If the Academy Award nominations of adapted novels “The Revenant,” “Brooklyn” and “The Martian” are any indication, books often serve as inspiration for the year’s best films. From fantasy to historical dramas, here are five books to read before they hit the big screen in 2016:
“Light Between Oceans” by M.L. Steadman
- Set on the picturesque Australian coast, this worldwide bestseller tells the story of a couple who discover a child who washed ashore near the lighthouse in which they live. The movie, currently in the filming stage of production, features this year’s Best Actor nominee Michael Fassbender and Best Supporting Actress nominee Alicia Vikander.
“The Zookeeper’s Wife” by Diane Ackerman
- “The Zookeeper’s Wife” is the amazing yet true tale of the Warsaw Zoo during the Holocaust. Zookeepers Jan and Antonina Zabinski, played by Daniel Brühl and Jessica Chastain, saved more than 300 people by secretly harboring refugees in empty animal cages during the Nazi occupation of Poland. Though filming has wrapped, no release date for the movie has been announced.
“The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins
- One of the most anticipated films of this year, Emily Blunt will play the psychological thriller’s main character, Rachel, who sets out to solve a mystery surrounding a couple she sees every day from the train she takes to work. The Help’s Tate Taylor is set to direct the project, which opens Oct. 7.
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” by J.K. Rowling
- This adaptation of the J.K. Rowling-penned guide to the wizarding world’s most magical beings is sure to please any Harry Potter fan. While the book is fairly brief at only 128 pages, it has spawned an upcoming film trilogy starring Academy Award-winner Eddie Redmayne as the guide’s “author” Newt Scamander. The first installment premieres Nov. 18.
“Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children” by Ransom Riggs
- After following a trail of photographs left by his late grandfather, curious teenager Jacob Portman goes back in time to meet the children of Miss Peregrine’s orphanage, all of whom possess strange, supernatural powers. The fantastical tale, which is slated to open Dec. 25, is being directed by Tim Burton and stars Samuel L. Jackson and Allison Janney.
