Films Based on Literature: 2010
As a certified bookworm, I believe that films based on literature tend to have a better narrative and story than other films. So here are all the movies based on literature for the year 2010. Enjoy!
-All films based on novels released in the UK and the US in 2010. If a film is inspired by a story or novel but is not accredited as such it will not be included and films which are based on ideas are also excluded.
For example, the producer and director of 'Black Swan' (2010), Darren Aronofsky, admits that the idea for the story came from his interest in understudies and the notion of being haunted by a double, as in 'The Double: A Petersburg Poem' (1946), a novella by Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821-1881). However, this was simply an inspiration from an idea so the film is not eligible according to the criteria of this list.
-A short description will be given to complement the inclusion of all of my choices. For a more comprehensive review of the film look at my other list, 'Here We Go Again, It's 2010!'. Please note that the information provided on my lists are based on my own personal opinions.
-When I have no knowledge of a particular film or the novel it is based on, I will take the description from IMDB or Wikipedia and adapt it accordingly.
-Television Series based on literature will also be included at the end of the list (but will not be the focus of this list).
-Please comment if I have missed anything.
-All films based on novels released in the UK and the US in 2010. If a film is inspired by a story or novel but is not accredited as such it will not be included and films which are based on ideas are also excluded.
For example, the producer and director of 'Black Swan' (2010), Darren Aronofsky, admits that the idea for the story came from his interest in understudies and the notion of being haunted by a double, as in 'The Double: A Petersburg Poem' (1946), a novella by Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821-1881). However, this was simply an inspiration from an idea so the film is not eligible according to the criteria of this list.
-A short description will be given to complement the inclusion of all of my choices. For a more comprehensive review of the film look at my other list, 'Here We Go Again, It's 2010!'. Please note that the information provided on my lists are based on my own personal opinions.
-When I have no knowledge of a particular film or the novel it is based on, I will take the description from IMDB or Wikipedia and adapt it accordingly.
-Television Series based on literature will also be included at the end of the list (but will not be the focus of this list).
-Please comment if I have missed anything.
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- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsLeonardo DiCaprioEmily MortimerMark RuffaloTeddy Daniels and Chuck Aule, two US marshals, are sent to an asylum on a remote island in order to investigate the disappearance of a patient, where Teddy uncovers a shocking truth about the place.This masterpiece by Martin Scorsese is based on Dennis Lehane's 2003 novel of the same name.
- DirectorNathan GrenoByron HowardStarsMandy MooreZachary LeviDonna MurphyThe magically long-haired Rapunzel has spent her entire life in a tower, but now that a runaway thief has stumbled upon her, she is about to discover the world for the first time, and who she really is.'Tangled' is famously based on the character of Rapunzel from the fairy tale published by the Brothers Grimm in 1812.
- DirectorBen AffleckStarsBen AffleckRebecca HallJon HammA proficient group of thieves rob a bank and hold an assistant manager hostage. Things begin to get complicated when one of the crew members falls in love with her.'The Town' is based on the 2004 novel 'Prince of Thieves: A Novel' by American author Chuck Hogan. This novel was adapted for the film by director and actor Ben Affleck.
- DirectorDanny BoyleStarsJames FrancoAmber TamblynKate MaraA mountain climber becomes trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone near Moab, Utah and resorts to desperate measures in order to survive.A lot of people know that '127 Hours' is based on a true story, but more specifically it is based on the autobiography 'Between a Rock and a Hard Place' (2004) by the protagonist and triumphant survivor featured in this film, Aron Ralston.
- DirectorMatthew VaughnStarsAaron Taylor-JohnsonNicolas CageChloë Grace MoretzDave Lizewski is an unnoticed high school student and comic book fan who one day decides to become a superhero, even though he has no powers, training or meaningful reason to do so.'Kick-Ass' is based on a comic book series of the same name by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr.
- DirectorEdgar WrightStarsMichael CeraMary Elizabeth WinsteadKieran CulkinIn a magically realistic version of Toronto, a young man must defeat his new girlfriend's seven evil exes one by one in order to win her heart.This film is based on the graphic novel series 'Scott Pilgrim' by Bryan Lee O'Malley.
- DirectorRobert SchwentkeStarsBruce WillisHelen MirrenMorgan FreemanWhen his peaceful life is threatened by a high-tech assassin, former black-ops agent Frank Moses reassembles his old team in a last-ditch effort to survive and uncover his assailants.'RED' is based on a comic book written by Warren Ellis and illustrated by Cully Hamner, a three-issues series published from 2003 to '04.
- DirectorTetsuya NakashimaStarsTakako MatsuYoshino KimuraMasaki OkadaA psychological thriller of a grieving mother turned cold-blooded avenger with a twisty master plan to pay back those who were responsible for her daughter's death.It was a surprise to learn that this excellent film is based on author Kanae Minato's 2008 debut mystery novel that won the 2009 Honya Taisho award (Japan Booksellers Award).
- DirectorBarry LevinsonStarsAl PacinoBrenda VaccaroJohn GoodmanA look at the life and work of doctor-assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian.Based on the book 'Between the Dying and the Dead' by Neal Nicol and Harry Wylie.
- DirectorRichard J. LewisStarsPaul GiamattiRosamund PikeJake HoffmanThe picaresque and touching story of the politically incorrect, fully lived life of the impulsive, irascible and fearlessly blunt Barney Panofsky.This film is based on the novel of the same name by Mordecai Richler.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsEwan McGregorPierce BrosnanOlivia WilliamsA ghost writer, hired to complete the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister, uncovers secrets that put his own life in jeopardy.Originally titled 'The Ghost Writer', this film is based on 'The Ghost', a 2007 novel by English writer Robert Harris. Harris also co-wrote the movie screenplay with director Roman Polanski.
- DirectorJohn Cameron MitchellStarsNicole KidmanAaron EckhartDianne WiestLife for a happy couple is turned upside down after their young son dies in an accident.This film's screenplay was written by David Lindsay-Abaire, based on his 2006 play of the same name.
- DirectorMiguel SapochnikStarsJude LawForest WhitakerAlice BragaSet in the near future when artificial organs can be bought on credit, it revolves around a man who struggles to make the payments on a heart he has purchased. He must therefore go on the run before said ticker is repossessed.'Repo Men' is based on the novel 'The Repossession Mambo' by Eric Garcia.
- DirectorDaniel GrouStarsClaude LegaultRémy GirardMartin DubreuilA doctor seeks revenge by kidnapping, torturing and killing the man who raped and murdered his young daughter.The screenplay of this film as written by Patrick Senécal and based on his novel 'Les Sept Jours du Talion'.
- DirectorHiromasa YonebayashiStarsBridgit MendlerAmy PoehlerWill ArnettThe Clock family are four-inch-tall people who live anonymously in another family's residence, borrowing simple items to make their home. Life changes for the Clocks when their teenage daughter Arrietty is discovered.The story is based on Mary Norton's classic novel 'The Borrowers' (1952).
- DirectorRob ReinerStarsMadeline CarrollCallan McAuliffeRebecca De MornayTwo eighth-graders start to have feelings for each other despite being total opposites.This Rob Reiner film is based on the 2001 novel of the same name, by Wendelin Van Draanen.
- DirectorBrandon ViettiStarsBruce GreenwoodJensen AcklesJohn DiMaggioThere's a mystery afoot in Gotham City, and Batman must go toe-to-toe with a mysterious vigilante, who goes by the name of Red Hood. Subsequently, old wounds reopen and old, once buried memories come into the light.Based on a comic book story arc published by DC Comics from 2005 until 2006. Written by Judd Winick and based on the original characters of Bob Kane.
- DirectorVictor CookMike DisaSangjin KimStarsGraham McTavishVanessa BranchSteve BlumDante journeys through the nine circles of Hell -- limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery -- in search of his true love, Beatrice.'Inferno' is part of celebrated Italian writer Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic, 'The Divine Comedy'.
- DirectorTom VaughanStarsBrendan FraserKeri RussellHarrison FordA drama centered on the efforts of John and Aileen Crowley to find a researcher who might have a cure for their two children's rare genetic disorder.'Extraordinary Measures' is based on 'The Cure', by Wall Street journalist Geeta Anand, and is also based on the true story of John and Aileen Crowley.
- DirectorShinsuke SatoStarsKazunari NinomiyaKanata HongôKen'ichi MatsuyamaAfter trying to rescue a man on the subway tracks, two teens wake up in a room dominated by a mysterious black sphere that sends them to hunt down and kill aliens hiding on Earth.The 'Gantz' film series is based on Hiroya Oku's manga series, 'Gantz'.
- DirectorAnton CorbijnStarsGeorge ClooneyPaolo BonacelliViolante PlacidoAn assassin hides out in Italy for one last assignment.Based on the 1990 novel 'A Very Private Gentleman' by Martin Booth, it was adapted to screenplay by Rowan Joffé for this film.
- DirectorHiroaki MatsuyamaStarsErika TodaShôta MatsudaKazuma SuzukiIt's time for the final challenge of the Liar Game. Only Akiyama and Fukunaga had earned tickets to participate, but when Yokoya decides to drop out, Nao gets invited to join. Unwilling at first, but when her worry over Akiyama soon overcomes her reluctance. In the final stage, nicknamed the Garden of Eden, a new voting game is set to take place. The game is set up so that all players can win money should they cooperate, but if they don't one player will win big while the others face bigger debts than ever before. It doesn't take long for the lies and backstabbing to begin, and the question remains whether Nao and Akiyama have any hope of winning and finally shut down the Liar Game for good.An adaptation of the Japanese manga series (2005-2015), written and illustrated by Shinobu Kaitani.
- DirectorEdward ZwickStarsJake GyllenhaalAnne HathawayJudy GreerIn 1990s Pittsburgh, a medicine peddler starts a relationship with a young woman suffering from Parkinson's disease.It was surprising to me to learn that this film is based on Jamie Reidy's 2005 non-fiction book 'Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman'.
- DirectorBurr SteersStarsZac EfronKim BasingerCharlie TahanAfter Charlie survives a car crash that kills his younger brother, he is given the gift of seeing the spirits of his brother and others who he has lost, and must use his powers to save the woman he loves from impending disaster.Based on Ben Sherwood's novel 'The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud', published in 2004 by Bantam Books.
- DirectorMichael AptedStarsBen BarnesSkandar KeynesGeorgie HenleyLucy and Edmund Pevensie return to Narnia with their cousin Eustace where they meet up with Prince Caspian for a trip across the sea aboard the royal ship The Dawn Treader. Along the way they encounter dragons, dwarves, merfolk, and a band of lost warriors before reaching the edge of the world.C.S. Lewis' 'The Chronicles of Narnia' series are some of my favourite literature from my childhood.
- DirectorMike MitchellStarsMike MyersCameron DiazEddie MurphyRumpelstiltskin tricks a mid-life crisis burdened Shrek into allowing himself to be erased from existence and cast in a dark alternate timeline where Rumpelstiltskin rules supreme.It is a well-known fact that 'Shrek' is based on the 1990 children's picture book of the same name by William Steig.
- DirectorDonovan MarshStarsJohn CleeseTroye SivanJamie RoyalIt's South Africa 1990. Two major events are about to happen: The release of Nelson Mandela and, more importantly, it's Spud Milton's first year at an elite boys only private boarding school.'Spud' is a 2005 novel by South African author, actor, playwright and producer, John van de Ruit.
- DirectorThor FreudenthalStarsZachary GordonRobert CapronRachael HarrisGreg Heffley is a 12 year old who is fresh out of elementary and transitions to middle school, where he has to learn the consequences and responsibility to survive the year.Based on the bestselling book in the illustrated novel series of the same title by Jeff Kinney.
- DirectorMichael WinterbottomStarsCasey AffleckKate HudsonJessica AlbaA West Texas Deputy Sheriff is slowly unmasked as a psychotic killer.'The Killer Inside Me' is a 1952 novel by American writer Jim Thompson. In the introduction to the anthology 'Crime Novels: American Noir of the 1950s', it is described as "one of the most blistering and uncompromising crime novels ever written."
- DirectorRichard BerryStarsJean RenoKad MeradJean-Pierre DarroussinA retired mobster goes on a revenge spree after being left for dead with 22 bullets in his body by his former childhood friend.This French gangster-action film directed by Richard Berry is based on the novel 'L'Immortel' (2007) by Franz-Olivier Giesbert.
- DirectorJon FavreauStarsRobert Downey Jr.Mickey RourkeGwyneth PaltrowWith the world now aware of his identity as Iron Man, Tony Stark must contend with both his declining health and a vengeful mad man with ties to his father's legacy.'Iron Man', who first appeared in 1963 in 'Tales of Suspense' no. 39. was created by writer and editor Stan Lee, his brother Larry Lieber, who scripted it, artist Don Heck, and Jack Kirby, who designed Iron Man's original armour.
- DirectorChris ColumbusStarsLogan LermanKevin McKiddSteve CooganA teenager discovers he's the descendant of a Greek god and sets out on an adventure to settle an on-going battle between the gods.Based on Rick Riordan's bestselling novel.
- DirectorLouis LeterrierStarsSam WorthingtonLiam NeesonRalph FiennesPerseus, a demigod and the son of Zeus, battles the minions of Hades and the Underworld in order to stop them from conquering Olympus and Earth.There are enough references to the Greek myth of Perseus to merit its inclusion here.
- DirectorDoug LimanStarsNaomi WattsSean PennSonya DavisonCIA operative Valerie Plame discovers her identity is allegedly leaked by the government as payback for an op-ed article her husband wrote criticizing the Bush administration.Rather interestingly, this film is based on two books: Valerie Plame Wilson's 2007 memoir 'Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House' and her husband Joseph's 2004 memoir 'The Politics of Truth: Inside the Lies that Led to War and Betrayed My Wife's CIA Identity: A Diplomat's Memoir'.
- DirectorLaurent JaouiStarsStéphane FreissAnouk GrinbergAgathe DronneA romantic, a scoundrel, a private man... The touching and absurd story of the philosopher Albert Camus as seen through they eyes of the many women in his life.Based on the biography 'Albert Camus: Une Vie' (1996) by Oliver Todd.
- DirectorLauren MontgomeryStarsAndre BraugherKevin ConroyTim DalyBatman discovers a mysterious teen-aged girl with super-human powers and a connection to Superman. When the girl comes to the attention of Darkseid, the evil overlord of Apokolips, events take a decidedly dangerous turn.Based on everyone's favourite graphic novels and comic books from D.C. Comics.
- DirectorSam LiuFrank PaurStarsRick D. WassermanLisa Ann BeleyMark HildrethThe Incredible Hulk, ejected from Earth in a spaceship, crash-lands on a planet ruled by a tyrant, who forces him to fight in a coliseum against other powerful creatures. The Hulk reluctantly befriends the combatants on his team.'Planet Hulk' was originally written by Greg Pak in 2006 for Marvel Comics.
- DirectorLuc BessonStarsMia FarrowRon CrawfordRobert StantonWith Maltazard now seven feet tall and Arthur still two inches small, our hero must find a way to grow back to his normal size and stop the Evil M once and for all, with the help of Selenia and Betameche.Based on the 'Arthur' series which are fantasy novels for children written by Luc Besson (who was also the director of this 2010 film version) and published from 2002 to 2005 in France, the United States and the United Kingdom.
- DirectorTim BurtonStarsMia WasikowskaJohnny DeppHelena Bonham CarterNineteen-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen's reign of terror.'Alice in Wonderland' is based on one of the most popular children's books of all time by Lewis Carroll.
- DirectorRyan MurphyStarsJulia RobertsJavier BardemRichard JenkinsA married woman realizes how unhappy her marriage really is, and that her life needs to go in a different direction. After a painful divorce, she takes off on a round-the-world journey to "find herself".This drama film starring Julia Roberts as Elizabeth Gilbert is based on Gilbert's 2006 memoir of the same name.
- DirectorHeidi EwingAlex GibneySeth GordonStarsJames RansoneTempestt BledsoeMorgan SpurlockA collection of documentaries that explores the hidden side of human nature through the use of the science of economics.'Freakonomics' (subtitled 'A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything') is the debut non-fiction book by Steven Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. Published on 2005, it has been described as "melding pop culture with economics" on Goodreads.com.
- DirectorOlli SaarelaStarsPeter FranzénIrina BjörklundSampo SarkolaDetective Sergeant Timo Harjunpää of the Helsinki Violent Crimes Unit is an honest and conscientious cop; one of the city's very best. He loses his daughter in tragic circumstances and is unable to recover from his loss despite the support he receives.This Finnish mystery film, directed by Olli Saarela, is based upon a novel by Matti Yrjänä Joensuu.
- DirectorKevin MunroeStarsBrandon RouthAníta BriemSam HuntingtonThe adventures of supernatural private investigator, Dylan Dog, who seeks out the monsters of the Louisiana bayou in his signature red shirt, black jacket, and blue jeans.Based on Tiziano Sclavi's Italian graphic novels called 'Dylan Dog'.
- DirectorRob LettermanStarsJack BlackEmily BluntJason SegelTravel writer Lemuel Gulliver takes an assignment in Bermuda but ends up on the island of Lilliput, where he towers over its tiny citizens.Jonathan Swift's 'Gulliver's Travels' needs no introduction as one of the most popular and important books ever published even though it was originally released in 1726!
- DirectorJay RoachStarsSteve CarellPaul RuddStephanie SzostakAfter he finds out that his work superiors host a dinner celebrating the idiocy of their special guests, a rising executive questions the merits of his invitation just as he befriends a man who would be the perfect guest.This one is more complicated. This film is said to be based on the French film called 'The Dinner Game' ('Le Dîner de Cons' in French, which literally means 'Dinner of Fools'), a 1998 French comedy film written and directed by Francis Veber and adapted from his play, also called 'Le Dîner de Cons'.
- DirectorBen KetaiStarsKiele SanchezRhys CoiroDiora BairdAfter surviving the incidents in Barrow, Alaska, Stella Oleson relocates to Los Angeles, where she intentionally attracts the attention of the local vampire population in order to avenge the death of her husband, Eben.This is the sequel to '30 Days of Night' (2007), which was based on a three-issue graphic novel of the same name, written by American comic book writer Steve Niles.
- DirectorJimmy HaywardStarsJosh BrolinMegan FoxJohn MalkovichThe U.S. military makes a scarred bounty hunter with warrants on his own head an offer he cannot refuse: in exchange for his freedom, he must stop a terrorist who is ready to unleash Hell on Earth.Jonah Woodson Hex is a fictional antihero first appearing in 'All-Star Western' by DC Comics in 1971. The character was created by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga.