Debates about film versions of books are nearly as old as cinema itself. Movies can be a delightful reminder of great literature – but they can also ruin it, fixing beloved characters in gruesome shapes. Either way, the talk about them is unlikely to stop – and a new survey, coinciding with World Book Day in the UK, has canvassed 3,000 UK fans of all ages for their favourites.
It turns out that if you crunch the preferences of 1,000 kids and 2,000 adults, what comes out is a very mainstream list of franchises, mixing Bridget Jones and the Harry Potter saga with classics such as The Shawshank Redemption and questionable blockbusters like The Da Vinci Code.
So, here is “the nation’s top 10” – as reported by BT TV. Below is the breakdown by (rather peculiar) genres. Can The Devil Wears Prada really be the UK’s favourite drama adaptation? And what’s with The Da Vinci Code beating The Godfather to the top thriller slot? We’d like to hear about less obvious (and dare we say better?) titles, so please do suggest your own in the comments.
The top book-to-film adaptations
1. The Harry Potter saga
Books by JK Rowling
Films by various directors
2. James Bond films
Books by Ian Fleming
Films by various directors
Book by Stephen King
Film directed by Frank Darabont
4. The Lord of the Rings saga
Books by JRR Tolkien
Films directed by Peter Jackson
5. The Bourne trilogy
Books by Robert Ludlum
Films by various directors
Book by Dan Brown
Film directed by Ron Howard
Book by Stephen King
Film directed by Frank Darabont
Book by Michael Crichton
Film directed by Stephen Spielberg
9. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
Book by Helen Fielding
Film directed by Beeban Kidron
10. Schindler’s List
Book by Thomas Keneally
Film directed by Stephen Spielberg
Top romance adaptations
1. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
- Book by Helen Fielding
- Film directed by Beeban Kidron
2. Pride and Prejudice
- Book by Jane Austen
- Film directed by Joe Wright
3. The Notebook
- Book by Nicholas Sparks
- Film directed by Nick Cassavetes
Top tearjerker adaptations
1. The Green Mile
- Book by Stephen King
- Film directed by Frank Darabont
2. The Shawshank Redemption
- Book by Stephen King
- Film directed by Frank Darabont
3. Schindler’s List
- Book by Thomas Keneally
- Film directed by Stephen Spielberg
Top drama adaptations
1. The Devil Wears Prada
- Book by Lauren Weisberger
- Film directed by David Frankel
2. The Great Gatsby
- Book by F Scott Fitzgerald
- Film directed by Baz Luhrmann
3. The Da Vinci Code
- Book by Dan Brown
- Film directed by Ron Howard
Top thriller adaptations
1. The Da Vinci Code
- Book by Dan Brown
- Film directed by Ron Howard
2. The Godfather
- Book by Mario Puzo
- Film directed by Francis Ford Coppola
3. The 39 Steps
- Book by John Buchan
- Film directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Top science fiction adaptations
1. Lord of the Rings saga
- Book by JRR Tolkien
- Films directed by Peter Jackson
2. Jurassic Park
- Book by Michael Crichton
- Film directed by Stephen Spielberg
3. The Hobbit
- Book by JRR Tolkien
- Film directed by Peter Jackson
Top horror adaptations
1. The Shining
- Book by Stephen King
- Film directed by Stanley Kubrick
2. Psycho
- Book by Robert Bloch
- Film directed by Alfred Hitchcock
3. The Exorcist
- Book by William Peter Blatty
- Film directed by William Friedkin
Top children’s adaptations
1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
- Book by Roald Dahl
- Film directed by Tim Burton
2. Matilda
- Book by Roald Dahl
- Film directed by Danny DeVito
3. Coraline
- Book by Neil Gaiman
- Film directed by Henry Selick
