For book lovers, book to movie adaptations are always a source of both excitement and fear. This summer will either prove to be a great opportunity for book movie enthusiasts or a period of intense disappointment.
The book movie that I’m most excited about this summer is Baz Luhrmann’s interpretation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby.” It’s clear that this movie is going to be a wild version of the classic story and the soundtrack will be featuring many modern musicians. While my traditionalist soul did not approve of Luhrmann’s “Romeo and Juliet,” I’m still holding out hope for “Gatsby.” The wild parties that fill so much of Fitzgerald’s story definitely lends itself to a high-energy and spectacular feat of filmography.
In July, The second Percy Jackson book “Sea of Monsters” will be in theaters. The first book of author Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series was less than impressive for fans of the series, though many are hoping for redemption in “Sea of Monsters.” After seeing the trailer, I’m on the fence about this second movie.
Towards the end of summer, a new version of Shakespeare’s comedy “Much Ado About Nothing” by Joss Whedon. He filmed the adaptation during a break from working on “The Avengers” and while it uses Shakespeare’s original text, it takes place in modern day Los Angeles. As the mastermind behind “Firefly,” “Buffy,” “Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” and “The Avengers” of course, I feel certain that he can definitely pull off a really cool version of the play.