50 Books That Were Made Into Movies or TV Shows

Have you ever wondered where filmmakers get a large portion of their ideas? Well, you are not alone in that thought. Certain filmmakers get some of their ideas and inspiration from books dating back to the 1800s. Filmmakers and tv show producers have looked to books for quite a while now, and almost every good movie and tv show comes from a book series. Authors such as Stephen King and J.R.R. Tolkien are behind some of the greatest films produced in Hollywood. 

One of the reasons filmmakers look to books for story ideas is that books are usually full of detailed information and are the best way to ingest a story, so what better way than to make some of these books come to life. Books that have turned into films or tv shows don't always work out as it comes down to both the writers and directors. But when these films work, they end up being a masterpiece; if you are interested in finding out which books have turned into tv shows or movies, you should check out the following 50 books. 

The Hobbit has been around since 1937 and is one of the most popular fantasy books in the past 100 years. J.R.R. Tolkein is the man behind the book and responsible for the world of Middle-Earth. Ever since Tolkien was a teenager, he started making the world of Middle-Earth and created a deep history of a made-up world.

The Harry Potter series is another book series that became blockbuster movies and is one of the most successful book to movie adaptations. The seven books were released over ten years, and all were by J.K. Rowling, who created the whole universe all by herself. The books are for children, but everyone enjoys them because of the engaging story and fantasy take on the world. 

The Lord of the Rings series is another creation of J.R.R. Tolkien and the sequel to The Hobbit. Tolkien again blew everyone's mind away as these three books were the pioneers of fantasy writing. Tolkien wrote the Lord of the Rings series because he felt that England didn't have any mythology and wanted to create stories that would fit its culture. 

Dune is a science fiction novel written by Frank Herbert in 1965 and is the first book out of the Dune saga. So many people loved the book that it won the Nebula Award for Best Novel. The story is set in the future and follows a teenager named Paul Atreides, that must lead his people through dangerous situations. 

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was written by C.S. Lewis and was released in 1950. This was the first book out of the seven series of The Chronicles of Narnia, which was written over six years. People over the years have enjoyed this series because it transports you to a land where mythical creatures and animals can talk. 

That is right, The Shining is based on a novel that was written by Stephen King, which had the same name. The book was written in 1977, which was only three years before Stanley Kubrick released the film. Stephen King has had so many of his books turned into movies, and tv shows that it is hard to keep count. 

The Green Mile is another Stephen King novel that has been turned into a movie and won a couple of film awards in the process. The book was released in 1996, which was only three years before Frank Darabont released the film. 

Band of Brothers is a novel based on the 101st Airborne unit written by Stephen E. Ambrose, who was one of the soldiers in the regiment. The book follows the team from when they land in Normandy to when they storm Hitler's Eagle Nest. The fantastic story that this man tells about the brave men he fought with is unbelievable, and why it was made into a tv series. 

The Great Gatsby is an American novel that has been around since 1925 and has been read by millions of people who find the book fascinating. The Great Gatsby was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, who wanted to create a story about the Jazz Age in America and was able to capture the period perfectly.

A Song of Fire and Ice is a fantasy novel series written by George R.R. Martin, who created a whole medieval fantasy world with multiple factions who must interact with each other. The first novel was called Game of Thrones, and there have been four books released after it. Martin plans on releasing seven books but hasn't been working on them recently. 

The Hunger Games is a novel series that is written by Suzanne Collins and is about a dystopian world where different regions have to fight one another to survive. The trilogy was written over two years, first released in 2008. These books were the top sellers in America when they were released and was why filmmakers started thinking of ideas for a film.

Patriot Games is a book that was written by Tom Clancy, who was famous for writing thriller-type novels. The book was released in 1987 and is another novel that follows the story of Jack Ryan, who would become one of Clancy's most famous characters. Clancy's books were always about foreign espionage and wild chances that would always leave you on the edge of your seat. 

The Hunt for Red October is another Tom Clancy classic novel that was so good that filmmakers wanted to make an adaptation. The book was published in 1984 and followed the story of a Soviet submarine that has Russia's latest missiles, and the commander of the submarine decides to defect to the American side. This is another story that involves Jack Ryan, who is responsible for contacting the Soviet commander. 

Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption is a short story novel that was written by Stephen King and was published in 1982. The story is about a man named Andy Dufresne who escapes prison and has the help of Rita Hayworth's poster to cover his escape. There were a few people who heard of the novel, one of them was Frank Darabont, who was looking to make the short story into a movie. 

The Body is another short story novel written by Stephen King and is part of his collection named Different Seasons. The book was published in 1982, and of course, it was made into a film just a couple of years later. The relationship that King has with Hollywood is unique, and it has been working out for the two for years now. 

Clear and Present Danger was written by Tom Clancy and is a political thriller that involves Clancy's favorite character Jack Ryan. The book was published in 1989 and is the sequel to The Cardinal of the Kremlin, in the Jack Ryan series. All of Tom Clancy's books are intense, and his attention to detail is outstanding. 

Not too many people know that Jaws was actually a novel before it became one of the most popular movies in the world. Peter Benchley wrote Jaws because he was fascinated with sharks since he was a young boy and thought a thriller about these creatures would be perfect for writing about. He published the book in 1974 and got the attention of Steven Spielberg. 

This is another film that nobody ever thought would have come from a book, but Jurassic Park is a sci-fi book that was written by Michael Crichton, who published the book in 1990. Jurassic Park was part of a two-part series that was later combined and named Jurassic World. The story is about an amusement park that has real-life dinosaurs who end up breaking out and reak havoc. 

The Godfather was written by Mario Puzo in 1969 and is labeled one of the best Mafia books ever written. The story follows a crime family located in New York City and goes through the crazy things they have to do to keep the business running smoothly. There are five books in The Godfather series that detail how these families would operate. 

Alice's Adventures In Wonderland is one of the oldest books on this list that has been made into a film. The book was written by Lewis Carroll, who intended the novel to be read by children. Amazingly, people fell in love with the story over the years and would read it to all of their children. 

This is another film that not too many people know was a novel before it became a comedy film. Crazy Rich Asians was written by Kevin Kwan, who published the book in 2013. Kwan's intention for writing this book is that he wanted people to see the funny side of North American Asians that people rarely see. 

Of course, Fight Club was a novel before it became a movie; there is just too much information in this film for it to have not been. Fight Club was written by Chuck Palahniuk in 1996 and is about a man that is suffering from insomnia. Several twists and turns are located throughout the book, which makes it pretty interesting. 

Everyone should know the novel To Kill A Mockingbird as every school made you read it for class. Harper Lee wrote the book in 1960, which was the perfect time for this book to come out as there was a lot of racial tension in America. The story is about racial inequality in America and became an instant hit once it was released as the story was powerful. 

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was written by L. Frank Baum in 1900 since then, this book has become very popular in the United States, and when it was first released, it sold out immediately. Everyone enjoyed this book because it was about a fantasy world that no one ever thought about, and the story behind it was captivating. 

The oldest book on the list is Sense and Sensibility, which was written by Jane Austen in 1811. The story is about three women that end up in a predicament that leaves them looking for a new home to live in. The story was quite different from other novels at the time, which made it stand out.

Many people's favorite American films were a book before it was ever thought of as a film, and Forrest Gump is no different. Forrest Gump was written by Winston Groom in 1986 and is about a famous man that did almost everything in America. Once Robert Zemeckis read the book, he knew that it would be a film that everyone would love, and boy was he right. 

The Princess Bride was written by William Goldman in 1973 and is a fantasy romance novel that ended up becoming a famous film during the 80s. The book became pretty popular as it had a touch of comedy, romance, fantasy, and drama. It didn't take long for a director to want to make this book into a great film.

Hidden Figures was written by Margot Lee Shetterly in 2016 as she wanted to capture the lives of several African-American women that helped NASA with calculations for the space program to send men to the moon. The book ended up being a New York Times Best Seller as the story behind these women was eye-opening and fascinating. 

Schindler's Ark, also known as Schindler's List, was written in 1982 by Thomas Keneally. Keneally heard the story from one of the survivors of Schindler's List, who wanted the story of Oskar Schindler to be heard by everyone. Schindler saved hundreds of Jewish people during World War II by having them work in his factory to avoid the camps. 

Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family was written by Nicholas Pileggi in 1985 and followed the life of Henry Hill, who is notorious for being an informant for the police. It was a true account of Hill's life when he was in the Mafia and the insane things he had to do. 

Not too many people know that No Country For Old Men was a novel before it came out in the theaters, and that probably is the reason why it ended up doing so well in the theaters. Cormac McCarthy wrote the book in 2005, and the intention was for the story to later be turned into a film since he wrote it in a screenplay format. 

This tv show adaptation took people by surprise since most tv shows didn't come from books during the 60s, but MASH was a novel before it became one of the most popular tv shows in America. MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors was written by Richard Hooker in 1968. The novel is full of jokes and funny skits that director Robert Altman thought would make a perfect tv show. 

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest was written by Ken Kesey in 1962 and is about a patient at an Oregon psychiatric hospital. Many people have labeled this novel to be the best that has ever been written and has been read worldwide by millions. The book was first turned into a Broadway show that was very successful, and in 1975, director Milos Forman released the film in theaters. 

The Silence of the Lambs was written by Thomas Harris in 1988 and is the second installment of Red Dragon, which follows the life of Hannibal Lecter. This psychological horror is unique in every way and the reason why director Jonathan Demme wanted to make this novel into a film. 

Many people know of the film American Psycho, a disturbing movie about a bank investor who fantasizes about becoming a serial killer. What people don't know about the film is that it was a novel before and was written by Bret Easton Ellis in 1991. 

Probably the most popular book on the list, Gone With the Wind was written by Margaret Mitchell in 1936 and has been a favorite among book readers all over America. This book became so popular and sold so many copies that Mitchell was given the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

The Notebook was actually a novel before it was turned into a movie, and that wasn't a surprise since the book was so great. Nicholas Sparks wrote The Notebook in 1996, a romantic novel that follows the story of two lovers. 

Memoirs of a Geisha is a novel that was written by Arthur Golden in 1997. Golden wanted to write a book about the struggles of the geisha girls in Japan before, during, and after World War II. Although the story is fiction, the setting is historical and accurate to what geisha women were dealing with. 

The Da Vinci Code was written by Dan Brown, who is famous for writing mystery thriller novels. The book was published in 2003 and is the second installment in the series. The story follows a man by the name of Robert Langdon who is trying to solve one of the world's biggest mysteries, and there are several organizations that don't want him to find anything out. 

Another great novel that was turned into a movie is Gone Girl, which was written by Gillian Flynn and was published in 2012. This crime novel is about a woman that is trying to frame her husband for her disappearance. There are a lot of twists and turns, which makes it a perfect candidate for a film adaptation. 

The Last of the Mohicans is one of the oldest books on the list that has been converted into a film. The narrative novel was written in 1826 by James Fenimore Cooper and described the struggle of the Mohican Native American tribe that was involved in the French and Indian War that was raging on in the Americas. 

The Twilight Saga is one of the most significant novel series to come out within the last 20 years. The Twilight Saga was written by Stephenie Meyer, who wrote all the novels from 2005 to 2008. These novels had a considerable following, and girls seemed to love them more than anything else. There was a lot of talk in Hollywood about who would make these novels into movies. 

Holes was a trendy book during the late 90s and was read in schools all over America. Holes was written by Louis Sachar in 1998 and ended up being a masterpiece that many people have shared. The story follows the life of Stanley Yelnats, who is sent to a Texas correctional boot camp. 

The Outsiders is another excellent novel that was turned into a film; the novel was written by S.E. Hinton in 1967 and has been read by high schoolers ever since its release. The story is about a group of greasers who have trouble getting along with the rest of society and get into a challenging situation. 

1984 is a trendy novel that was written by George Orwell and was published in 1949. What makes this novel extremely popular is Orwell somewhat predicted what is going on in the modern world with censorship and control. Many people around the world are afraid that the dystopian world that Orwell writes about eventually is what will happen in real life; hopefully, this isn't the case.

Interview With The Vampire was written by Anne Rice in 1976. The novel is about an ancient vampire that has lived for hundreds of years that tells his story to a news reporter. The book had a big following as the vampire subject started becoming a trend during the 70s. 

Frankenstein is another classic novel that eventually was turned into a movie when movies started getting easier to make. Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley in 1818 and has been a favorite among readers for hundreds of years. This was one of the first horror novels that were written during that time and changed the way horror novels were written. 

The War of the Worlds is a science fiction novel that was written by H.G. Wells and was published in 1897. Wells is considered one of the pioneers of science fiction novels as he was one of the few thinking this way during the early 1900s. The book is about an alien race that is looking to destroy humanity, and this was something that was never thought about until humans started learning more about space.

Dracula is another old novel that was written in 1897 by Bram Stoker that was turned into a movie. The book is about a vampire named Dracula who lives in a Transylvania castle. Stoker was a big fan of Transylvanian folklore and studied it for several years before he wrote the novel. 

Last but not least is the Bourne Trilogy which was written by Robert Ludlum, who started the series in 1980 and finished in 1990. The three books are about an American spy named Jason Bourne who deals with the utmost secret espionage missions.