Books and Movies

Here's some new info on books that are being made into movies, from Shelfawareness:
Movies: Life of Pi; The Hobbit; The Help
Ang Lee is the latest name to be mentioned as a possible director for the film version of Yann Martel's Life of Pi. Thompson on Hollywood chronicled the lineup changes since the novel was acquired seven years ago by Fox 2000’s Elizabeth Gabler: "M. Night Shyamalan fell out. So did Alfonso Cuaron and Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Finally, it may get made thanks to Ang Lee--and 3-D."

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The on-again, off-again tale of a film version of Tolkien's The Hobbit is on. Warner Bros. has scheduled Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro’s two-part adaptation for December 2012 and December 2013 releases, according to the Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision blog, which noted that a "2013 is two years later than the 2011 release date that New Line and MGM targeted for the first installment when the two companies originally announced the movies in December 2007. However, 2011 proved not to be a realistic date and instead served more as a guideline, according to insiders, because when it was first announced, no scripts were written, nor schedules or budgets drawn up."

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Bryce Dallas Howard (The Village, Lady in the Water) has been added to a cast that includes Emma Stone and Viola Davis in the film adaptation of The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Shooting is scheduled to begin this July in Mississippi, Entertainment Weekly reported.

I'm not so sure on how Life of Pi will translate into a movie if you've already read the book, but I've been waiting for The Hobbit for what seems like forever. Two movies, though? Hope it doesn't feel bloated. The Help should make a great movie.

What books do you think would make great movies? Have made great movies?