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Top 100 Best Movies Based on Books

What are the best movies based on books? Books and Novels draws a huge attention of movies and cinema. Since the beginning of the Academy Awards (1929) we have seen that the major awards (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Screenplay) winning movies are often adapted or inspired from popular novels. In fact several highest grossing movies such as The Lord of the Rings Series, James Bond Series and Harry Potter series are also framed from the best selling novels to the big screen.

There are two plus side of adapting a popular novel into a movie – One, that you already get a fully baked story with characters and themes. Secondly, as the novel is popular so you already get a much needed buzz about the film. However, what seems to be plus side can also turn into the downside of the film. While the novel has all the themes and plot exposed to the fans it gets very hard to get grip on all the themes and emotions in a much shorter screenplay. The novel focuses on characters and emotions in a broad manner while for a screenplay one have to keep things to the point without losing the touch and theme of novel.

Dozens of films are adapted from novels each year but not every film is considered to have done justice with the film. Sometimes even the author criticize the film for poor adaption. Remember How Stephen King disliked his adaption of ‘The Shining’ and ‘The Shawshank Redemption’. We have here chosen 100 finest movies based on books that not only justified the story and theme of the novel but also become blockbuster and major award winners.

Here is the list of 100 greatest movies based on books:

Contents

100. Double Indemnity


movies based on books
Director – Billy Wilder
Cast – Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Porter Hall, Edward G. Robinson, Jean Heather, Richard Gaines, Byron Barr
IMDB Rating – 8.3
Rotten Tomatoes –
Release Date – 24 April 1944
Box Office – $5 million
Genre – Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
Awards – None
Plot –

99. The Secret In Their Eyes


movies based on books
Director – Juan José Campanella
Cast – Ricardo Darín, Pablo Rago, Soledad Villamil, Guillermo Francella, Javier Godino
IMDB Rating – 8.2
Rotten Tomatoes – 91%
Release Date – 13 August 2009
Box Office – $34 million
Genre – Drama, Mystery, Romance
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

98. Metropolis


movies based on books
Director – Fritz Lang
Cast – Alfred Abel, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Brigitte Helm, Gustav Fröhlich
IMDB Rating – 8.3
Rotten Tomatoes –
Release Date – 10 January 1927
Box Office – $1 Million
Genre – Drama, Sci-Fi
Awards – None
Plot –

97. Spartacus


movies based on books
Director – Stanley Kubrick
Cast – Peter Ustinov, Jean Simmons, Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Charles Laughton, Tony Curtis, John Gavin
IMDB Rating – 7.9
Rotten Tomatoes – 95%
Release Date – 6 October 1960
Box Office – $60 million
Genre – Adventure, Biography, Drama
Awards – Won 4 Oscars
Plot –

96. The Maltese Falcon


movies based on books
Director – John Huston
Cast – Mary Astor, Humphrey Bogart, Gladys George, Barton MacLane, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, Lee Patrick
IMDB Rating – 8
Rotten Tomatoes – 100%
Release Date – 3 October 1941
Box Office – $1,772,000
Genre – Film-Noir, Mystery
Awards – None
Plot –

95. Cape Fear


movies based on books
Director – Martin Scorsese
Cast – Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Juliette Lewis, Gregory Peck, Jessica Lange, Robert Mitchum, Joe Don Baker
IMDB Rating – 7.3
Rotten Tomatoes – 75%
Release Date – 13 November 1991
Box Office – $182.3 million
Genre – Crime, Thriller
Awards – None
Plot –

94. Memoirs of a Geisha


movies based on books
Director – Rob Marshall
Cast – Zhang Ziyi, Gong Li, Ken Watanabe, Youki Kudoh, Michelle Yeoh, Samantha Futerman, Suzuka Ohgo
IMDB Rating – 7.4
Rotten Tomatoes – 35%
Release Date – 29 November 2005
Box Office – $162.2 million
Genre – Drama, Romance
Awards – Won 3 Oscars
Plot –

93. Primal Fear


movies based on books
Director – Gregory Hoblit
Cast – Edward Norton, Richard Gere, John Mahoney, Laura Linney, Frances McDormand, Alfre Woodard
IMDB Rating – 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes – 75%
Release Date – 3 April 1996
Box Office – $102.6 million
Genre – Crime, Drama, Mystery
Awards – None
Plot –

92. Carrie


movies based on books
Director – Brian De Palma
Cast – Piper Laurie, John Travolta, Sissy Spacek
IMDB Rating – 7.4
Rotten Tomatoes – 94%
Release Date – 3 November 1976
Box Office – $33.8 million
Genre – Horror
Awards – None
Plot –

91. JFK


movies based on books
Director – Oliver Stone
Cast – Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Costner, Kevin Bacon, Gary Oldman, Laurie Metcalf, Michael Rooker, Jay O. Sanders
IMDB Rating – 8
Rotten Tomatoes –
Release Date – December 20, 1991
Box Office – $205.4 million
Genre – Drama, History, Thriller
Awards – Won 2 Oscars
Plot –

90. Breakfast at Tiffany’s


movies based on books
Director – Blake Edwards
Cast – Patricia Neal, George Peppard, Audrey Hepburn, Mickey Rooney, Martin Balsam, Buddy Ebsen
IMDB Rating – 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes – 88%
Release Date – 5 October 1961
Box Office – $14 million
Genre – Comedy, Drama, Romance
Awards – Won 2 Oscars
Plot –

89. Cool Hand Luke


movies based on books
Director – Stuart Rosenberg
Cast – J. D. Cannon, Paul Newman, George Kennedy, Lou Antonio, Strother Martin, Jo Van Fleet
IMDB Rating – 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 100%
Release Date – 1 November 1967
Box Office – $16.2 million
Genre – Crime, Drama
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

88. 3 Idiots


movies based on books
Director – Rajkumar Hirani
Cast – R. Madhavan, Aamir Khan, Sharman Joshi, Boman Irani, Omi Vaidya, Kareena Kapoor
IMDB Rating – 8.4
Rotten Tomatoes – 100%
Release Date – 25 December 2009
Box Office – ₹460 crore
Genre – Comedy, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

87. The Bridge on River Kwaii


movies based on books
Director – David Lean
Cast – Jack Hawkins, William Holden, Alec Guinness
IMDB Rating – 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 95%
Release Date – 2 October 1957
Box Office – $30.6 million
Genre – Adventure, Drama, War
Awards – Won 7 Oscars
Plot –

86. Misery


movies based on books
Director – Rob Reiner
Cast – Kathy Bates, James Caan
IMDB Rating – 7.8
Rotten Tomatoes – 90%
Release Date – 29 November 1990
Box Office – $61.3 million
Genre – Drama, Thriller
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

85. Warm Bodies


movies based on books
Director – Jonathan Levine
Cast – Teresa Palmer, Nicholas Hoult, Dave Franco, Rob Corddry, Cory Hardrict, Analeigh Tipton, John Malkovich
IMDB Rating – 6.9
Rotten Tomatoes – 82%
Release Date – 14 March 2013
Box Office – $117 million
Genre – Comedy, Horror, Romance
Awards – None
Plot –

84. Das Boot


movies based on books
Director – Wolfgang Petersen
Cast – Jürgen Prochnow, Klaus Wennemann, Herbert Grönemeyer
IMDB Rating – 8.3
Rotten Tomatoes – 98%
Release Date – 17 September 1981
Box Office – $84.9 million
Genre – Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Awards – None
Plot –

83. The Hunt for Red October


movies based on books
Director – John McTiernan
Cast – Scott Glenn, Sam Neill, Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin
IMDB Rating – 7.6
Rotten Tomatoes – 89%
Release Date – 2 March 1990
Box Office – $200.5 million
Genre – Action, Adventure, Thriller
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

82. Ben-Hur


movies based on books
Director – William Wyler
Cast – Charlton Heston, Haya Harareet, Jack Hawkins, Hugh Griffith, Stephen Boyd, Sam Jaffe, Martha Scott
IMDB Rating – 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 86%
Release Date – 18 November 1959
Box Office – $146.9 million
Genre – Adventure, Drama, History
Awards – Won 11 Oscars
Plot –

81. Dracula (1992)


movies based on books
Director – Francis Ford Coppola
Cast – Keanu Reeves, Gary Oldman, Anthony Hopkins, Winona Ryder
IMDB Rating – 7.4
Rotten Tomatoes – 73%
Release Date – 10 November 1992
Box Office – $215.9 million
Genre – Horror
Awards – Won 3 Oscars
Plot –

80. Battle Royale


movies based on books
Director – Kinji Fukasaku, Kenta Fukasaku
Cast – Takeshi Kitano, Tatsuya Fujiwara, Masanobu Andō, Aki Maeda, Tarō Yamamoto, Chiaki Kuriyama, Kou Shibasaki
IMDB Rating – 7.6
Rotten Tomatoes –
Release Date – December 16, 2000
Box Office – $30 million
Genre – Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
Awards – None
Plot –

79. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas


movies based on books
Director – Terry Gilliam
Cast – Benicio del Toro, Johnny Depp
IMDB Rating – 7.6
Rotten Tomatoes –
Release Date – 19 May 1998
Box Office – $13.7 million
Genre – Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

78. The Mist


movies based on books
Director – Frank Darabont
Cast – Marcia Gay Harden, Thomas Jane, Andre Braugher, Laurie Holden, William Sadler, Toby Jones
IMDB Rating – 7.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 72%
Release Date – 21 November 2007
Box Office – $57.3 million
Genre – Horror, Sci-Fi
Awards – None
Plot –

77. Stardust


movies based on books
Director – Matthew Vaughn
Cast – Jason Flemyng, Claire Danes, Sienna Miller, Charlie Cox, Mark Strong, Ricky Gervais, Robert De Niro
IMDB Rating – 7.6
Rotten Tomatoes – 76%
Release Date – 29 July 2007
Box Office – $137 million
Genre – Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Awards – None
Plot –

76. The Graduate


movies based on books
Director – Mike Nicholls
Cast – Katharine Ross, Anne Bancroft, Dustin Hoffman
IMDB Rating – 8
Rotten Tomatoes – 88%
Release Date – 21 December 1967
Box Office – $85 million
Genre – Comedy, Drama, Romance
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

75. Once Upon a Time in America


movies based on books
Director – Sergio Leone
Cast – James Woods, Robert De Niro, Elizabeth McGovern, Burt Young, Treat Williams, Tuesday Weld
IMDB Rating – 8.4
Rotten Tomatoes – 86%
Release Date – 17 February 1984
Box Office – $5.3 million
Genre – Crime, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

74. Scent of a Woman


movies based on books
Director – Martin Brest
Cast – Chris O’Donnell, Al Pacino
IMDB Rating – 8
Rotten Tomatoes – 88%
Release Date – 23 December 1992
Box Office – $134.1 million
Genre – Drama
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

73. Gone Baby Gone


movies based on books
Director – Ben Affleck
Cast – Casey Affleck, Morgan Freeman, Michelle Monaghan, John Ashton, Amy Madigan, Ed Harris, Amy Ryan
IMDB Rating – 7.6
Rotten Tomatoes – 94%
Release Date – 19 September 2007
Box Office – $34.6 million
Genre – Crime, Drama, Mystery
Awards – None
Plot –

72. Let the Right One in


movies based on books
Director – Tomas Alfredson
Cast – Per Ragnar, Lina Leandersson, Kåre Hedebrant, Peter Carlberg, Ika Nord
IMDB Rating – 7.9
Rotten Tomatoes – 98%
Release Date – 24 October 2008
Box Office – $11.2 million
Genre – Drama, Horror, Romance
Awards – None
Plot –

71. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World


movies based on books
Director – Peter Weir
Cast – Paul Bettany, Edward Woodall, Russell Crowe, Chris Larkin, James D’Arcy, Billy Boyd
IMDB Rating – 7.4
Rotten Tomatoes – 85%
Release Date – 14 November 2003
Box Office – $212 million
Genre – Action, Adventure, Drama
Awards – Won 2 Oscars
Plot –

70. Pride & Prejudice (2004)


movies based on books
Director – Gurinder Chadha
Cast – Anupam Kher, Aishwarya Rai, Nadira Babbar, Daniel Gillies, Martin Henderson, Indira Varma, Naveen Andrews
IMDB Rating – 6.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 64%
Release Date – 8 October 2004
Box Office – $24.7 million
Genre – Comedy, Drama, Musical
Awards – None
Plot –

69. The Untouchables


movies based on books
Director – Brian De Palma
Cast – Charles Martin Smith, Robert De Niro, Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Andy García
IMDB Rating – 7.9
Rotten Tomatoes – 81%
Release Date – 2 June 1987
Box Office – $106.2 million
Genre – Crime, Drama, Thriller
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

68. Raging Bull


movies based on books
Director – Martin Scorsese
Cast – Robert De Niro
IMDB Rating – 8.2
Rotten Tomatoes – 96%
Release Date – 14 November 1980
Box Office – $23.4 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Sport
Awards – Won 2 Oscars
Plot –

67. Vertigo


movies based on books
Director – Alfred Hitchcock
Cast – Tom Helmore, Henry Jones, James Stewart, Barbara Bel Geddes, Kim Novak
IMDB Rating – 8.3
Rotten Tomatoes – 96%
Release Date – 9 May 1958
Box Office – $7.3 million
Genre – Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Awards – None
Plot –

66. Casino


movies based on books
Director – Martin Scorsese
Cast – Sharon Stone, Robert De Niro, Don Rickles, Joe Pesci, James Woods, Kevin Pollak
IMDB Rating – 8.2
Rotten Tomatoes – 79%
Release Date – 22 November 1995
Box Office – $116.1 million
Genre – Crime, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

65. The Da Vinci Code


movies based on books
Director – Ron Howard
Cast – Tom Hanks, Ian McKellen, Audrey Tautou, Jean Reno Jürgen Prochnow, Paul Bettany
IMDB Rating – 6.6
Rotten Tomatoes – 25%
Release Date – 18 May 2006
Box Office – $758.2 million
Genre – Mystery, Thriller
Awards – None
Plot –

64. The Chronicles of Narnia Series


movies based on books
Director – Andrew Adamson
Cast – William Moseley, James McAvoy, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley, Tilda Swinton, Anna Popplewell, Jim Broadbent
IMDB Rating – 6.9
Rotten Tomatoes – 76%
Release Date – 9 December 2005
Box Office – $745 million
Genre – Mystery, Thriller
Awards – None
Plot –

63. The Ring


movies based on books
Director – Gore Verbinski
Cast – Brian Cox, Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson
IMDB Rating – 7.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 71%
Release Date – 7 February 2003
Box Office – $249.3 million
Genre – Horror, Mystery
Awards – None
Plot –

62. Les Miserables


movies based on books
Director – Tom Hooper
Cast – Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, Helena Bonham Carter
IMDB Rating – 7.6
Rotten Tomatoes – 69%
Release Date – 18 January 2013
Box Office – $441.8 million[
Genre – Drama, History, Musical
Awards – Won 3 Oscars
Plot –

61. Cloud Atlas


movies based on books
Director – Tom Tykwer, Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski
Cast – Halle Berry, Tom Hanks, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Doona Bae, Jim Sturgess, Ben Whishaw, Zhou Xun
Keith David
IMDB Rating – 7.4
Rotten Tomatoes – 66%
Release Date – 26 October 2012
Box Office – $130.5 million
Genre – Action, Drama, Mystery
Awards – None
Plot –

60. Alice in Wonderland


movies based on books
Director – Tim Burton
Cast – Matt Lucas, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Johnny Depp, Crispin Glover, Stephen Fry Alan Rickman
IMDB Rating – 6.4
Rotten Tomatoes – 51%
Release Date – 25 February 2010
Box Office – $1.025 billion
Genre – Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Awards – Won 2 Oscars
Plot –

59. Rosemary’s Baby


movies based on books
Director – Roman Polanski
Cast – Mia Farrow, Ruth Gordon, John Cassavetes, Maurice Evans, Ralph Bellamy, Sidney Blackmer
IMDB Rating – 8
Rotten Tomatoes – 99%
Release Date – 12 June 1968
Box Office – $33.4 million
Genre – Drama, Horror
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

58. The Perks of Being a Wallflower


movies based on books
Director – Stephen Chbosky
Cast – Mae Whitman, Emma Watson, Dylan McDermott, Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller, Kate Walsh
IMDB Rating – 8
Rotten Tomatoes – 86%
Release Date – September 8, 2012
Box Office – $33.4 million
Genre – Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

57. Dr. Strangelove


movies based on books
Director – Stanley Kubrick
Cast – George C. Scott, Keenan Wynn, Peter Sellers, Sterling Hayden, Slim Pickens
IMDB Rating – 8.4
Rotten Tomatoes – 98%
Release Date – 29 January 1964
Box Office – $9.4 million
Genre – Comedy
Awards – None
Plot –

56. War of the Worlds


movies based on books
Director – Steven Spielberg
Cast – Justin Chatwin, Tom Cruise, Tim Robbins, Dakota Fanning, Miranda Otto
IMDB Rating – 6.5
Rotten Tomatoes – 75%
Release Date – 28 June 2005
Box Office – $591.7 million
Genre – Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Awards – None
Plot –

55. World War Z


movies based on books
Director – Marc Forster
Cast – James Badge Dale, Mireille Enos, Brad Pitt, Matthew Fox
IMDB Rating – 7
Rotten Tomatoes – 66%
Release Date – June 21, 2013
Box Office – $540 million
Genre – Action, Adventure, Horror
Awards – None
Plot –

54. Limitless


movies based on books
Director – Neil Burger
Cast –
Andrew Howard, Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Abbie Cornish
IMDB Rating – 7.4
Rotten Tomatoes – 69%
Release Date – March 8, 2011
Box Office – $161.8 million
Genre – Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Awards – None
Plot –

53. Stand By Me


movies based on books
Director – Rob Reiner
Cast –
Corey Feldman, Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Jerry O’ConnellCasey Siemaszko, Kiefer Sutherland
IMDB Rating – 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 91%
Release Date – 8 August 1986
Box Office – $52.3 million
Genre – Adventure, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

52. It’s a Wonderful Life


movies based on books
Director – Frank Capra
Cast – Thomas Mitchell, Beulah Bondi, Donna Reed, James Stewart, Lionel Barrymore, Henry Travers
IMDB Rating – 8.6
Rotten Tomatoes – 93%
Release Date – 20 December 1946
Box Office – $3.3 million
Genre – Drama, Family, Fantasy
Awards – None
Plot –

51. I Robot


movies based on books
Director – Alex Proyas
Cast – Bridget Moynahan, Will Smith, Chi McBride, James Cromwell, Bruce Greenwood
IMDB Rating – 7.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 56%
Release Date – July 7, 2004
Box Office – $347.2 million
Genre – Action, Crime, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

50. American Psycho


movies based on books
Director – Mary Harron
Cast – Josh Lucas, Christian Bale, Jared Leto, Chloë Sevigny, Bill Sage, Willem Dafoe, Samantha Mathis
IMDB Rating – 7.6
Rotten Tomatoes – 68%
Release Date – 14 April 2000
Box Office – $34.3 million
Genre – Crime, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

49. I Am Legend


movies based on books
Director – Francis Lawrence
Cast – Dash Mihok, Alice Braga, Will Smith
IMDB Rating – 7.2
Rotten Tomatoes – 68%
Release Date – 5 December 2007
Box Office – $585.3 million
Genre – Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Awards – None
Plot –

48. Black Hawk Down


movies based on books
Director – Ridley Scott
Cast – Ewan McGregor, William Fichtner, Josh Hartnett, Tom Sizemore, Eric Bana
IMDB Rating – 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes – 76%
Release Date – December 28, 2001
Box Office – Drama, History, War
Genre – Won 2 Oscars
Awards –
Plot –

47. The Girl With Dragon Tattoo


movies based on books
Director – David Fincher
Cast – Rooney Mara, Steven Berkoff, Robin Wright, Daniel Craig, Stellan Skarsgård, Christopher Plummer
IMDB Rating – 7.8
Rotten Tomatoes – 86%
Release Date – 12 December 2011
Box Office – $232.6 million
Genre – Crime, Drama, Mystery
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

46. Big Fish


movies based on books
Director – Tim Burton
Cast – Albert Finney, Helena Bonham Carter, Ewan McGregor, Jessica Lange, Alison Lohman, Billy Crudup
IMDB Rating – 8
Rotten Tomatoes – 75%
Release Date – December 4, 2003
Box Office – $122.9 million
Genre – Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Awards – None
Plot –

45. Mystic River


movies based on books
Director – Clint Eastwood
Cast – Kevin Bacon, Sean Penn, Marcia Gay Harden, Tim Robbins, Laurence Fishburne
IMDB Rating – 7.9
Rotten Tomatoes – 88%
Release Date – 3 October 2003
Box Office – $156.8 million
Genre – Crime, Drama, Mystery
Awards – Won 2 Oscars
Plot –

44. There Will Be Blood


movies based on books
Director – Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast – Paul Dano, Ciarán Hinds, Daniel Day-Lewis, Kevin J. O’Connor
IMDB Rating – 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 91%
Release Date – 10 December 2007
Box Office – $76.2 million
Genre – Drama
Awards – Won 2 Oscars
Plot –

43. The Hunger Games


movies based on books
Director – Gary Ross
Cast – Woody Harrelson, Josh Hutcherson, Lenny Kravitz, Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks
IMDB Rating – 7.2
Rotten Tomatoes – 84%
Release Date – 23 March 2012
Box Office – $694.4 million
Genre – Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Awards – None
Plot –

42. Full Metal Jacket


movies based on books
Director – Stanley Kubrick
Cast – Adam Baldwin, Lee Ermey, Arliss Howard, Matthew Modine, Vincent D’Onofrio, Dorian Harewood
IMDB Rating – 8.3
Rotten Tomatoes – 91%
Release Date – 17 June 1987
Box Office – $120 million
Genre – Drama, War
Awards – None
Plot –

41. Catch Me If You Can


movies based on books
Director – Steven Spielberg
Cast – Tom Hanks, Nathalie Baye, Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Sheen, Christopher Walken
IMDB Rating – 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 95%
Release Date – 25 December 2002
Box Office – $352.1 million
Genre – Biography, Crime, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

40. Jurassic Park


movies based on books
Director – Steven Spielberg
Cast – Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, BD Wong, Bob Peck, Sam Neill, Richard Attenborough, Martin Ferrero
IMDB Rating – 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 91%
Release Date – June 11, 1993
Box Office – $1.029 billion
Genre – Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Awards – Won 3 Oscars
Plot –

39. Blade Runner


movies based on books
Director – Ridley Scott
Cast – Sean Young, Harrison Ford, Edward James Olmos, Rutger Hauer
IMDB Rating – 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 89%
Release Date – June 25, 1982
Box Office – $32.9 million
Genre – Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Awards – None
Plot –

38. The Princess Bride


movies based on books
Director – Rob Reiner
Cast – Christopher Guest, Mandy Patinkin, André the Giant, Cary Elwes, Chris Sarandon
IMDB Rating – 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 97%
Release Date – 25 September 1987
Box Office – $30.9 million
Genre – Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Awards – None
Plot –

37. The Exorcist


movies based on books
Director – William Friedkin
Cast – Lee J. Cobb, Ellen Burstyn, Jack MacGowran, Max von Sydow, Kitty Winn, Jason Miller
IMDB Rating – 8
Rotten Tomatoes – 85%
Release Date – 26 December 1973
Box Office – $441.3 million
Genre – Horror
Awards – Won 2 Oscars
Plot –

36. L.A. Confidential


movies based on books
Director – Curtis Hanson
Cast – James Cromwell, Kevin Spacey, David Strathairn, Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe
IMDB Rating – 8.2
Rotten Tomatoes – 99%
Release Date – 19 September 1997
Box Office – $126.2 million
Genre – Crime, Drama, Mystery
Awards – Won 2 Oscars
Plot –

35. Trainspotting


movies based on books
Director – Danny Boyle
Cast – Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd, Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner
IMDB Rating – 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 90%
Release Date – 23 February 1996
Box Office – $72 million
Genre – Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

34. Watchmen


movies based on books
Director – Zack Snyder
Cast – Carla Gugino, Malin Åkerman, Jackie Earle Haley, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode
IMDB Rating – 7.6
Rotten Tomatoes – 64%
Release Date – 23 February 2009
Box Office – $185.3 million
Genre – Action, Drama, Mystery
Awards – None
Plot –

33. Silver linings Playbook


movies based on books
Director – David O. Russell
Cast – Jennifer Lawrence, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker, Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Anupam Kher
IMDB Rating – 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes –92%
Release Date – September 8, 2012
Box Office – $236.4 million
Genre – Comedy, Drama, Romance
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

32. Children Of Men


movies based on books
Director – Alfonso Cuarón
Cast – Julianne Moore, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Clive Owen, Michael Caine, Charlie Hunnam
IMDB Rating – 7.9
Rotten Tomatoes – 92%
Release Date – 22 September 2006
Box Office – $70 million
Genre – Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Awards – None
Plot –

31. Psycho


movies based on books
Director – Alfred Hitchcock
Cast – John Gavin, Martin Balsam, Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John McIntire
IMDB Rating – 8.5
Rotten Tomatoes – 96%
Release Date – 16 June 1960
Box Office – $50 million
Genre – Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Awards – None
Plot –

30. Drive


movies based on books
Director – Nicolas Winding Refn
Cast – Carey Mulligan, Christina Hendricks, Albert Brooks, Ryan Gosling, Bryan Cranston, Ron Perlman
IMDB Rating – 7.8
Rotten Tomatoes – 92%
Release Date – May 20, 2011
Box Office – $81.4 million
Genre – Crime, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

29. The Notebook


movies based on books
Director – Nick Cassavetes
Cast – Rachel McAdams, Gena Rowlands, Joan Allen, Ryan Gosling, James Garner, Sam Shepard
IMDB Rating – 7.8
Rotten Tomatoes – 53%
Release Date – 25 June 2004
Box Office – $115.6 million
Genre – Drama, Romance
Awards – None
Plot –

28. Requiem for a Dream


movies based on books
Director – Darren Aronofsky
Cast – Jennifer Connelly, Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Marlon Wayans
IMDB Rating – 8.3
Rotten Tomatoes – 79%
Release Date – 6 October 2000
Box Office – $7.4 million
Genre – Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

27. A Clockwork Orange


movies based on books
Director – Stanley Kubrick
Cast – Patrick Magee, Adrienne Corri, Malcolm McDowell, Adrienne Corri
IMDB Rating – 8.3
Rotten Tomatoes – 90%
Release Date – 19 December 1971
Box Office – $26.6 million
Genre – Crime, Drama, Sci-Fi
Awards – None
Plot –

26. Scarface


movies based on books
Director – Brian De Palma
Cast – Al Pacino
IMDB Rating – 8.3
Rotten Tomatoes – 81%
Release Date – 1 December 1983
Box Office – $65.9 million
Genre – Crime, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

25. Shutter Island


movies based on books
Director – Martin Scorsese
Cast – Emily Mortimer, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Kingsley, Mark Ruffalo, Max von Sydow, Patricia Clarkson
IMDB Rating – 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 68%
Release Date – 4 June 2010
Box Office – $294.8 million
Genre – Mystery, Thriller
Awards – None
Plot –

24. The Bourne Series


movies based on books
Director – Doug Liman
Cast – Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Brian Cox, Clive Owen, Matt Damon, Chris Cooper, Franka Potente
IMDB Rating – 7.9
Rotten Tomatoes – 83%
Release Date – 6 June 2002
Box Office – $214 million
Genre – Action, Mystery, Thriller
Awards – None
Plot –

23. Sherlock Holmes


movies based on books
Director – Guy Ritchie
Cast – Eddie Marsan, Mark Strong, Jude Law, Robert Downey Jr., Rachel McAdams
IMDB Rating – 7.6
Rotten Tomatoes – 69%
Release Date – 8 January 2010
Box Office – $524 million
Genre – Action, Adventure, Crime
Awards – None
Plot –

22. Apocalypse Now


movies based on books
Director – Francis Ford Coppola
Cast – Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Frederic Forrest, Robert Duvall, Sam Bottoms, Larry Fishburne, Albert Hall
IMDB Rating – 8.4
Rotten Tomatoes – 97%
Release Date – 15 August 1979
Box Office – $150 million
Genre – Drama, Mystery, War
Awards – Won 2 Oscars
Plot –

21. One Flew Over Cuckoo’s Nest


movies based on books
Director – Miloš Forman
Cast – Louise Fletcher, Jack Nicholson, William Redfield
IMDB Rating – 8.7
Rotten Tomatoes – 94%
Release Date – 19 November 1975
Box Office – $109 million
Genre – Drama
Awards – Won 5 Oscars
Plot –

20. Goodfellas


movies based on books
Director – Martin Scorsese
Cast – Lorraine Bracco, Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Paul Sorvino, Joe Pesci
IMDB Rating – 8.7
Rotten Tomatoes – 96%
Release Date – 12 September 1990
Box Office – $46.8 million
Genre – Biography, Crime, Drama
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

19. No Country For Old Men


movies based on books
Director – Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Cast – Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem
IMDB Rating – 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 93%
Release Date – 4 November 2007
Box Office – $171.6 million
Genre – Crime, Drama, Thriller
Awards – None
Plot –

18. The Silence of the Lambs


movies based on books
Director – Jonathan Demme
Cast – Jodie Foster, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, Anthony Hopkins
IMDB Rating – 8.6
Rotten Tomatoes – 96%
Release Date – 13 February 1991
Box Office – $272.7 million
Genre – Crime, Drama, Thriller
Awards – Won 5 Oscars
Plot –

17. Die Hard Series


movies based on books
Director – John McTiernan
Cast – Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Bruce Willis, Alexander Godunov
IMDB Rating – 8.2
Rotten Tomatoes – 93%
Release Date – 12 July 1988
Box Office – $140.8 million
Genre – Action, Thriller
Awards – None
Plot –

16. Slumdog Millionaire


movies based on books
Director – Danny Boyle
Cast – Anil Kapoor, Dev Patel, Irrfan Khan, Madhur Mittal, Freida Pinto
IMDB Rating – 8
Rotten Tomatoes – 91%
Release Date – 23 January 2009
Box Office – $377.89 million
Genre – Drama, Romance
Awards – Won 8 Oscars
Plot –

15. The Green Mile


movies based on books
Director – Frank Darabont
Cast – Tom Hanks, Graham Greene, David Morse, Michael Clarke Duncan, Harry Dean Stanton, Bonnie Hunt
IMDB Rating – 8.6
Rotten Tomatoes – 79%
Release Date – 6 December 1999
Box Office – $290.7 million
Genre – Crime, Drama, Fantasy
Awards – None
Plot –

14. The Prestige


movies based on books
Director – Christopher Nolan
Cast – Hugh Jackman, David Bowie, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Christian Bale, Rebecca Hall, Andy Serkis,
IMDB Rating – 8.5
Rotten Tomatoes – 76%
Release Date – 17 October 2006
Box Office – $109.7 million
Genre – Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Awards – None
Plot –

13. James Bond Series


movies based on books
Director – Terence Young
Cast – Joseph Wiseman, Ursula Andress, Jack Lord, Sean Connery
IMDB Rating – 7.3
Rotten Tomatoes – 95%
Release Date – 5 October 1962
Box Office – $59.5 million
Genre – Action, Adventure, Thriller
Awards – None
Plot –

12. Planet of the Apes


movies based on books
Director – J. Lee Thompson
Cast – Roddy McDowall, Natalie Trundy, Severn Darden, Lew Ayres, Paul Williams, John Huston, Claude Akins
IMDB Rating – 5.5
Rotten Tomatoes – 37%
Release Date – 15 June 1973
Box Office – $8.8 million
Genre – Action, Sci-Fi
Awards – None
Plot –

11. To Kill a Mockingbird


movies based on books
Director – Robert Mulligan
Cast – Ruth White, John Megna, Mary Badham, Phillip Alford, Paul Fix, Gregory Peck, Frank Overton, Brock Peters3
Rotten Tomatoes – 91%
Release Date – 25 December 1962
Box Office – $13.1 million
Genre – Crime, Drama
Awards – Won 3 Oscars
Plot –

10. Gone With the Wind


movies based on books
Director – Victor Fleming
Cast – Leslie Howard, Clark Gable, Olivia de Havilland, Vivien Leigh
IMDB Rating – 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 92%
Release Date – 15 December 1939
Box Office – $390 million
Genre – Drama, History, Romance
Awards – Won 8 Oscars
Plot –

9. The Shining


movies based on books
Director – Stanley Kubrick
Cast – Shelley Duvall, Jack Nicholson, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers
IMDB Rating – 8.4
Rotten Tomatoes –
Release Date – 23 May 1980
Box Office – $44.4 million
Genre – Drama, Horror
Awards – None
Plot –

8. Fight Club


movies based on books
Director – David Fincher
Cast – Meat Loaf Aday, Jared Leto, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter, Brad Pitt
IMDB Rating – 8.8
Rotten Tomatoes – 79%
Release Date – 10 September 1999
Box Office – $100.9 million
Genre – Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

7. Forrest Gump


movies based on books
Director – Robert Zemeckis
Cast – Robin Wright, Mykelti Williamson, Gary Sinise, Sally Field, Tom Hanks
IMDB Rating – 8.8
Rotten Tomatoes – 72%
Release Date – 23 June 1994
Box Office – $678.1 million
Genre – Drama, Romance
Awards – None
Plot –

6. The Wizard of Oz


movies based on books
Director – Victor Fleming
Cast – Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Judy Garland, Billie Burke, Charley Grapewin, Margaret Hamilton
IMDB Rating – 8
Rotten Tomatoes – 98%
Release Date – 6 January 1952
Box Office – $25.7 million
Genre – Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Awards – Won 2 Oscars
Plot –

5.Jaws


movies based on books
Director – Steven Spielberg
Cast – Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Roy Scheider, Murray Hamilton, Lorraine Gary
IMDB Rating – 8
Rotten Tomatoes – 98%
Release Date – 26 December 1975
Box Office – $470.7 million
Genre – Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Awards – Won 3 Oscars
Plot –

4. Life Of Pi


movies based on books
Director – Ang Lee
Cast – Suraj Sharma, Adil Hussain, Tabu, Irrfan Khan, Gérard Depardieu, Rafe Spall
IMDB Rating – 7.9
Rotten Tomatoes – 87%
Release Date – 23 November 2012
Box Office – $609 million
Genre – Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Awards – Won 4 Oscars
Plot –

3. Harry Potter Series


movies based on books
Director – Chris Columbus
Cast – Rupert Grint, Richard Harris, Richard Griffiths, Daniel Radcliffe, Robbie Coltrane, Emma Watson, John Cleese
Maggie Smith
IMDB Rating – 7.6
Rotten Tomatoes – 81%
Release Date – 12 April 2002
Box Office – $975.1 million
Genre – Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Awards – None
Plot –

2. The Godfather Trilogy


movies based on books
Director – Francis Ford Coppola
Cast – Robert Duvall, Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Richard Castellano, James Caan, Sterling Hayden, John Marley
IMDB Rating – 9.2
Rotten Tomatoes – 98%
Release Date – 14 March 1972
Box Office – $245–286 million
Genre – Crime, Drama
Awards – Won 3 Oscars
Plot –

1. Lord of the Rings Series


movies based on books
Director – Peter Jackson
Cast – Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett, Billy Boyd
IMDB Rating – 8.8
Rotten Tomatoes – 91%
Release Date – 15 March 2002
Box Office – $871.5 million
Genre – Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Awards – None
Plot –

Which of the film listed above has did justice with the novel? Which film do you think is the best film adapted from a novel?