Did You Know This Was a Book First?

16 hit films preceded by excellent, if lesser-known, books

Do you ever find yourself saying: I didn't know that was a book! Sometimes the book-to-screen adaptation comes out before we have a chance to get acquainted with the book. Maybe it's because the adaptation involves Hollywood power players. Or perhaps it's because the books were written much earlier. Whatever the reason, it's never too late for a good read. These fifteen box-office hits were preceded by excellent, if lesser known, books. Here's your chance to dig into the source material for your favorite films.   

Howl's Moving Castle, 2004 animated fantasy film, directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Based on the 1986 middle grade fantasy by Diana Wynne Jones (1986) 

When Sophie unwittingly offends the Witch of the Waste, the injured party transforms the young girl into an old lady. Sophie's only chance to break the spell lies within the ever-moving Wizard Howl's castle. In this middle-grade puzzle of a fantasy, people and things are never quite what they seem. 

M*A*S*H*, a 1970 movie directed by Robert Altman and television series (1972–1983)

Based on MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors by Richard Hooker (1968) 

Meet the hardworking, yet irreverent, team from the Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals (MASH) during the Korean War. This funny and poignant novel is part of the series that gave life to Hawkeye Pierce, Trapper John, Hot Lips Houlihan, and the rest of the gang that became a part of America's culture and heart. 

The Prestige, a 2006 sci-fi film directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale

Based on the 1995 novel by Christopher Priest (1995) 

In 1878, two young stage magicians clash in the dark during the course of a fraudulent séance. From this moment on, their lives become webs of deceit and revelation. As they vie to outwit and expose one another, they will deploy all the deception and dark science at their command. 

Mrs. Doubtfire, a 1993 comedy-drama directed by Chris Columbus and starring Robin Williams and Sally Field

Based on Madame Doubtfire, the 1987 YA novel by Anne Fine 

Daniel Hilliard is a dedicated father, but he's also a neurotic, out-of-work actor so when his estranged wife, Miranda, gets custody of their three kids, she restricts this time with them. That’s when Daniel gets the idea to transform himself into the family's new nanny, an elderly Scottish woman.  

Choke, a 2008 black comedy starring Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston

Based on the 2001 novel by Chuck Palahniuk, the author of Fight Club 

Victor Mancini, a medical-school dropout and recovering sex addict, is an antihero for our deranged times. To support his ailing mother, Ida, Victor cons others by intentionally choking at upscale restaurants, allowing himself to be "rescued" by his fellow patrons, and then manipulating them into giving him money. 

Die Hard, a 1988 action movie starring Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman

Based on the 1979 thriller Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp 

High atop a Los Angeles skyscraper, a posh holiday office party turns deadly, when a dozen heavily armed international terrorists take hostages, issue demands, and deliver bloodshed. But they haven't counted on a death-defying, one-man cavalry with no shoes, no backup, and no intention of going down easily.  

Pitch Perfect, a 2012 musical comedy starring Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson

Based loosely on the 2008 nonfiction book by journalist Mickey Rapkin.  

Get ready to be pitch slapped. This musical tale takes readers inside the Ivy League a cappella phenomenon, following a single season at Northwest University through all its twists and turns—from movie-star looks and celebrity-size egos to a troubled new singer with a megawatt voice. 

The Warriors, a 1979 thriller film directed by Walter Hill

Based on the 1965 novel by Sol Yurick  

Drawing on Xenophon's ancient army account, Anabasis, this classic coming-of-age tale follows a New York City gang attending what was supposed to be a peace rally in a Bronx park. When a prominent gang member is killed, chaos ensues and The Dominators must make it back to their home territory without being killed.  

Who Framed Roger Rabbit, a 1988 fantasy film combining live-action and animation 

Based loosely on Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, the 1981 novel by Gary K. Wolf 

"Who'd want to kill a dumb cartoon bunny?" That's what Eddie Valiant wants to know. He's the toughest private eye in Los Angeles, and he'll handle anything—if you're human. If you're a Toon, that's another story. But Eddie's low on cash. So he reluctantly agrees when Roger Rabbit asks for his help. 

Drive, a 2011 action movie starring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, and Oscar Isaac

Based on the 2005 neo-noir thriller by James Sallis 

Driver is a man of precision and control. By day, he performs car stunts for Hollywood. By night, he gets criminals out fast—no questions asked. But when a job turns deadly, the rules no longer apply. Now hunted, he must navigate a world where loyalty is a liability and silence his only armor. 

There Will Be Blood, a 2007 epic written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Daniel Day Louis

Loosely based on the 1927 novel Oil! by Upton Sinclair  

A sweeping social critique set against the backdrop of the early 20th-century Southern California oil boom, this gripping narrative offers a panoramic view of the American petroleum industry, tracing the complex relationship between oil tycoon J. Arnold Ross, and his idealistic son, Bunny. 

Shrek, a 2001 animated fantasy starring Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow

Loosely based on the 1990 children's picture book Shrek! by William Steig  

In this modern classic from a Caldecott and Newbery Medal winning children's author, a horrid little ogre, goes out into the world to find adventure and along the way encounters a witch, a knight in armor, a dragon, and finally marries the most stunningly ugly princess on the planet. 

Goodfellas, a 1990 gangster film directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, and Joe Pesci

Based on the 1985 nonfiction book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi 

A vivid, unvarnished, journalistic chronicle of the life of Henry Hill, the working-class Brooklyn kid who knew from age twelve that "to be a wiseguy was to own the world." This true-crime bestseller brings to life the highs and lows of the mafia gangster life from the violence and drugs to the jail time and the Feds. 

The Devil Wears Prada, a 2006 comedy-drama starring Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, and Emily Blunt

Based on the 2003 novel by Lauren Weisberger 

Andy Sachs is an aspiring journalist who struggles when she lands the job of assistant to mogul Miranda Priestly, a cutthroat fashion magazine editor. It's a job that "a million girls would die for." The problem? Andy has no interest in fashion, a fact that puts her squarely in her new boss's line of fire.  

One Battle After Another, a 2025 action-comedy thriller written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

Based on Thomas Pynchon's 1990 novel Vineland 

1984: A wild assortment of Sixties survivors living on California's fog-hung North Coast still struggle with the consequences of their past lives. Hippie freak Zoyd Wheeler is one of them. The ex-revolutionary is forced back into action when his nemesis resurfaces, and his spirited, self-reliant daughter goes missing.  

Children of Men, a 2006 dystopian thriller, directed and co-written by Alfonso Cuarón

Based on The Children of Men, a 1992 sci-fi classic by P. D. James 

The year is 2021 (ahem) and no child has been born for twenty-five years. Oxford historian Theodore Faron, apathetic and depressed, spends most of his time reminiscing, when he is approached by Julian, a bright, attractive woman, who may well hold the key to survival for the human race. 

Surprised to find out that any of these movies were books first? Whether you've seen the film or not, we hope you're interested in getting acquainted with the source material of some of these box-office hits.  

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon