Beautiful Creatures Movie on the Horizon

If you happen to glance over at my “currently reading” sidebar you will notice that it lists Beautiful Creatures. I have been hearing about this book for what feels like a year (it probably is close to a year–I swear it was on so many book lists as a book to watch in 2009 I think it’s cover is permanently imprinted into my mind.)  It was release December 1st (to much advanced acclaim) and I decided I had waited long enough and went out and bought it last weekend. It’s described as a gothic southern supernatural romance (seriously; could there be a book with a description that appeals to me anymore than that? It’s got the supernatural romance I love/crave and for some strange reason I’ve always been attracted to dark gothic tales). I’m only on page 55 (blame it on The Hunger Games, which I’m simultaneously listening to in the car) but I’m loving it.  After I’m done anyone who wants to borrow it is certainly welcome.

The book is going to be part of a five book series so comparison to Harry Potter and Twilight abound. And like those two highly successful book series, Beautiful Creatures will be made into a movie.  It does seem curious to me that they have already begun work on a film version of the book before its even been released. MTV ponder this concept. The screenwriter, Richard LaGravenese, describes his attraction to the project explaining “I liked that this book has all the basic elements of a classic first love story with a supernatural layer over it. So the first time they hear the words ‘boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend,’ they accidentally overhear each other telepathically. Their first kiss comes after he saves her life, and their first date is part of a bigger adventure that leads to the unraveling of the mysterious curse that haunts her family.”

I’ll keep you updated as to how I’m enjoying the book and I will also provide a final judgement on book to movie idea; what I’ve read so far would translate really well into movie form. We’ll see where we go from here.

In other YA book to movie news, Lauren Kate’s Fallen (also recently released and part of a planned series, three books in this case) has been picked up by Disney. Am I sensing a trend here? Can we call it the Twilight ripple effect? (=supernatural [vampires, fallen angels, demons, forbidden love]+series (3, 4, 5 books) =movie franchise). It reminds me of the Harry Potter whiplash of a few years ago, where practically every book released seemed to have some Harry Potter’esque element to it (magic, magic school, wizards, etc.) Has anyone read Fallen yet? Would it make a good movie? Should I add it to my “to be read” (TBR) list?

While we’re talking series…what’s everyone’s favorite(s)? Harry Potter? Twilight?   Gossip Girl? Percy Jackson? (there’s a movie coming out President’s Day 2010)