After conducting some basic research, I came to the conclusion that pieces of fiction and fantasy aimed at children and young adults are welcomed best and are the most profitable, such as the Harry Potter franchise or The Fault in Our Star which were successful at the box office and praised by critics.
Keeping this realisation in mind, I thought of the books I'd read, which I'd enjoyed most and which would translate well to film. Below are four examples that came to mind.
1. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
2. The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson
3. How Kirsty Jenkins Stole the Elephant by Elen Caldecott
4. The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean in an Armchair by Lara Williamson
Whilst I feel that Lewis Carroll's story is classic and deserving of a film adaptation that does the book justice, I can't ignore the fact that this book has already been translated to film countless times, most notably by Disney and Tim Burton. Though I'm sure a film that is closer to the source material would be welcomed by many, I'm also sure that many would compare it to the previous film versions and argue that they presented it better, regardless of how the films compare to the book.
The Art of Being Novel would be great to see in film and encouraging to younger audiences who unsure of their own sexual identity. However, one of the protagonists, Leo, who we understand as being a boy, is revealed to be a girl half way through the story. This is a shocking a crucial bit the story, but I wonder how well this translate into film. I imagine that this would create an issue with casting; should the role be played by a male or female? Either option seems to have it's downsides as it could either spoil the plot twist by making it predictable for the cinema-goers or would cause unwanted controversy for casting someone of the wrong gender. As a story that revolves around gender ambiguity, casting would be an issue and, though I'm sure making it into a film would be possible, I still foresee big challenges in the face of sending the message whilst still being politically correct.
Though a great premise for an interesting film, I can't help but be skeptical. My major issue is that the central point of this story is the stuffed elephant that the protagonists steal from a museum. This would be quite a difficult prop to create and film. Additionally, I could see needless controversy come from this film too. For one, animal activists most likely wouldn't be pleased at seeing a taxidermied elephant used for comedic purposes. Secondly, showing the protagonists (teens and children) break into a museum and steal property in order to get what they want is not the best message to send to young and impressionable audiences.
Therefore, I have decided that The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean will be my book to film adaptation. I have chosen this as it still sends out a powerful message whilst still be entertaining for young audiences and shares both reality and fantasy. Containing comedy, emotion and interesting story arc, I feel this is an ideal choice for source material for a new film project. As an award winning children's book which deservingly needs more attention and thus far lacks any media interpretation, I say that there's a gap in the market for this type of piece.
However, due to the lengthy title, which can sometimes steer younger audiences away, I will shorten the title to "The Boy Who Sailed in an Armchair". This might even cause people to separate the book and movie, allowing for more creative license without steering too far from the source material.
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