From page to screen...something to read - and watch - this summer!
Thursday, June 09, 2016It's officially summer (I've been out in shorts and flip flops so it's official), and to mark this time of the year, I've been out in the sun reading. Excitingly, it's also the summer movie season so there's plenty to keep you occupied - if you're on your summer holidays you can do a book/film double whammy, or you can start reading the books if you're waiting for the film release. Here are my ones to watch (and read)...
Me Before You
Jojo Moyes's novel Me Before You is one of my favourite books ever - hands down. The film hit cinemas last week (wooooo!) and tells the story of how bumbly small-town girl Louisa meets disabled and cynical former banker Will, with their lives surprisingly intertwining, changing the other's for good. With a stellar cast including Emilia Clarke, Sam Claflin, Charles Dance, Jenna Coleman and even Joanna Lumley, it's an adaptation that's got screenplay from the author herself. It may seem like one to tick off as a summer rom-com, but it goes far deeper, not shying away from issues of disability and life and death, and underneath it all its a poignant love story. Warning: book or film, you will need tissues. I'd give you some, but I'm all out. Watch this space for my review very, very soon!
Check out this exclusive clip too:
Bridget Jones's Baby
Helen Fielding changed our lives with the superbly relatable novel Bridget Jones's Diary which then became one of my favourite film adaptations, starring the brilliant Renee Zellweger (and her brilliant British accent). Next, a sequel as good as the first followed (book and film-wise), and now there's a third film! At least they've deviated from Fielding's most recent installment Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (spoiler free: this is a good move), instead opting to use columns she wrote for The Independent. Although I'm psyched for the return of Bridget (with a cameo from Ed Sheeran), I'm not so psyched to hear that she's not with Colin Firth's Mark Darcy, and that there's a new man on the scene in the form of Patrick Dempsey. We'll have to find out who the baby daddy is in September! And no, there are no novel-enabled spoilers, soz. But you can read Mad About the Boy if you really have to...
The Legend of Tarzan
Did you know, Tarzan was first introduced in 1912? He's since become one of the most famous literary characters, and inspiration for many film adaptations including that fabulous Disney adaptation, a 2013 version starring Kellan Lutz that really didn't do that great, and an upcoming adaptation that looks bolder and darker than any of its predecessors. Alexander Skarsgard plays the main man, whose jungle days have been behind him for some time but must return to where it all began. Apparently Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps was considered initially! I'm happy they haven't just done another origins story, and I'm even happier the cast includes Margot Robbie, Samuel L. Jackson and Christoph Waltz! The Legend of Tarzan's UK release is 6th July.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Ok, so maybe you're one of the lucky ones with the golden ticket to see the play. This isn't technically a film (yet!), but J.K.Rowling will be releasing the script in print and digital anyway, so you can read the 8th and 9th installments of the wizarding world even if you haven't got your muggle hands on magical tickets. Harry Potter is much older and wiser now, struggling as an over-worked employee of the Ministry of Magic. It's a little weird to think the story actually continues past the drama of Deathly Hallows but let's face it, it's never really going to go away is it? You can pre-order your spell-binding copies now, available on 31st July 2016.The BFG
Aah, Roald Dahl! My childhood summers were spent going through the Dahl titles on my bookshelf again and again, and this summer I'm going to revisit it in time for the BFG film adaptation that's been in the works since I was a child! Get ready for a 3D experience with a perfectly-cast Mark Rylance as the titular character, with my buddy Steven Spielberg at the helm. It received rave reviews when it premiered at Cannes, and I'm looking forward to seeing newcomer Ruby Barnhill take on the role as Sophie (the girl we all wanted to be. Best mates with a giant? Yes please!). The BFG is released on 22nd July in the UK.Alice Through the Looking-Glass
You can still catch the latest adventures of Alice in cinemas now. I was never a huge fan of 2010's Alice in Wonderland, and the sentiment continued for the sequel. However, it's visually very cool, kooky and slick, and the cast lineup is one of the most impressive of the summer: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham-Carter, Anne Hathaway, Sacha Baron Cohen, Stephen Fry, and of course, the late great Alan Rickman. If that doesn't appeal, get your copies of Lewis Carroll's classics out and revisit one of the craziest adventures ever put down on paper.The Girl on the Train
You can read Paula Hawkins's bestseller and bookmark the film's release date in October (not exactly a summer film, but a summer trailer?!). It's the book everyone was buzzing about last year, dubbed "the next Gone Girl". This is actually the most recent book I've bought (an impulse buy from Sainsbury's no less), which I then proceeded to read in about 4 hours as it is the epitome of a 'page-turner'. The film adaptation of this psychological thriller stars Emily Blunt as the main character Rachel Watson, but I was disappointed to hear that they've changed the location to upstate New York instead of the UK. The trailer still gives me goosebumps and I'm intrigued to see how they translate this into a cinematic page-turner.There's a whole summer of blockbusters awaiting that I'm so excited to watch and review - Finding Dory, Independence Day 2, Star Trek 3, Ghostbusters, Jason Bourne, Suicide Squad, and let's not forget Sausage Party. It's going to be a busy next few months!
0 comments