Bookworms will know this for a fact: what you read on the page is definitively better than what you witness on the screen. Text that draws out the wanting, snarky prose and best of all, the art of imagination does create magic for any reader knee-deep in their pages. So at times, it does feel like a reader’s rite of passage to walk into a theatre to see a favourite book come to life—only to walk out slightly discontent. Yet, now and then, an adaptation emerges that not only does its source material justice but also transforms it into something transcendent (looking at you, Godfather). Other times, a filmmaker becomes so enamoured with a piece of text that they create a one-to-one, frictionless transfer of energy from one medium into another; we’ll leave The Green Mile here for your reference. And while L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz will go down in history as a landmark of children’s literature, it is film—and one film in particular (you know which)—that has made Oz immortal. Such are the rare instances where the books versus adaptations battle make for an unusually fair fight.
But what about the books still waiting for their moment on the screen? For one, the Vogue Singapore team has several to preach a case for. Below, we explore the glorious texts we believe are ripe for the cinematic treatment. Sure, the common assumption is for these adaptations to fall short, but we’re still willing to be seated for these likely gems. Here are the stories we’d love to see come to life—from gripping dark academia mysteries and gothic fictions to incisive coming-of-age tales and dystopian dramas.
1 / 6
‘Two Twisted Crowns’ by Rachel Gillig
It’s the second book to an epic duology, but it’s the one that I hold in a secret corner of my heart. Too few fantasy tales can actually be done justice, but The Shepherd King series just might fall within that veil of possibility. Beyond pragmatic reasons like how its main characters are human (no magical faeries and the like), there’s nothing more than its astutely intuitive magic system and cursed, gothic world of Blunder that I wish to see brought to life somehow. Where my casting wishes matter most; there’s Emily Bader of My Lady Jane who’ll do splendid as Elspeth, Daniel Brühl as the Shepherd King of my nightmares…and as for Elm? Whoever they choose better be worthy of that crown. — Azrin Tan, senior digital writer
2 / 6
'Klara and the Sun' by Kazuo Ishiguro
I can’t count the number of times I’d imagined how Artificial Friend Klara and her world view would look like. Sure, she’s meant to be a robot but with a character that looms with that much wanting, hope and restraint, to witness that come to life could very well be a feat, or even a disaster if not done justice. Would she be animated or rendered as a CGI? Or perhaps, played by a real person, given robots can very well look like actual humans in a dystopian universe. All I know is, the opening scenes with the book’s divine being—the ‘Sun’—will be a beautiful act to master. — Janice Sim, digital editor
3 / 6
'If We Were Villains' by M. L. Rio
Imagine How To Get Away With Murder, but with elite theatre majors. I hardly know where to begin with this book. It’s a true Shakespearean tragedy and on some level, we know how it ends. Yet I take delight in dramatic ironies and unbearably pretentious drama, so I loved every moment of it. If We Were Villains reads like a play, following seven young actors studying Shakespeare at a prestigious arts college. When a violent crime shakes the cohort, the brilliant younglings face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless. The text is almost tailor-made for a moody, angsty teen drama—but I’m desperate to see Daniel Radcliffe play as Oliver Marks just because. “You can justify anything if you do it poetically enough,” I can already hear him deliver. — Julia Sam, digital intern
4 / 6
'The Night Circus' by Erin Morgenstern
Admittedly, this pick is coming about a decade late and I’m no longer as enchanted by this book as I was when I first read it as a child, but this remains one of the very few novels that have made me viscerally want to be inside the world it creates. A screen adaptation is probably the closest thing I can get to that. It’s not so much the protagonists that I am interested in seeing, as much as it is the intriguing performers of the circus, from contortionist Tsukiko to circus-born twins Poppet and Widget. And the idea of a mysterious circus that appears and disappears overnight with no warning—each black-and-white tent filled with secrets beyond imagination—will always be magical to me. That said, if an adaptation were ever to be created, I would love to see the characters developed a little more deeply. — Jesslyn Lye, writer
5 / 6
'Heaven' by Mieko Kawakami
It’s the kind of book that keeps you on your toes—one moment you’re wrapped in a warm embrace and the next, the fabric of your soul is shredded into pieces. Unlike its title, the lives of two middle school pariahs are far from Heaven. The 14-year-old narrator, unnamed and unvalued, is nothing more than a target in thrall to the cruelty of his bullies—tormented for his lazy eye; they subdue him with taunts and abuse. Along the same vein, Kojimo finds herself in a similar peril for her unkempt tardiness. The union of the two misfits sees a blossoming friendship. However, differing views arise and we soon see a strained relationship. A tale of bullying, Nietzsche and nihilism; the book’s profound depth, helmed by Meiko Kawami’s delicate words, deserves a showcase on another medium handled intricately without compromising the greys of life’s philosophy. From the complex themes to the intricate motifs, I hope to see this psychological coming-of-age story unfold on the silver screen. — Renée Chong, lifestyle intern
6 / 6
'The School for Good Mothers' by Jessamine Chan
One perk of a book-to-screen adaptation is that it brings a bigger audience to the original material. Jessamine Chan’s debut novel may have been released in 2022, but it still lives in my mind rent-free for its searing depiction of modern motherhood, state-sanctioned violence on women and the dangerous intersections between racism, sexism and fascism—even more relevant today. I have a dream cast for this: Sandra Oh as the main character, frazzled single mother Frida Liu, who has to fight against the looming threat of losing her 18-month-old daughter, Harriet. Oh will definitely bring her natural charm to the role, and do justice to the chilling conditions and visceral emotions Frida’s character goes through. — Chandreyee Ray, associate lifestyle editor
