Big production companies are always on the prowl for a thrilling story to take to the big screen. Read these four bestselling novels that have inspired a few of 2016’s most anticipated films.
"Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There"
In this 1871 classic by Lewis Carroll, Alice enters a new fantastical world by climbing through a mirror on the wall. The upcoming Disney film, "Alice Through the Looking Glass," recounts the adventures of Alice as she returns to Wonderland to embark on a time-traveling mission to save her friend, the Mad Hatter. The star-studded cast includes Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen, Mia Wasikowska and the late Alan Rickman. Set to be released May 27, the film is the sequel to the 2010 film "Alice in Wonderland," which is based on Carroll’s 1865 novel "Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland."
"Me Before You"
This 2012 romance novel by Jojo Moyes tells the story of Louisa Clark, an ordinary girl who takes a job working and caring for Will Traynor, a once successful and adventurous man who is now wheelchair bound. A tragic love story of two unlikely friends, the soon-to-be film stars Emilia Clarke, Sam Claflin and Matthew Lewis and is set to hit theaters on June 3.
"Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children"
The 2011 thriller and #1 New York Times bestseller by Ransom Riggs provides the reader with a truly captivating experience by mixing fantasy fiction with eerie vintage photographs. The novel explores the life of Jacob, a 16-year-old boy who discovers an abandoned orphanage and slowly unravels the strange mysteries behind its residents. The upcoming major motion picture is coming to theaters Sept. 30 and stars Eva Green, Asa Butterfield and Samuel L. Jackson.
"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"
Perhaps the most anticipated adaptation of all, this 2001 book by J.K. Rowling, under the pseudonym Newt Scamander, is about the enchanting creatures in the Harry Potter universe. The book itself is designed to be Potter’s copy of the textbook, written by Scamander 70 years before Potter reads it. Inspired by the magic and mystery of the book, the upcoming drama film explores the adventures of writer Scamander in the secret community of wizards and witches in New York.The film, the first of a new trilogy, will be released Nov. 18 and stars Eddie Redmayne, Colin Farrell and Ezra Miller.