From Written Pages to Hollywood Scripts
Step into some excellent books turned into Hollywood scripts these upcoming months.
You’ve probably thought this before: Gosh, I loved the book, but the movie wasn’t that good.
Book readers’ movie regret is a real syndrome—even if not agreed upon by Webster’s dictionary. We’ve all been disappointed at some point after watching the Hollywood version of our beloved heroes.
And this feeling goes back decades. Way back in 1982, Gabriel García-Márquez said, “I have seen many great films based on very bad novels, but I have never seen a great film based on a great novel.”
Perhaps? This was on the heels of Mario Puzzo’s The Godfather (1972) being regarded as one of the best novels turned into a movie in history.
Flash forward to 2025, we know that many excellent books have been turned into unbelievably good films or series. Think Harry Potter, Gone Girl, The Hunger Games, and Forrest Gump.
So, for this month’s article, I decided to humor everyone looking for a new spin on a beloved title—whether it’s something you read a decade ago or just last year.
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One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia-Márquez (1967)
Adaptation: Netflix TV Series (2024)
A Nobel Prize–winning masterpiece, this novel has been translated into more than forty languages and sold over 50 million copies worldwide. Yes, you read that right.
It’s widely considered one of the best books of the twentieth century and one of the most influential family sagas ever written. The story follows seven generations of the ill-fated Buendías, living in the magical town of Macondo, somewhere in Colombia.
Almost six decades after its publication, Netflix has decided to bring it to life, perhaps allowing viewers to experience the gorgeous descriptions that made García-Márquez the king of magical realism.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 84%|Audiences 90%.
Station Eleven by Emily St. John-Mandel (2015)
Adaptation: HBO Max Series (2022)
Named one of the best books of the twenty-first century by The New York Times, this novel brings to life a world ravaged by a 99.9% lethal flu strain. Civilization has collapsed, but the love for humanity remains as a traveling symphony of actors and musicians moves from one desolate Midwest town to another, spreading Shakespeare’s masterpieces.
The story also jumps through multiple timelines, starting fifteen years earlier when a famous Hollywood star suffers a cardiac arrest mid-performance in Toronto. It’s a puzzle that will shift your post–COVID-pandemic perspective on a world we thankfully never lived in.
HBO Max’s ten-part series captures the essence of the story, with poignant visuals and a rich palette of eclectic perspectives enriching this literary masterpiece.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 98%|Audiences 75%.
The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly (2005)
Adaptation: Movie(2011)|Netflix TV Series(2022)
This legal thriller follows Mickey Haller, a lawyer who operates from the back of his Lincoln Town Car through the streets of LA, whose only goal is to win—regardless of his clients’ guilt. Connelly’s prose is sharp and grounded, reminding readers that lawyers are intelligent, witty, but also human.
The novel’s success was immediate. Eight books have followed, a Hollywood movie starring Matthew McConaughey was released, and now Netflix has produced three seasons celebrating the books.
Rotten Tomatoes (movie): Critics 83%|Audiences 82%.
Rotten Tomatoes (series): Critics 90%|Audiences 86%.
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (2016)
Adaptation: Apple TV+ Series (2024)
“Are you happy with your life?” These are the last words Jason Dessen hears before he is kidnapped and wakes up, literally, in another world that may look exactly like his but doesn’t belong to him.
This techno-thriller explores alternate realities and the power of love to drive a man to traverse every possible version of himself in the multiverse to save and reunite with his family, at all costs. Every word is well-crafted and magnified through the chaos of longing, turning complex quantum mechanics concepts into a fictional delight.
Blake Crouch himself rewrote the script for the adaptation and was present through the whole process to ensure his vision. Of course, he has plenty of experience, having his previous Wayward Pines trilogy adapted by Fox in 2015.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 81%|Audiences 80%.
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (2016)
Adaptation: Paramount+ Series (2024)
During the darkest days after the Russian Revolution, Count Alexander Rostoff is stripped of all monetary possessions, and sentenced to house arrest at the Metropol Hotel. His crime: being born into aristocracy. In this piece, Towles demonstrates his profound knowledge of Russian art, literature, and history, exploring how the communist regime manipulated truth to control people. The prose is beautifully rendered and poignant, typical for Towles, a master of analogies, visual descriptions, and enriched literary plots.
The adaptation, led by Ewan McGregor, is phenomenal. While the ending may differ slightly, the series captures the spirit of Towles’ prose, offering a visual feast for fans of the novel.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 92%|Audiences 80%.
These are some of my favorite books recently turned into scripts. Enjoy them all, and if you haven’t read some of these yet, add them to your list! They’re not only New York Times bestsellers but also among the most compelling novels I’ve ever read.
This article will be published in the October 2025 issue of Stroll Holliday Farms.
