Adaptation: Book to Movie

In this episode of 'Adaptation: The Book to Movie Podcast,' Nate and Chris step away from films to discuss Alex Haley's 'Roots' — the epic story of the author's lineage including the famous story of Kunta Kinte, as well as its miniseries adaptation from 1977. They discuss what's it's like to fit several generations of stories into a single book, how it translates to screens and why the miniseries...

In this episode of Adaptation: The Book to Movie Podcast, Nate and Chris are joined by Brett Shand to discuss Philip K. Dick's novelette 'Minority Report' and its film adaptation directed by Steven Spielberg starring Tom Cruise. They discuss the questions posed by Dick and how Spielberg followed suit -- a tred he's leaned into for his latest feature, 'Disclosure Day,' as well. Additionally, they d...

In this episode of 'Adaptation: The Book to Movie Podcast,' Nate and Chris discuss Sapphire's novel 'Push' and it's film adaptation 'Precious,' directed by Lee Daniels. They discuss how and why the story came to be, as well as the ways it's been viewed by the public at large for several decades now. Additionally, they discuss the importance of Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perr...

In this episode of 'Adaptation: The Book to Movie Podcast,' Nate and Chris are joined by Chris's longtime friend Jay to discuss Daphne du Maurier's 'Rebecca,' and its famous film adaptations -- one by the great Alfred Hitchcock and the other by Ben Wheatley via Netflix. They discuss what makes this a unique story among the canon of Gothic literature, why the protagonist is never given a name, and,...

In this episode of 'Adaptation: The Book to Movie Podcast,' Nate and Chris discuss 'Animal Farm' by George Orwell; a foundational text in our understanding of modern politics -- or is it? From the original 1954 animated film covertly funded by the CIA (!!!) to the most recent adaptation starring Seth Rogen, we discuss this story's strange path through history. UP NEXT: 'Rebecca' by Daphne du Mauri...

In this episode of 'Adaptation: The Book to Movie Podcast,' Nate and Chris discuss Lauren Weisberger's 'The Devil Wears Prada' and its film adaptation starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep. They discuss what makes this story accessible despite being set in the world of high fashion, as well as what makes the movie a cultural touchpoint. UP NEXT: 'Animal Farm' by George Orwell and it's various fi...

Chris and Nate are joined by returning guest Blair, as well as our good friend Ariel, to discuss the 2019 travesty of a film, Tom Hooper's 'Cats' -- famously based on the Andrew Lloyd Webber stage show, which is less well known for its original source material, a series of poems by T. S. Elliot. Listen at your own risk - this brought out the goofiest of all of us! - to hear conversation about the...

In this episode of 'Adaptation: The Book to Movie Podcast,' Nate and Chris discuss 'Howl's Moving Castle,' the high fantasy novel by Diane Wynne Jones, and it's anime adaptation directed by Hayao Miyazaki. They discuss what makes for interesting fantasy storytelling, as well as the special history behind Hayao Miyazaki's animation studio, the beloved Studio Ghibli. UP NEXT: Special surprise! Follo...

In this episode of 'Adaptation: The Book to Movie Podcast,' Nate and Chris break down 'Project Hail Mary' by Andy Weir and its dazzling film adaptation directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. They discuss what makes Rocky such a special little guy, why Weir's brand of science fiction is spot-on for modern audiences, and what it means to be a crowd pleaser. UP NEXT: 'Howl's Moving Castle' by...

In this episode of 'Adaptation: The Book to Movie Podcast,' Nate and Chris break down 'Project Hail Mary' by Andy Weir and its dazzling film adaptation directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. They discuss what makes Rocky such a special little guy, why Weir's brand of science fiction is spot-on for modern audiences, and what it means to be a crowd pleaser. UP NEXT: 'Howl's Moving Castle' by...

In this episode of Adaptation: The Book to Movie Podcast, Nate and Chris discuss "The Fellowship of the Ring," the beginnings of J. R. R. Tolkien's famous "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, as well as Peter Jackson's epic film adaptation. Listen for conversation about what exactly makes Tolkien's writing so alluring, as well as the fun and twisty tale that led to Jackson's films being made. We're on You...

In this episode of 'Adaptation: The Book to Movie Podcast,' Nate and Chris break down the famed novel 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Brontë as well as its film adaptations, in particular, the 2026 film written and directed by Emerald Fennell. In their discussion, they cover the history behind the book and the reasons it has been deeply misunderstood over the nearly 200 years since its publication, a...

In this episode of 'Adaptation: The Book to Movie Podcast,' Nate and Chris discuss 'One Battle After Another,' Paul Thomas Anderson's 2025 opus, and its source material, 'Vineland' by Thomas Pynchon. The two discuss why both the book and the movie are considered instant classics. In their discussion, recorded just days after the death of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis at the hands of an ICE agen...

In this episode of 'Adaptation: The Book to Movie Podcast,' Nate and Chris dive into S.E. Hinton's 'The Outsiders,' a classic that most folks both read and fall in love with in school - the heartbreaking tale of Ponyboy, who is entangled in a crime he's not exactly guilty of. Chris also reached out to English teachers to ask about why this book, and its film adaptation directed by Francis Ford Cop...

In this episode of 'Lightning Round,' Nate and Chris recap their year of reading and watching, sharing their favorites that weren't discussed on the podcast, and discussing just how they're able to fit so much of their favorite hobby into their lives. Additionally, they share the nominations for the first-ever Adaptation People's Choice Awards! Voiting will take place on Instagram (linked below) o...

In this episode of 'Lightning Round,' Nate recaps the movie 'The Housemaid' with his sister Katie, a big fan of Freida McFadden's book. Nate and Katie discuss differences between the book and movie, performances from Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, and what happened to the character Enzo... The good news is: Katie also loves the movie! Special Guest: Katie Day Follow us on social media: Twitte...

In this episode of 'Adaptation: The Book to Movie Podcast,' Nate and Chris discuss Freida McFadden's 'The Housemaid' and its film adaptation directed by Paul Feig, starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried. They discuss what makes psychological thrillers so popular, the history of the genre, and why it's so difficult to discuss this story without spoilers! UP NEXT: 'The Outsiders' by S. E. Hinto...

In this special episode of Lighting Round: An Adaptation Podcast, Nate is joined by his sister, Katie, to discuss a book she loves ahead of its film adaptation: 'The Housemaid' by Freida McFadden. They discuss the casting of Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, director Paul Feig's filmography, and why it's so difficult to talk about this story without revealing any of its plot. UP NEXT: 'The House...

In this episode of 'Adaptation: the Book to Movie Podcast,' Nate and Chris are joined by Chris's wife Blair, to discuss the films 'Wicked' and 'Wicked: For Good,' as well as the novel they are inspired by, wirtten by Gregory Macguire. Expect thoughtful conversations about the vast differences from page to picture, reviews of the movies and what we find so special about the musical spectacular. Wha...

In this special mega episode of Adaptation: The Book to Movie Podcast, Nate and Chris discuss the famed horror author Stephen King and his titles that were adapted to film this year, including 'The Monkey,' 'The Life of Chuck,' 'The Long Walk' and 'The Running Man.' Expect discussion about why King has been popular for so many decades, what these stories mean in the context of 2025, and more. UP N...

In this episode of 'Lighting Round,' Nate and Chris discuss gothic storytelling, its origins and how that led to popular stories from 2025 such as Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein' and Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners.' UP NEXT: 'The Running Man' and Stephen King's 2025. Follow us on social media: Twitter/X (@AdaptPod) Instagram (@adaptation_pod) Nate's Letterboxd (@professor_n8) Chris's Letterboxd (@cja...

In this episode of 'Adaptation: The Book to Movie Podcast,' Nate and Chris discuss 'Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus' by Mary Shelley -- one of the most formative texts ever written, especially regarding science fiction, horror, women authors and gothic literature. Additionally, they discuss the various film adaptations, including Guillermo del Toro's recent adaptation (now available to str...

In this special, first episode of 'Lighting Round,' Nate and Chris offer follow-up on previous episodes. Listeners of episode 18 may recall that Chris sent 'Caught Stealing' author Charlie Huston an email to ask about what characters readers are meant to feel sympathy for -- and Mr. Huston responded! Listen to hear how his short-but-sweet email shifted perspectives on the story. Additionally, Nate...

In this episode of Adaptation: The Book to Movie Podcast, Nate and Chris discuss 'Deliver Me from Nowhere,' the story of Bruce Springsteen creating his iconic album 'Nebraska.' Nate and Chris break down why they feel disappointed by this story despite being superfans of The Boss and what could have been done to make it a better experience. Expect thoughtful conversations about Warren Zanes's book,...

In this episode of Adaptation: the Book to Movie Podcast, Nate and Chris discuss 'Kiss of the Spider Woman' written by Manuel Puig, as well as its 1985 film adaptation directed by Hector Babenco and the 2025 screen adaptation of the Broadway musical, directed by Bill Condon and starring Jennifer Lopez. Expect conversations about the intricate connection between literature and film, the potent powe...