5 Upcoming Teen Fiction Adaptations

I blame J.K. Rowling. I know that sounds like blasphemy, but it is all her fault. With the incredible (understatement?) success of Harry Potter, she has single-handedly opened the floodgates for popular young adult fiction. She is the reason that “Twilight” exists. Now, there is a reason that book is a phenomenon. There are obviously millions of sexually frustrated women who want to find their “Edward.” Otherwise known as the perfect (fictitious) man. I could really give my “Bella Complex” theory that explains how every woman can place herself as the heroine in that bizarre love triangle, but that’s for another post.

But now that the Twilight movies are wrapping up, we have the new series that has already killed it at the box office. Hunger Games has done very well, both critically and financially, and has already begun production on the next 3 movies. But what to do after that series is over? That is the question Hollywood is asking and banking on. The major studios have bought up nearly every book series available. If you have a favorite genre (Girl falls in love with a tiger, girl falls in love with a dragon, girl falls in love with an angel) you should know that there is a 30% chance it will get made into a movie. I have a feeling that producers are stalking single moms with laptops just to call “dibs” and pay millions for the movie rights.

Picture a woman sitting at her computer, while 2 peeping tom movie producers watch her through the window…

Producer 1: “Is that woman in the sweat pants writing a great love story involving a girl falling in love with a robot?”
Producer 2: “No, she’s just on Pinterest. Foiled again!”

Anyways, here are the next young adult fiction books that are literally being released in the next year. I hope they’re half decent.

5 -The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

I’m grateful for well-placed skyscrapers

This book is the first of 6 in the Mortal Instruments series. City of Bones starts off with Clary Fray witnessing a murder in a nightclub, but she is the only one who could see the killer. The murderer turns out to be a half-angel who was killing a demon. Lo and behold, he takes Clary on an adventure to the unseen world as her mother is taken captive. They find themselves in all kinds of danger from werewolves, vampires, and demons. Oh my! Hmmm, the basic idea is a little Twilight-ish. A normal girl who has some unique power gets swept away and saved by a dark brooding figure. Of course you know there will be a love triangle in the mix. And something tells me there will be a shirtless native American involved. Lily Collins (Mirror, Mirror) is set to play Clary (I hate that name). Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) is playing her mother. And Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Tudors) also stars in the movie. I don’t want to spoil anything but lets just say it involves some of the main characters having a Luke/Leia moment. Knowing young adult fiction these days, I’m assuming it gets a little creepy. (The incest that is). This movie is being released August 23, 2013.

Will it be the Next Big Thing?
It’s being directed by the same guy who did Agent Cody Banks, Pink Panther 2, and the Karate Kid remake. Not encouraging. Plus…incest.

4 – The Host

No, not this one…which is a far better movie.

The “other book” by Stephanie Meyer. Yes, she claims it’s her first foray into adult fiction, but we must call it what it is; young adult fiction. In a near future where alien “souls” need to take human bodies as hosts so they can live out their lives. In turn, this deletes the host’s original soul/personality. The protagonist played by Saoirse Ronan (Atonement) gets a wanderer placed inside of her but it conflicts with the original soul that still lingers. They basically go on the run and meet up with the small human resistance. Once again, there is a love triangle…..make that square. Diane Kruger plays one of the villains, the Seeker. William Hurt also costars. It will be released on March 29, 2013.

Will it be the Next Big Thing?
That depends on Stephanie Meyer. The book leaves the ending open for sequels but she has not written a follow-up yet. She’s too busy counting her shiny vampire money. Andrew Niccol (Truman Show, Gattaca) directs, so that makes me happy. This movie will have a lot of internal voiceover, and we all know how that turned out in the Breaking Dawn part 1. Werewolves…cough, cough.

3 – Warm Bodies

I’m really hoping he’s holding up a boombox, blasting Peter Gabriel

Based on the book by Isaac Marion, Warm Bodies follows “R” a zombie who stumbles (pardon the pun) through afterlife, years after the zombie apocalypse. Zombies in this world eat brains and receive the memories of their dinner. R seeks out the girlfriend of one of his victims and falls in love with her. Yes, it’s a zombie romance spliced with dark comedy. Nicholas Hoult (Skins, Xmen First Class) plays R, and Teresa Palmer (I am Number Four) plays the girlfriend. It releases February 1, 2013.

Will it be the Next Big Thing?
It’s a one-off book. Though if it does well, there could always be a sequel. I see this more being a cult classic but not finding its audience in the theater. It’s directed by Jonathan Levine, whose last movie was 50/50. So, yeah, I’m excited!

2 – Odd Thomas

You may have used this book as a coaster once.

A book series that is still continuing. Author Dean Koontz writes a lot of “airplane fiction.” He is a definite guilty pleasure. As much as I might say I love Dostoyevsky, I can’t resist me some Koontz. This series follows a short order cook in his early 20’s named “Odd.” Odd has the ability/curse to see dead people. These ghosts cannot talk to him,  but he is their link to solve their murders. Yes, it’s the Sixth Sense all grown up. Odd sees dark wolf-like specters he calls “bodachs,” which, always surround the site of a terrible incident previous to the act. He does his best to not let them know he sees them, because if he does, it will mean death. Odd and his girlfriend spent the book trying to prevent a forthcoming tragedy at a mall. Anton Yelchin (Star Trek, Fright Night) plays Odd. Willem Dafoe (yes, Willem Dafoe) plays the father-figure police chief. Patton Oswalt also stars. This will be released in May 2013.

Will it be the Next Big Thing?
I am very excited about this movie. But sadly it is being directed by Stephen Sommers, whose directing credits are the first two Mummy films and G.I. Joe. So I think it will be a wasted opportunity. But I love Yelchin as an actor.

1 – Ender’s Game

This kid is gonna need some therapy.

Orson Scott Card struck gold once. Ender’s Game is truly a great read. In this book, Andrew “Ender” Wiggin is a child prodigy at age 6 and is recruited for battle school. Once he gets there, he realizes the school is full of pre-teens being trained for a battle with the “Bugger” race in a second intergalactic war. P.S. So nerdy, and I love it! These kids spend most of their time in rivalries as they play zero gravity games in the battle room. Ender is made out to be the chosen one, so naturally the other kids harrass him, but he is not as helpless as they think. In the end, he manages to drastically change the future of the Bugger War. This movie has a great cast. Asa Butterfield (Hugo) plays Ender. Abigail Breslin plays his sister. Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) plays a Petra, a girl in battle school. The shady government agents are played by Harrison Ford and Viola Davis. Ben Kingsley also stars. This movie will be released on November 1, 2013.

Will it be the Next Big Thing?
It has a very good chance. The only problem is Orson Scott Card’s foresight. There are plenty of prequels and sequels, but this is the only story where Ender is a child. If it could be spread out like Harry Potter, it could be extremely profitable. Gavin Hood (Xmen Origins: Wolverine) directs, so there’s that… I hope they take their time and do the story justice.