10 movies based on best-selling books

Inspiration for a blockbuster movie can come from anywhere. Sometimes, the idea comes straight from the pages of a popular book. 

Transforming a book into a movie is a risk. Readers are very passionate about the characters and stories they love. This can lead them to be very protective of their favorite books. Seeing the story come to life on screen is sometimes a flop, but other times it’s a whopping success. 

Books across genres, from fantasy to thrillers, sci-fi epics to stories of romance have all been turned into movies over the years.  

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These movies below are just a few of the many that are based on books. 

1. “Harry Potter”
2. “The Hunger Games”
3. “The Shawshank Redemption”
4. “Pride & Prejudice”
5. “Forrest Gump”
6. “The Notebook”
7. “The Lord of the Rings”
8. “Gone Girl”
9. “The Devil Wears Prada”
10. “The Godfather”

1. “Harry Potter”

The “Harry Potter” film franchise is based on the best-selling novels by J.K. Rowling. There are seven books as part of the main series, which came out beginning in the late 1990s. 

The seven books are “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” 

Each of these books was made into a corresponding movie, except for the seventh and final book of the series, which was split into two parts. 

The books and movies have exploded in popularity, still bringing in new audiences year after year. 

Fans can further immerse themselves in the magical wizarding world by visiting one of the theme parks based on the franchise. Universal locations in California and Florida each have their own “Harry Potter” theme parks called The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. 

2. “The Hunger Games”

“The Hunger Games” started out as a trilogy created by author Suzanne Collins. After the books “The Hunger Games,” “Catching Fire” and “Mockingjay” came out between 2008 and 2010, movies were quickly released, beginning in 2012. 

All three books were made into movies, with Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark, Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket, the late Donald Sutherland as President Snow, Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy and Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne. 

In 2020, ten years following the last book of the trilogy, Collins put out a new novel “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” This book serves as a prequel to the popular trilogy, providing more backstory on President Snow and the early days of the games.  

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It didn’t take long for this prequel to be made into a movie too. “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” hit theaters in 2023.  

As it seems, Collins plans on continuing with prequels to the trilogy, with the newly announced book “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” planned for release in 2025. 

The events of this book will fall after those laid out in “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” but before the original trilogy. This book will tell the story of the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the year Haymitch, mentor to Katniss and Peeta, won the games. 

If you like this franchise, the “Divergent” books by Veronica Roth and the movies that were made are others worth giving a try, as they are both set in fictional dystopian societies. 

3. “The Shawshank Redemption”

The movie, “The Shawshank Redemption” is based on the 1982 Stephen King novella called “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption,” part of his collection called Different Seasons.  

This film is widely considered one of the best ever made. 

Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins both acted in “The Shawshank Redemption.”  (Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)

In 1994, a movie was released based on this story, starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins. The movie is about a man named Andy Dufresne (Robbins) who is falsely convicted of murdering his wife and her lover. 

He is sent to prison, where he meets Ellis Boyd ‘Red’ Redding (Freeman) and the two become friends. 

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“The Shawshank Redemption” was nominated for seven Oscar awards. 

4. “Pride & Prejudice”

“Pride & Prejudice” was published in 1813 by Jane Austen. This book is widely known as the most popular penned by the author. 

In 2005, a movie came out starring Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet, the story’s protagonist. 

The romance movie also stars Matthew MacFadyen, Brenda Blethyn and Sutherland.  

5. “Forrest Gump“

The “Forrest Gump” movie was inspired by the story written by Winston Groom. 

Of course, movies tend to add their own unique elements and changes from the book. While the story told in “Forrest Gump” the movie and book aren’t exactly the same, they do both include similar elements, like Gump’s low IQ and love for his childhood sweetheart Jenny. 

The 1994 “Forrest Gump” movie is based on a novel by Winston Groom. (Sunset Boulevard/Getty Images)

The book was published in 1986 and made into a movie in 1994. 

Tom Hanks plays Gump in the movie, while Robin Wright plays Jenny. 

6. “The Notebook”

There’s nothing better than a good love story. Beware, this one tugs on the heartstrings. 

“The Notebook” is a 1996 book by Nicholas Sparks. The book is about an elderly man named Noah who reads a story each day to a woman named Allie, who has dementia, while they are both living in a nursing home. 

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The story is of a young couple from different social classes, how they came to meet, the ups and downs of their at times turbulent relationship and the details of their love. As it turns out, this story is a lot closer to Noah and Allie than she thinks. 

This book was turned into a movie with Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling playing the young Allie and Noah. 

This is far from the only Sparks book that was turned into a film. Other popular works of his that have been displayed on screen are “A Walk to Remember,” “The Longest Ride,” “The Best of Me,” “The Choice,” “Safe Haven,” “Dear John,” “The Lucky One,” “The Last Song” and “Message in a Bottle.” 

7. “The Lord of the Rings”

“The Lord of the Rings” is one of the most popular franchises of all time. 

The fictional, mystical world created by J.R.R. Tolkien has been one successfully adapted to the screen. 

The core film trilogy, made up of “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” came out three consecutive years, starting in 2001. 

“The Lord of the Rings” franchise has continued to evolve, with more movies and a TV series.  (New Line/WireImage/Getty Images)

There were later three movies based on “The Hobbit” that came out, starting with “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” in 2012, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” in 2013 and “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” in 2014. 

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Even more recently, there have been new additions to the story, with the Amazon Prime TV show “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” The show comprises of two seasons, the first releasing in 2022. 

While the show is not based directly on a specific book, it instead takes place thousands of years before the events covered in the novels. 

8. “Gone Girl”

“Gone Girl” is a thriller that was published in 2012 by Gillian Flynn. 

The story is full of mystery, as a man is framed for his wife’s disappearance. 

The book was made into a movie in 2014, with Ben Affleck starring as Nicholas Dunne and Rosamund Pike playing Amy Dunne. 

9. “The Devil Wears Prada”

In 2003, Lauren Weisberger published “The Devil Wears Prada,” a story about a young professional earning herself a job as an assistant to a editor-in-chief of a popular fashion magazine. 

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It wasn’t long before the story was made for the screen, with a 2006 release. 

The Oscar-nominated movie stars Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and Adrian Grenier. 

10. “The Godfather” 

“The Godfather” film trilogy directed by Francis Ford Coppola wouldn’t have been possible without the work of Mario Puzo, who penned the books about the fictional Corleone family. 

The world was first introduced to the family in 1969, when Puzo published “The Godfather.” 

Marlon Brando’s performance in “The Godfather” is one he is widely remembered for.  (Paramount/Getty Images)

The first two movies about the mafia family were both Oscar winners. The first movie starring Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, among many others, came out in 1972 and won three Oscar awards. The second, which came out in 1974, won six. 

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“The Godfather Part III” came out in 1990. Although it didn’t win any Oscars like the first movies in the series, it was nominated for several.