The Best Fantasy Book to Movie/Television Adaptations

You know what they say — the book is always better than the movie. But sometimes, the silver and small screen versions truly live up to their paper predecessors. Below, let’s look at some of the best fantasy book to movie and television adaptations.

Happy National Book Lovers Day!

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How to Train Your Dragon

Many people don’t know this, but Dreamworks’ How to Train Your Dragon films are based on children’s books by Cressida Cowell. The books themselves are fantastically fluffy and sweet. They are, however, aimed at really young readers. But the animated movies have managed to capture adult and child audiences alike. Filled with adventure, heart, and life lessons, they teach us to let go of prejudice, embrace the terrifying journey of growing up, and find love everywhere we look. Thus the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy — and subsequent spin-off TV series — are adaptations we look back on with infinite fondness and nostalgia.

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The Lord of the Rings

While this list isn’t necessarily ranked, we’d all agree The Lord of the Rings trilogy wins for best book adaptation. Based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterful fantasy series, these films follow an epic adventure from comfort to crisis and back. Our little Hobbit hero must lose and find himself through a series of trials that would cause most anyone to throw in the towel. But Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship aren’t just anyone. From legendary quotes and scenes, sweeping romances, and more, The Lord of the Rings movies withstand the test of time as the most iconic adaptation ever produced. Just ask everybody who marathons the extended boxset every year (yes, we really do).

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Dune

All love to the colorful chaos that is the ’80s Dune adaptation, but we’ll be focusing on Dune (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024) for the purposes of this blog. These gritty, desaturated takes on Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel are undeniably intense. And while their runtimes are pretty length, both are well-paced and riveting enough to engage audiences. We’re able to emotionally connect to this hero’s journey through a strange world. Learning the jargon and customs and lore of Arrakis is fun and fascinating, not a chore. So we just can’t get enough of Dune and its high-stakes mix of fantasy and sci-fi.

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Game of Thrones

Let’s put aside our feelings about the last season for now. We said put them aside! Done? Good, because HBO’s Game of Thrones series is truly masterful. The show handles a large world, an ensemble cast, and multiple complex narratives with finesse. All the while, they’ve got gorgeous costumes, elaborate sets, and stellar performances by all-star cast members. The writers also did a decent job filling in the blanks of what Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin has yet to finish/publish. Once they ran out of source material, they kept going. We can debate if that was for better or worse. However, we can all agree Game of Thrones season 1 is a masterclass in television.

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Peter Pan

Peter Pan’s story actually begins in J.M. Barrie’s adult novel The Little White Bird (1902). Then the youthful character made the leap from page to stage before settling in the 1911 novel Peter and Wendy, which adapts the theatrical story. Next we’ll flash forward to 1953 Disney’s animated movie Peter Pan, the most well-known and beloved on-screen version. The colorful and dreamlike spectacle follows the original story almost exactly. Of course, it also adds that early Disney magic and mischief. And now everyone who has ever been to a Disney theme park can experience the overwhelming joy of seeing Tinkerbell soar over that castle.

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What are your favorite fantasy book adaptations? Share your read and watch lists at side.show/geekgroup or in the Sideshow Social Network, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!