Read It Before You Watch It: Our Top 5 Page to Screen Adaptations of 2018
2018 has seen a great variety of books adapted into films and TV series. As the year is almost coming to end, we’ve rounded up our favourite film adaptations of 2018 based on bestselling must-read novels.
TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE (BASED ON THE BOOK BY JENNY HAN)
Jenny Han’s YA trilogy, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, was adapted into a young adult Netflix Original in August 2018. The film features all the book’s lovable characters, including sweet and innocent Lara Jean Song Covey (Lana Condor) and fiction heartthrob Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) as the film’s leading romantic leads. The high-school love story tells the story of Lara Jean and Peter K.’s unexpected romance after Lara Jean’s five hidden love letters are sent out to each of their recipients. The film also remains faithful to the book’s Korean-American culture, providing teen readers and viewers with a contemporary display of the modern diverse family that many other young adult stories tend to overlook. Jenny Han’s YA romance was a huge hit with many teenagers – and even adults. Rumours of the rest of the trilogy’s on-screen fate are still yet to be answered…
CRAZY RICH ASIANS (BASED ON THE BOOK BY KEVIN KWAN)
Kevin Kwan’s international best-selling novel, Crazy Rich Asians, reveals the outrageous world of the rich and famous and is now a major motion picture. When Rachel Wu’s (Constance Wu) agrees to spend the summer with her boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding) and his family, she enters the hornets’ nest that is one of Singapore’s oldest and richest families. Little does Rachel know, Nick is one of Singapore’s most eligible bachelors and with gossiping aunts and a commanding matriarch Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh), Rachel’s life becomes an assault course of new money, wealth and social status.
The raucous and jaw-dropping opulence makes this series an addictive read and offers insight into the crazy life of the rich and famous. Read the trilogy and discover the fun story of family, romance, fortune and nosy relatives.
ANNE WITH AN E (BASED ON L. M. MONTGOMERY’S ANNE OF GREEN GABLES SERIES)
L. M. Montgomery’s classic coming-of-age tale of spirited heroine Anne Shirley has captured the hearts of readers for over a hundred years. This eight book series was adapted into a Netflix Original – Anne with an E – starring Amybeth McNulty as Anne Shirley and Lucas Jade Zumann as Gilbert Blythe.
Orphaned Anne has always dreamed of a family and when is sent to work on a farm on Prince Edward Island, she immediately knows that this will be home! Little does she know the Cuthberts wanted a boy. Anne’s rambunctious and good-spirited personality quickly finds its way into the heart of the Cuthberts and of the residents of Avonlea. Anne of Green Gables with bright red hair is a celebration of individualism and family.
THE MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE (BASED ON THE SERIES BY JAMES DASHNER)
The Death Cure is the third and final instalment in the dystopian science film franchise, The Maze Runner, based on the bestselling YA series written by James Dashner, author of The 13th Reality series. This action-packed teen adventure series stars Dylan O’Brien (Teen Wolf) and Kaya Scodelario (Skins) and is set in a very dark post-apocalyptic world. The story’s government organisation, WICKED, has stripped Thomas (O’Brien) of his life, his memories and now his friends. However, what WICKED doesn’t know is that Thomas knows more than they think and it’s now up to him to save his friends. At the Teen Choice Awards 2018, The Death Cure was nominated for the Choice Action Movie, and whilst Aidan Gillen was nominated for the Choice Movie Villian award, Dylan O’Brien was nominated for both Choice Action Movie Actor and Choice Movie Ship alongside co-star Kaya Scodelario.
SHADOWHUNTERS (BASED ON THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS SERIES BY CASSANDRA CLARE)
Although it was recently announced that Freeform cancelled the future production of its supernatural TV series, Shadowhunters still took home 4 People’s Choice Awards on Sunday 11th November, including The Show of 2018 and The Bingeworthy Show of 2018. Two of the series’ all-star YA cast, Katherine McNamara and Harry Shum Jr. also took home awards for Best Female and Best Male TV stars, respectively. The series is based on Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments series, telling the story of Clary Fray (McNamara) and her discovery of her angelic powers that allow her to protect humans from demons, alongside her romance with Jace Wayland (Dominic Sherwood). The series – available to watch on Netflix in the UK – encompasses the Shadow world that Cassandra Clare created as the setting in a wide range of her YA novels.