15 Best Book to Movie Adaptations Ever

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is the first book of the Harry Potter book series and film series of the same name. The book series consists of seven books and the films consist of eight movies, splitting the last book into two movies. 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone follows Harry Potter, a young boy who learns he is a wizard and attends a school for witchcraft and wizardry called Hogwarts. The entire series depicts Harry’s journey at Hogwarts and his epic battles and adventures fighting the evil wizard, Lord Voldemort. 

Since the fantasy novel was first published in 1997, the series has found immense popularity, with the book series selling over 600 million copies. This success translated to the screen as well, taking over $90 million at the box office in its opening weekend. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone stays somewhat true to the book, attracting book and film fans alike and making it one of the best book to movie adaptations of all time.  

IMDb Rating: 7.6/10

The iconic film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, starring the one and only Audrey Hepburn, is actually based on a 1958 novella of the same name by Truman Capote.

The film follows a young New York socialite who has become interested in a man who has moved into her apartment building. However, her past threatens to get in the way of her future with this man.  

The film tones down some of the darker points of the novella but still speaks to larger themes of prostitution and female independence. 

The film, with the help of Audrey Hepburn, brings to life one of the most iconic stories in our society, making it not only a cultural touchstone, but one of the best book to movie adaptations ever made. 

IMDb Rating: 7.6/10 

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott not only inspired one film adaptation, but two. The first in 1994 and the second in 2019. 

The 2019 film version of the classic, Little Women, directed by Greta Gerwig, tells the story of sisters Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy as they welcome their new neighbor Laurie into their lives and help their mother hold down their household while their father serves in the Civil War. 

Nominated for six Academy Awards and bringing in $218 million worldwide, the movie earned resounding success, carrying on the legacy of the beloved novel. 

IMDb Rating: 7.8/10 

Related: 5 Best Movies Like Little Women

Persepolis is a 2007 animated film based on the graphic novel of the same name by Marjane Satrapi. The graphic novel is the story of Satrapi’s childhood as a precocious Iranian girl growing up during the Islamic Revolution. 

Persepolis has earned praise from critics and was selected as the French entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category along with being nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 80th Academy Awards. This incredibly powerful story has resonated with audiences across the globe from the page to the screen, making it one of the best book to movie adaptations. 

IMDb Rating: 8.0/10 

Read More: 15 Best Animated Movies for Adults and Where to Stream Them

The film The Princess Bride is a 1987 film based on a book of the same name written by William Goldman in 1973. 

The Princess Bride tells the story of a farm-boy who became a pirate and sets out on a quest to be reunited with his true love. Not only is The Princess Bride one of the greatest fantasy novels of all time, but it is also a fan favorite movie. Though it received instant success and recognition in the box office, it is now a classic movie to film fans around the world. 

IMDb Rating: 8.0/10

The Help is a 2011 film starring Hollywood icons such as Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and Emma Stone. The film follows an aspiring author during the Civil Rights movement who decides to write a book from the perspective of the Black maids of the white families that they work for. 

The critically acclaimed film is based on a 2009 novel of the same name by Kathryn Stockett. Though the film has received some criticism for promoting the white savior narrative, it still received both critical acclaim and monetary success, grossing $221 million worldwide. 

IMDb Rating: 8.1/10 

The classic 1986 film Stand by Me is actually based on the 1982 novella The Body by Stephen King. 

Stand by Me is about a writer who tells the story of when he was a child and he went on a journey with his friends to find the body of a missing boy. 

Nominated for several awards, including an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and Golden Globe Awards for Best Picture and Best Director, Stand by Me achieved critical and box office success, making it one of the best book to screen adaptations ever made. 

IMDb Rating: 8.1/10 

The 1993 film Jurassic Park is based on the 1990 book of the same name by Michael Crichton. It is the story of a paleontologist who is tasked with protecting a couple of kids at a theme park on an island in Central America when a power failure causes the park’s cloned dinosaurs to run loose on the island. 

Not only was the first film, Jurassic Park incredibly successful, but the entire franchise has become one of the highest grossing franchises of all time. The first film, Jurassic Park was a blockbuster hit, grossing over $914 million worldwide in its original theater run which surpassed Spielberg’s own E.T. to become the highest grossing film of all time until Titanic was released in 1997. 

Needless to say, Jurassic Park is one of the most successful and influential book to movie adaptations of all time. 

IMDb Rating: 8.2/10 

Related: Where Was Jurassic Park Filmed? 

The 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird is based on Harper Lee’s classic novel of the same name. It is a coming-of-age story about Scout Finch and her brother Jem as their father is defending a black man in court for an undeserved rape charge. 

Not only is To Kill a Mockingbird one of the greatest novels of all time, but the movie has also reached resounding success. After being nominated for eight Academy Awards and winning three, To Kill a Mockingbird is easily one of the best book to movie adaptations made to this day. 

IMDb Rating: 8.3/10

The Green Mile is a 1999 film starring Tom Hanks. Based on the 1996 Stephen King book The Green Mile, the story follows a gentle giant, John Coffey, who holds the power to heal people’s ailments. 

The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing a worldwide total of $286.8 million. With outstanding characters, a gripping and emotional story, and an inspirational message, The Green Mile is not only one of the best films ever made but one of the best book to movie adaptations ever. 

IMDb Rating: 8.6/10

Read More: 20 Best Stephen King Movies and Shows Fans Should Re-Watch

The 1999 iconic film Fight Club is based on the 1996 book by Chuck Palahniuk of the same name. The film follows an office worker and a soap maker who create an underground fight club. 

After grossing a worldwide total of over $100 million, Fight Club has become a classic film known by movie fans around the world. 

IMDb Rating: 8.8/10 

Forrest Gump is a 1994 film inspired by the 1986 novel, Forrest Gump, by Winston Groom. 

Forrest Gump tells the tale of a man with an IQ of 75 from the 1950s through the 1970s, who longs to be reunited with his high school sweetheart. 

Forrest Gump, known to be one of the greatest films of all time with its stellar acting, comedic moments and strong character development, brought in six Academy Awards and grossed $300 million in the box office, making it one of the best book to movie adaptations ever. 

IMDb Rating: 8.8/10 

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings is based on the first book in J. R. R. Tolkien’s beloved Lord of the Rings trilogy. The film follows a Hobbit from the Shire and his eight companions as they set out on a quest to destroy the One Ring and save Middle-earth from Lord Sauron. 

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings is not only known as one of the greatest fantasy novels of all time, but also one of the best book to movie adaptations. The movie brought the fantasy series to life for its fans across the globe, grossing over $887 million worldwide. 

IMDb Rating: 8.9/10 

Read More: How to Read Lord of the Rings in Order

Schindler’s List is a 1993 film that follows Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist, who saved over a thousand Polis-Jewish lives during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. 

Based on Thomas Keneally’s book of the same name, this powerful film that depicts one of the darkest moments in the history of the world is one of the most emotionally moving films ever made. Depicting how evil humanity can be while showing a glimmer of light in the dark, makes Schindler’s List one of the best book to movie adaptations of all time. 

IMDb Rating: 9.0/10 

The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 film starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, following a man who is convicted of murdering his wife and her lover and is given two life sentences to serve in the harsh Shawshank Prison. It is there he meets Ellis “Red” Redding and the two form a friendship. 

Based on the Stephen King novel Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption, the film is widely known as one of the greatest movies ever made. Though not entirely true to the book, the final result displayed how collaboration can create something greater than the sum of its parts, making The Shawshank Redemption the greatest book to movie adaptation ever made.  

IMDb Rating: 9.3/10