“Rose War”, “Frankenstein”: Unreautive? Film industry keeps adapting some novels

In addition to “Pretty Woman” or “Kuck, who is talking!” was one of the most successful films in Germany in 1990 with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. This summer the substance of author Warren Adler (1927-2019) runs again in the cinema under the title “Die Rosenschlacht” (start 28.8.) In the main roles: Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman.

Some books seem to be filmed again and again, even though there are so many unmatched ones. Soon there will also be a new “Frankenstein” strip and a new “Momo” film.

Had a US film of the Erich Maria Remarque novel “In the West” as Nonplusultra in this substance for more than 90 years, two years ago Edward Berger’s remake was the most successful German contribution in the history of the Oscars.

Literature adaptation versus popcorn cinema

The black comedy “Die Rosenschlacht” about the ever grotesque creation of a couple called Rose (original title: “The War of the Roses”) is only the latest example of repeated literary adaptation. At the “Rose War” in 1989, comedy star Danny Devito directed, in 2025 it is Jay Roach (“Bombshell-the end of silence”).

Basically, if you film a novel, you grab literary value and deliberately set yourself away from alleged mass -produced goods according to an original script. Literature adaptation instead of popcorn cinema is happy to say. But the “Harry Potter” film series between 2001 and 2011 proves that both go in one.

A complete reinterpretation of the seven Potter books by JK Rowling is currently being worked on – closer to the template and more detailed. The major project from HBO should extend for about ten years. One season per band is planned – the start of series production is scheduled to be in 2027.

First movie, then (30 years later) streaming series: This fate also had the biography “We Children from the Zoo station”, in which the “Stern” journalists showed the situation of drug addicts using Christiane F. (Felscherinow).

There are some books that like filmmakers and are used again and again. These include, for example, Thomas Mann’s novels “Buddenbrooks” and “Confession by the Hochstapler Felix Krull” or Johanna Spyris “Heidi”, Daphne du Mauriers “Rebecca”, Patricia Highsmiths “The talented Mr. Ripley” and Lothar-Günther Buchheim “Das Boot”.

Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” also belongs in this ranks, who last landed on the screen a good six months ago in the loose adaptation “Nosferatu – The Undead” by Robert Eggers.

The legendary novel “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley has already experienced some film and serial adaptations. In 1994 Robert de Niro played the creature under the direction of Kenneth Branagh. In 2025, the film world will bloom a new version of star director Guillermo del Toro (premiere at the Venice Film Festival, then shortly in the cinema, from November 7th at Netflix).

Volker Schlöndorff is a master of the film adaptation

Volker Schlöndorff is a league in terms of literary adaptations in Germany. He filmed Grass, Brecht, Kleist, Böll, Max Frisch. Margaret Atwood’s novel “The Report of the Magd” (original title: “The Handmaid’s Tale”) brought Schlöndorff onto the screen in 1990 with the title “The History of the Service”.

It was only decades later (from 2017), however, the global TV audience got to know the near-future dystopia about a misogynistic, Christian-foundal America as a high-end series.

Erich Kästner is particularly often filmed

The German author Erich Kästner wrote very film -ready. Not only his children’s books “Emil and the Detectives” (for example 1931, 1954, 2001) or “The double Lottchen” (1950, 1994 or 2017) were filmed more often, his adult novel “Fabian” – most recently by Dominik Graf with Tom Schilling in the leading role, in 1980 by Wolf Gremm with Hans Peter Hallwachs.

Kästner’s youth novel “The Flying Classroom” from 1933 has been filmed four times. In the 1954 version with Peter Kraus, who adheres to the template quite exactly, the writer even appears himself. Joachim Fuchsberger and Heinz Reincke played in the children’s film from 1973.

The film adaptation of 2003 with Ulrich Noethen and Sebastian Koch moved the action to the boarding school of the Thoman choir Leipzig. The 2023 version was shot in South Tyrol, Tom Schilling and Hannah Herzsprung were included.

Speaking of children’s books more often: almost 40 years after Johannes Schaaf’s fairy tale film “Momo” with Radost Bokel, “Momo” by Christian Ditter will soon come to the cinema. The title role is playing the young British Alexa Goodall this time.