Jonathan Lethem’s 1999 novel, Motherless Brooklyn, tells a tale of a man with Tourette’s syndrome who investigates the murder of his employer. Stephen King’s 2013 sequel, Doctor Sleep, continues the story Danny Torrance—the psychic child from King’s 1977 horror classic, The Shining—as he faces new and terrifying challenges as an adult. Their film adaptations will hit screens Nov. 1 and Nov. 8, respectively, and Kirkus will weigh in on both in upcoming Book-to-Screen columns. In the meantime, here are some other intriguing offerings in November:
Nov. 1: The Irishman (Film Premiere; Netflix Premiere: Nov. 27)
Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese’s latest gangland epic, The Irishman, is based on Charles Brandt’s 2004 nonfiction book, I Heard You Paint Houses: Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran and Closing the Case on Jimmy Hoffa. In it, the author claims that Sheeran, a hitman for the Bufalino crime family in Pennsylvania, confessed to murdering labor leader Jimmy Hoffa. The film version stars Robert De Niro as Sheeran, Al Pacino as Hoffa, and Joe Pesci as mob boss Russell Bufalino. Scorsese, of course, is the director of the classic crime sagas GoodFellas and Casino, both based on nonfiction books by Nicholas Pileggi, so it’s fair to say that he’s an expert with this kind of material. Both those movies also starred De Niro and Pesci, who are sure to deliver fine performances—even in flashbacks, during which they’ll endure de-aging visual effects.
Nov. 4: His Dark Materials (HBO: TV Miniseries Premiere)
The last time Hollywood attempted to adapt Philip Pullman’s parallel-universe-hopping fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials, in 2007, it produced The Golden Compass, which won an Oscar for its visual effects but underperformed at the box office. As a result, the two remaining books never made it to the silver screen. Now, HBO is set to air a miniseries of all three entries in the series. It stars the wildly talented young actor Dafne Keen (of Logan fame) as orphan Lyra Belacqua, who lives in a universe in which every human has an animal-like “daemon” companion—a manifestation of his or her inner self that also handsomely pays the salaries of special-effects artists, judging from the trailer. Still, the performances of humans Ruth Wilson and James McAvoy are also sure to provide compelling viewing, as well.
Nov. 8: Green Eggs and Ham (Netflix: Series Premiere)
This rather loose adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ classic illustrated 1960 children’s book gives away almost nothing in its latest trailer, which instead emphasizes its impressive voice cast. Among them are Oscar-winner Michael Douglas as a new character named “Guy-Am-I,” Broad City’s Ilana Glazer as another new character, “E.B.,” and the inimitable Eddie Izzard as…another new character named “Snerz.” Daveed Diggs, Tracy Morgan, Diane Keaton, John Turturro, and Jeffrey Wright will voice other newcomers, while Keegan-Michael Key narrates. Indeed, only Adam DeVine, as Sam-I-Am, plays a familiar figure—but perhaps that’s to be expected when the source material only addresses one unnamed character’s dining preferences.
Nov. 15: The Good Liar (Film Premiere)
Nicholas Searle’s debut 2016 novel, The Good Liar, follows an aging con artist named Roy who sets his sights on an elderly target named Betty, and as the story goes on, readers find out more about his long life of crime. A plot twist changes everything, however. Kirkus’ reviewer felt that although the “truth is interesting and unexpected…it takes too long to unravel.” That said, the film’s casting makes a long unraveling seem appealing: Ian McKellen stars as Roy, and Helen Mirren as Betty—and each could make reading the dictionary a riveting experience.
David Rapp is the senior Indie editor.
