10 Classic Books Ripe for Modern-Day Adaptations

Both books and movies reflect the eras they were created in, but great stories often remain meaningful and relatable for years, even inspiring new versions. A prime example is F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, a classic novel that has been adapted for the screen many times, and is now getting another update with a new version from Netflix.

Streaming services have picked up a new project from Academy Award-winning writer Stephen Gaghan (known for Traffic), titled Valley of Ashes. According to Deadline, it’s a modern take on The Great Gatsby set in San Francisco. This news comes shortly after rumors about Margot Robbie starring in a remake of American Psycho were proven false.

Adapting The Great Gatsby to reflect today’s Silicon Valley scene is a fascinating idea, particularly with a writer as skilled as Gaghan at the helm. While some stories are best understood as products of their time, others can be revitalized by exploring their core themes through a modern lens.

1984 by George Orwell

Okay, so when people ask what book needs a big-screen adaptation, I always say 1984. It’s just so ahead of its time, and honestly, it still feels incredibly relevant today. Orwell really nailed how dangerous totalitarianism and constant surveillance can be. It’s not even hyperbole – you literally turn on the TV and there’s a reality show called Big Brother! The adaptation needs to be as impactful and thought-provoking as the novel itself.

This story has been adapted for the screen several times, including movies in 1956 and 1984, and TV shows in 1953 and 1954. It’s also been presented on stage, radio, and in other formats over the years. The latest version, released in 2023, is a Russian-language film directed by Finnish filmmaker Diana Ringo.

Around ten years ago, Paul Greengrass signed on to direct a remake, but writer James Graham revealed to Deadline in 2020 that the film was paused.

Brave New World By Aldous Huxley

Many students first encounter dystopian fiction by reading George Orwell’s 1984 alongside Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, published in 1932. While both books depict frightening future societies, they approach the topic from very different angles – almost like looking at opposite ends of the same problem.

Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World takes place in a futuristic society where people are raised into a strict class system, distinguished by color-coded clothing and different living arrangements. Citizens are kept content through the widespread use of a drug called soma, which creates a sense of artificial happiness.

Despite several adaptations for television, radio, and the stage, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World hasn’t yet been made into a major motion picture, and its themes remain relevant and important today.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

It might seem risky to revisit such a cherished story – both the 1960 book and the 1962 movie are incredibly popular. But with the world as it is today, we could really benefit from more characters like Atticus Finch and Boo Radley. The novel remains a huge success and is still considered a classic of American literature.

It’s unfortunate that the issues explored in this book remain relevant today. While the idea of a white lawyer defending a Black man accused of rape isn’t as shocking as it was when the story was written in the 1930s during the Great Depression, our continued societal divisions make a modern retelling particularly appropriate.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

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The 1971 film version of Anthony Burgess’s famous 1962 novel launched Malcolm McDowell’s career and remains a truly exceptional movie adaptation. McDowell’s intense portrayal of a young man named Alex was so powerful that it reportedly led to copycat crimes, ultimately causing director Stanley Kubrick to ask for it to be removed from theaters in the U.K.

The novel has been turned into a play multiple times, but Stanley Kubrick’s version is the only film adaptation. Considering how polarized society has become and the widespread problem of false information, now might be a good time to revisit the story of Alex and his gang.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey

Remaking a highly-regarded film like One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest is a risky move, considering how much people love the original. The 1975 film is a rare success, winning all five major Academy Awards – Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Actor, and Actress – and is often ranked among the greatest films ever made.

The film follows Randle McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) and his struggle with mental illness within a psychiatric hospital, highlighting the lives of his fellow patients and featuring one of cinema’s most memorable antagonists, Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher). This story remains relevant today and could be powerfully retold in many different forms.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck’s famous 1939 novel received both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize, quickly inspiring a popular 1940 film adaptation directed by John Ford, written by Nunnally Johnson, and produced by Daryl F. Zanuck. While The Great Gatsby captured the spirit of the 1920s, The Grapes of Wrath powerfully depicted the hardships of the Great Depression.

Henry Ford gives a powerful performance as Tom Joad, a man leading his financially ruined Oklahoma family on a journey to California seeking work after the Dust Bowl forced them off their farm. Today, the story could be reinterpreted in various ways, perhaps focusing on the experiences of immigrants facing similar hardships due to current events like ICE raids.

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

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Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now is a true cinematic landmark. Released in 1979, it brilliantly reimagines Joseph Conrad’s classic story—originally set in the African jungle—and transplants it to the Vietnam War. The film follows a journey upriver, much like Conrad’s tale, to find a mysterious and increasingly unhinged figure named Kurtz. But honestly, the story behind the making of this film is almost as captivating as the movie itself! The whole production was notoriously difficult, and thankfully, it was all documented in the fascinating 1991 documentary, Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse.

A modern retelling of this classic story doesn’t need to be set in a faraway jungle or during a war. It could easily focus on a private investigator or bounty hunter hired by a rich family to locate a missing person – or even a pet!

This version of Kurtz might be someone who fell deep into the QAnon conspiracy theory, is struggling with opioid addiction, or has simply broken down and disappeared from society.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

Although the movie adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s famous 1972 book, directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Johnny Depp, wasn’t a huge financial success initially (earning $10.6 million on an $18.5 million budget), it later gained a dedicated and passionate following. Depp and Benicio del Toro give wild, unforgettable performances as Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo, characters based on Thompson and his lawyer.

Both the book and the movie are strongly rooted in the early 1970s, with flashbacks to the psychedelic 1960s. However, the core idea could easily work today. For example, imagine two friends taking a trip to Las Vegas, filled with memories of the early 2010s and simpler times.

This could be seen as a kind of homage—like two dedicated fans recreating the same road trip Hunter S. Thompson and his friend Oscar Zeta Acosta (known as Dr. Gonzo) famously took from Los Angeles to Las Vegas in the spring of 1971.

Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard

While the 1995 film based on Elmore Leonard’s 1990 novel isn’t that old, it would be amazing to hear what the character Chilli Palmer would think about current events like artificial intelligence, the recent strikes, and the changes happening with movie studios. So much has changed in the entertainment industry since the first movie came out, and his perspective would be fascinating.

There aren’t many stories like this that could successfully be continued with John Travolta reprising his role, or completely reimagined for a modern audience. While there was a Get Shorty TV show, the character of Chilli Palmer is too good to stay off the big screen.

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

It’s true that a new version of Fight Club might seem too relevant for today’s world. However, the original book came out in 1996 and the movie in 1999, before social media existed. It’s ironic that the core rule of Fight Club – “You do not talk about Fight Club” – feels impossible to follow now, when people constantly share everything online.

As a film buff, I’ve often wondered what Tyler Durden would make of today’s world, especially social media and politics – I think his observations would be pretty mind-blowing. But even more interesting to me is imagining what ‘Project Mayhem’ would actually do in the 21st century. What would be their target now?

2025-11-02 03:23