he touches a revived person, animal or plant again, they will die forever. And, if the revived person, animal or plan stay alive for more than sixty seconds, something or someone else in close proximity will die in its place. Tricky. One day, Ned resurrects a girl that he loves, but they may never touch because one touch can kill her. Bitter sweet romance, indeed! No kisses, no hugging, nothing but yearning for all of that. I would love this TV series to be a book series, too. I just love these kinds of slightly paranormal stories.
TRAILER

4. Finding Neverland. Now, this movie is based on Allan Knee’s play The Man Who Was Peter Pan, but I confess that I don’t often read plays; I just can’t get lost in a play, unless it’s really, really good to read, like Hamlet (my favourite play to read). I wish the novel Finding Neverland existed, as the story of the movie is so very beautiful and I can just imagine how wonderful the prose would be. Besides, I like biographical novels and Barry, the father of Peter Pan, surely was an interesting man.
TRAILER

5. On the Edge. This is an Irish indie from 2001 and although it’s nothing special, it impressed me. It’s about suicidal patients going through therapy and a journey of self-discovery, and the movie’s not depressing at all, but very uplifting. The protagonist, Jonathan Breech (played by Cillian Murphy) really got to me, as he reminds me so much of a friend of mine. My friend’s not suicidal, but he’s very confused and still trying to find himself, so the story is kind of personal to me. And, I would love to read it in prose. It also features some romance, Irish-style, if that makes sense.
TRAILER

6. 10 Things I Hate About You, the movie. This is actually my favourite chick-flick movie, and I think it would make a best-selling chick-lit novel. It’s basically about two misfits falling in love, but the road to romance is bitter sweet, as their relationship starts for a wrong reason. Also, it’s a modern re-telling of The Taming of the Shrew by Shakespeare, so what’s not to love? When I first saw the movie, I wanted to read the book immediately, but was disappointed to discover a book with this title does not exist. There are definitely parts of the movie that could be elaborated on, so yes, a book should exist.
TRAILER

7. Sommersby. I love a good historical drama and no matter the IMDb rating, I really like this movie, but I think a book could have been even better, as things could be better explained, and one could dig deep into the emotions that I loved in the movie. A story about a woman during the Civil War, whose husband, presumed dead, returns home. But although he looks like her husband, she's sure he's not the right man, because her husband was mean, and she actually loves this new man, her husband's doppelganger. So, is he the husband or is he not?...
TRAILER

8. A Scarecrow and/or a Joker book. This may not make much sense. But here’s the thing: Austen fanfiction is published, The Phantom of the Opera fanfiction is published, and I like to read it. Now, Dr Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow and the Joker have many comic books, but I rarely read comic books, they’re just not my things. I’d love to read a novel about one of these guys, like a prequel, how they became what they are now. I have a thing for villains, I confess, and these two are my favourite ones. Now that I saw their Nolanized versions on the big screen (Batman Begins and The Dark Knight), I would love to buy a novel starring them, really, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.

9. Miss Potter. Again, a biopic, which seems to be my beloved movie, as well as book genre. This is a delightful story about Beatrix Potter, the author of “The Tale of Peter Rabbit”, showing her struggle to get published, as well as to get married to her love. I am real sucker for such stories and I would have enjoyed it even more in the form of a novel.
TRAILER

10. Copying Beethoven. Because if you haven’t noticed the pattern yet, I love dramatic biopics with powerful emotions.:) In my defence, this movie features no love story between Beethoven and a random OC, but explores a beautiful relationship between a musician and a musician-in-making that develops into a touching sort of father/daughter relationship, as well as friendship. If it were a novel, I’d already be reading it.
TRAILER