Great stories have always thrilled and fascinated humankind. In modern times, that takes the form of movies and television, with talented actors and actresses portraying the characters in all forms of fiction, from big budget blockbusters to bizarre and artistic offerings that can make audiences think for weeks on end. Talented filmmakers work tirelessly to deliver entertainment that is exciting, relevant, and valuable to all kinds of audiences. As film enthusiasts, we are treated to an almost limitless buffet of content that can help us laugh, cry, think, and escape for a few hours at a time.
It is easy to forget, however, that our stories were not always delivered on the silver screen. Modern writers draw inspiration from a legion of storytellers that came before, sometimes adapting their works, characters, and settings into beautiful modern retellings, and sometimes utilizing storytelling techniques and conventions that were first seen within the pages of their works. While the stories that these great authors have written are immortal in their own right, the lives of these writers themselves are often so much stranger than fiction, and these stories are just as worthy of adaptation as the fiction they created.
Let’s take a journey through some of the great storytellers of the past, men and women who helped to create the stories that we love today, and explore their extraordinary lives which deserve to be retold to modern audiences.
10C.S. Lewis
Famous for writingThe Chronicles of Narniaand a close friend of the legendary J.R.R. Tolkien,C.S. Lewisis one of the most influential English writers of all time. As a writer, Lewis often incorporated elements of mythology, even obscure concepts from lesser known myths and legends, and would mix them with his ownChristian themes and ideals.
Throughout his life, Lewis' faith was an important cornerstone, and he was just as well known for his strong Christian faith and religious works as he was for his fictional works. As a devout Christian with a broad knowledge base in mythology that happened to write fantasy literature, Lewis would make a fascinating figure to see brought to life on-screen, while both his literary career and journey through faith would make excellent cinema regarding a side of this great author that audiences may not be familiar with.
Related:Best Movies Based on Classic Literature
9Victor Hugo
French novelist, politician, and poet,Victor Hugois responsible for several immensely popular and influential works includingThe Hunchback of Notre Dame,as well asLes Misérables. Politically, Hugo was an opponent of capital punishment, and fought to abolish the death penalty, as well as the institution of slavery. Hugo was also present during several dramatic moments in French history, and lived in exile following Louis Napoleon’s Coup d’etat in 1851.
As a writer, Hugo wrote pieces that were cynical but relevant, often with themes that have continued to resonate with many people to this day. Considering his political opinions, especially during a time when they were not guaranteed to be popular, as well as the clear influence of the world around him on his writing, Victor Hugo would be an excellent candidate for a modern biopic film, whether exploring his politics, writing, or both.
8Virginia Woolf
As one of the most influential women in English literature,Virginia Woolfis credited as one of the great literary minds of her time, and the themes featured in her novels and essays have gone on to inspire activists and authors across almost every medium. Despite her immense talent, however, Woolf’s struggled with many issues that may be familiar to modern audiences, and her struggle with mental health in an era when it was barely understood is a common theme when studying her life both on and off of the page.
Woolf’s views were considered controversial during her time. Her outspoken opinions regarding feminism were especially notable, as she lived in a time when the very concept of women’s rights was barely recognized. Modern audiences would benefit greatly from the perspective that could be gained from a biopic, especially one that explores Woolf’s progressive attitudes without shying away from the struggles that she experienced. Presenting this icon of English literature as someone with many of the same struggles as modern audiences also experience has the potential to be powerful and relevant, while honoring her outstanding contributions to the world of literature.
7Bram Stoker
Best known for his novel,Dracula, Irish writerBram Stokeris responsible for over a dozen novels, as well as numerous short stories, nonfiction works and articles, including one on the censorship of fiction, which can be found onarchive.org. As a prolific horror writer, The Horror Writers of America have named the prestigious Bram Stoker award after the writer, with notable figures such as Stephen King and Neil Gaiman being honored with the award.
Stoker was the personal assistant of Henry Irving, owner of the Lyceum Theater, as well as an acquaintance of Oscar Wilde, another famous Irish writer. These connections, as well as many of the details regarding Stoker’s works outside ofDracula, would likely surprise many modern audiences who are only familiar with his vampire story. A biopic exploring Stoker’s writing career, travels, or associations would be an excellent tribute to one of the horror genre’s most influential authors, and might even spark interest in other Stoker novels, such asThe Lair of the White WormorThe Jewel of Seven Stars.
6Alexandre Dumas
Alexandre Dumas, the author ofThe Three Musketeersamong others, is not only one of the most prolific writers of historical fiction, but also one of the most interesting. Dumas is one of the most widely recognized French authors, with his works inspiring hundreds of films and television series and being translated into over 100 languages across the world. However, Dumas' origins as a man of mixed-race are noteworthy, as he was often criticized during his lifetime for no reason beyond his skin tone.
Dumas famously responded to an insult regarding his race with biting sarcasm, a moment that would be truly entertaining to see recreated on screen. Accounts of Dumas describe him as amusing, generous, and prone to speaking at length. These traits would make for an entertaining biopic, especially if the hypothetical film in question explored elements such as Dumas' inspirations, travels in such places as Russia and Italy, or even the challenges of being a famous author of mixed ancestry during an era when that simple fact invited challenges from less enlightened people.
5Charles Dickens
Immensely popular, unfailingly relevant, and commonly compared to the likes of William Shakespeare,Charles Dickensis without a doubt one of the all-time greatest literary figures of all time. Responsible for some of the most adapted stories in history, includingA Christmas Carol,Dickens enjoyed immense popularity in his lifetime, with a divisive reputation among other authors which is reminiscent of many modern opinions today.
Dickens wrote literature that was immensely popular, not just with the upper class, but also with common and working class people, delivering stories that had great appeal, even in instances where he employed satire. Exploring the life of such a prolific and influential author of classical literature would be enlightening from any angle, and would be a true delight for audiences that have grown up with and perhaps even been influenced by Dickens' writing.
4Edgar Allen Poe
Considered by some to be the quintessential “gothic writer” and one of the most influential figures of American literature, Edgar Allen Poe lived a dramatic and sometimes tragic life. While Poe is associated closely with horror, suspense, and the macabre, he is also known for his work in detective literature, with his short story, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, predating Sherlock Holmes first appearance. A PDF of that story is available on theDepartment of State website.
Many of the urban legends surrounding Poe originate from an obituary written by one of his rivals, which paints him as unstable. A potential biopic could go a long way toward correcting this, exploring the author’s life and work beyond the caricature he is presented as in popular culture. Considering his struggles, such a depiction of Poe would likely be both popular and relevant, and a great addition to movie theaters.
3The Bronte Sisters
The threeBrontesisters, well known for such works asJane EyreandWuthering Heights,werenovelists and poetscreating works of astonishing quality and popularity during a time when writing, especially poetry, was considered an inappropriate profession for women. Publishing many of their stories and poems under male pseudonyms, the Bronte sisters' talent was apparent in the success and fame of the stories that they published. The identities of all three Bronte sisters was eventually revealed in 1850, after two out of three of them had passed away.
The clandestine nature of their publications, as well as the difficulties that the sisters experiences in their early writing career, would make for relevant and thought-provoking cinema. Such a biopic picture could be presented as a celebration of how far the ideas of gender equality have come, or could explore elements of the culture that have endured. No matter how their story is handled, a modern retelling of this story would be an excellent example of historical cinema.
2Jane Austen
The legendaryJane Austenis so prolific and popular that her writing is almost considered agenre of its own. Her works have been regarded as brilliant deconstructions of many of the tropes and themes that were common at the time, and her stories, as well as adaptations of those stories, continue to delight audiences of all kinds to this day. Many common storytelling techniques can be traced back to Austen’s writings, and she is notably considered one of the greatest feminist writers of all time.
Following her death, many of the correspondence that Austen sent during her lifetime was changed or destroyed in order to maintain a certain public image of the writer, making the popular image of her something more akin to a folk hero than a historical figure. A biopic exploring Austen’s life and how she dealt with the social climate that she lived in would be an intriguing piece that could bring a more relatable side to this extraordinary and influential writer.
Related:What Makes a Good Jane Austen Adaptation?
1Lord Byron
Lord Byron, the originator of the so-called Byronic Hero archetype and writer of such notable works asDon Juanis one of the most captivating figures in literature. Described as a “19th Century bad boy” in thisBritish Library article, Byron’s scandalous reputation and tendency to favor idealized, yet flawed heroes in his writing gave the author a public image not unlike a modern rock star. Due to his involvement in the Greek war for independence against the Ottoman Empire, Byron is also considered a national hero in Greece.
With his reputation, clear influence on modern literature, and close association with many notable authors including Mary Shelly and John Polidori, a cinematic account of Lord Byron’s life would be both immensely entertaining and culturally significant, especially if handled as an examination or deconstruction of the archetype that he both popularized and embodied in his lifetime. While there are many great poets and authors across history, Byron has had a remarkable impact on the way stories are told and how characters, especially protagonists, are presented. It is only natural, then, that a modern biopic use those same elements to tell his story as well.
