7 Fantasies Novels that Gained Movie Adaptations

It is almost common knowledge, nowadays, that very popular series such as Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, and The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S Lewis, among others, have been adapted into remarkable movies and film series.

This list covers more amazing novels and series that have also been converted and need room to be gushed about. Included below are the movies’ ratings from trusted and widely used film critic media Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb (both of which everyone knows are almost impossible to please).

1) The Borrowers (Borrowers, #1) by Mary Norton

The movie The Borrowers (1998) was adapted from the novel of the same name by Mary Norton, receiving mixed ratings on popular review media like Rotten Tomatoes (73%) and IMDb (5.8/10). Norton’s novel was again later used as the basis for the Japanese animated film by renowned director, Hayao Miyazaki, The Secret World of Arrietty (2012), which gained 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.6/10 on IMDb.

The Borrowers is a novel about a family of little people (Arrietty and her parents, Pod and Homily) who ‘borrow’ whatever resources they need to live from the human ‘beans’ who live above them. They’re not only little, they’re teeny people about the size of wild insects! And they live in secret. When a human boy moves to his grandmother’s home in the countryside, he makes a remarkable discovery: There are tiny people living under the floorboards! However, Arrietty and her tiny family are on edge after being discovered by a human ‘bean’. Their cover blown, Arrietty fears what dangers are ahead of her family.

2) The Princess Bride by William Goldman

The movie The Princess Bride was adapted from William Goldman’s book of the same name in 1987. The movie was well-received and earned a rating of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and 8.1/10 on IMDb.

A novel set in 1942, in a fictional land named Florin, is a fairytale adventure following the romance of Buttercup, one of the world’s 20 most beautiful women, and her farm hand, Westley, as they are separated from one another again and again. As the prince of Florin, Prince Humperdinck, demands Buttercup’s hand in marriage, Buttercup’s life changes from one of depressed seclusion to one of danger, adventure, and the limitless quest for true love.

3) The Spiderwick Chronicles series by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

Earning an 80% rating from Rotten Tomatoes and 6.5/10 from IMDb, The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008) movie is based on the entire book series.

An adventure fantasy novel following the Grace twins, Simon and Jared, and their older sister Mallory Grace, brings an undiscovered world of fairies, goblins, dwarves, phookas, and more to life. The Grace children are sucked into a mystical of excitement and danger when they discover a secret library in their new home, the previously owned Spiderwick Estate, and in turn, become acquainted with an old and bitter brownie named Thimbletack. Ordinary becomes extraordinary when the angry brownie wreaks havoc on the Grace children who scramble to make everything right again. Throughout the series, the siblings continue to incite the ire of more fascinating creatures.

4) Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

From 1931 to the more modern 2010s, Frankenstein films have been made, earning various ratings from film critics and reaching wide audiences, based on Mary Shelley’s gothic fantasy horror classic of the same name, written in 1818.

Frankenstein, written in a series of letters, is about a man named Robert Walton who encounters a half-frozen man, Dr. Victor Frankenstein, while on a voyage to the North Pole. Welcoming Victor on board, Walton hears the tale of Victor’s obsession with finding the secret to life, for which he pieced together a being made of dead body parts, an endeavor that led to the creation of a terrifying monster.

5) Inkheart (Inkheart, #1) by Cornelia Funke

While this film earned only 38% from Rotten Tomatoes and 6.1/10 from IMDb, 90% of Google viewers enjoyed the movie which was adapted from the first novel (of the same name) in the Inkheart trilogy.

A young adult fantasy novel, Inkheart follows a young girl named Meggie and her quest to master a power she herself doesn’t understand. While reading aloud from a mysterious book named INKHEART, Mo, Meggie’s father, pulls an evil ruler from the book and into the real world. Her father captured, Meggie is now tasked with returning things to a state of equilibrium before her life spins further out of control.

6) The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

The popular trilogy by Suzanne Collins was adapted into a trio of movies each corresponding with a book in the series of the same name. The four movies (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay, a 2-part finale) earned a cumulative average rating of 78% from Rotten Tomatoes and 6.9/10 from IMDb.

The book series’ protagonist, Katniss Everdeen’s sister, is one day chosen to compete in the fatal tournament dubbed, Hunger Games. Capitol, the wealthy governing body of Panem, the series’ fictional country, instigates an annual fight to the death between the 12 impoverished Districts. One boy and one girl from the ages 12 to 18 are always chosen to compete. Braving the contest in her sister’s stead, Katniss is thrust into a world of danger, dominance, and corruption, fighting for her life in a cruel ‘game’.

7) The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1) by Rick Riordan

Much more enjoyed by viewers on Google (85%), Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Lightning Thief, loosely based on Rick Riordan’s first Percy Jackson novel of the same name, earned a 50% from Rotten Tomatoes and 5.9/10 on IMDb.

In the summer of his upcoming 7th grade year, Percy Jackson comes to the shocking discovery that he is a demigod. A real half-human half-god who now needs to be tucked away in a training camp for similar demigod kids. Learning more about himself, Percy is shocked to learn secrets of this godly world that he never thought he’d possess, including who his godly parents are. Though, before he can grasp anything fully, Percy, along with new companions, is thrust into a dangerous quest to retrieve the mighty Zeus’s stolen trident as hellhounds abound and the demigods’ paths.

Exciting books are always amazing to see as movies—if they’re done correctly. And many viewers of those in this list have branded these movies nearly as enjoyable as their printed counterparts!

Thinking of having a book-based movie night any time soon?