In recent years, the highest grossing films are often adaptations of best-selling books. When there’s a lack of good story to tell in Hollywood, they resort to literature for ideas. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is currently raking in the big dough by the minute. And who can forget two of the biggest film franchises ever: Harry Potter and Twilight? For the delight of science fiction junkies, Ender’s Game finally takes on the big screen this year, after decades of movie adaptation rumors.

If Hollywood needs more ideas on which books or series to bring to the theaters, they can take note of the following:

Vampire Academy (series) by Rachelle Mead
Please don’t relate it to Twilight, because Mead’s take on the vampire phenomenon is fresh, exciting and full of interesting characters. Teen vampires and half-humans take center stage in this series, and to make it even more interesting, an academy is the setting of this harrowing series.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman
This is a Tim Burton film waiting to happen. Gaiman has always crafted rich worlds for his characters, and American Gods probably has the most diverse number of engaging characters. Where are the gods in this modern times? What are their roles in society? It’s an interesting look at mythology, and it will definitely make for an engaging and visually-stunning movie.

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
There’s no more creative book than House of Leaves. A horror story that will make you turn your book upside-down and tilt your head every which way, Danielewski’s novel tells the plight of a family who moved into a house that’s bigger on the inside than the outside. Through the jumble of differently formatted pages, House of Leaves creates an eerie tale that can echo screams of terrors in cinemas worldwide.

The Stand by Stephen King
Regarded as King’s best novel, it’s surprising that a movie adaptation of The Stand hasn’t materialized yet. The unapologetically thick novel covers a wide array of genre from post-apocalyptic to horror to fantasy. For years, there are reports of movie deals but nothing came after. Producers should make up their minds because they have the best sci-fi movie in their hands.

Looking For Alaska by John Green
It’s surprising how Green’s other novel Fault in Our Stars got to be adapted into a movie first. Looking For Alaska is another of Green’s famous works. Miles enters a preparatory school for his junior year and meets Alaska, the beautiful mess. No other character in young adult fiction has characterized the beautiful mess as well as Alaska, and I demand that we see it on the big screen soon.

Hey everyone, sorry for the slowing down of updates lately, but we’ve had some Internet connection issues we’ll we have been traveling. Things should stabilize soon (…hopefully). In the meantime, here is an all new Pit!

After a pretty epic Wrestlemania match, Edge shocked WWE fans by retiring. Taken out of the game by a reoccurring injury that has been getting worse with every match. The fan favorite has had a pretty awesome career and if he is being forced to retire, at least it is after an impressive last match.  Hopefully he stays with company and on camera as a GM or announcer. But there are a ton of roles he could ultimately take on, including as a trainer, road agent, manager, etc. Whatever he decides to do, we wish him all the best and thank him for years of entertainment!

Scream 4 came out this past weekend and I can’t express how happy I am to have a horror movie that is not torture porn in theaters. I’m a big fan of the series and Ghostface, and to see them on the big screen after so many years just felt great. Big props to Wes Craven, Kevin Williamson and everyone involved for delivering an entertaining thrill ride. Finally, a worthy end to the series.

Out of all of Neil Gaiman’s works, American Gods wouldn’t by my first choice to get adapted for TV, but regardless it is on its way to becoming a fantasy series for HBO. Gaiman is working with Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Richardson to bring the series to life. Sadly, there is no new word about a Sandman series coming at us anytime soon. Maybe if Gods does well enough?

After taking American Wedding off, Chris Klein will be returning for the next theatrical American Pie flick, American Reunion. He joins Jason Biggs, Seann William Scott, Eugene Levy and Alyson Hannigan, who have all signed on to return. The franchise has been releasing a steady stream of American Pie Presents… titles straight to DVD, but this is the first sequel to go the theater route since Wedding in 2003. I can’t wait to see the gang get back together.

Want to impress clients with your production office, then Install hardwood floor and make them remember you!

Today we have a short Pit along with a few site changes and tweaks. We hope that you have had a nice week. Phasekitty’s Oscars coverage will be continuing throughout the week as we get closer to the awards show!

• Neil Gaiman talks about bringing Coraline to the big screen. (Newsarama)

• While on the subject of Coraline, what are the creepiest kid’s movies ever? (LA Times)

• The Sims 3 has been delayed until early June. I guess we’ll just have to keep playing with our real lives until than. (IGN)

• I’m on a Boat. (Hulu)

This weekend we have five new films opening wide and its an interesting mix. Two book adaptations that couldn’t be more different, a wannabe comic style superhero film, a sequel that noone demanded, and a film with a sci-fi cult following who have been waiting for years to see “their” film on the big screen.

The film that I am easily most excited for is Coraline, based on the book by Neil Gaiman and directed by Henry Selick, the innovative director behind The Nightmare Before Christmas. The film features the voice talents of Dakota Fanning, John Hodgman, Keith David, and my favorite Lois Lane, Teri Hatcher. The film is a very dark (maybe even too dark for some) kids tale that was made in stop motion and is being released in 3d! I have been excited for this film since about two years ago when I saw a 20 minute presentation with footage at comic con.

Next up we have Push, a film that really wishes that it was based on a comic book.  From Summit Entertainment (the company that brought us Twilight), the film was directed by Paul McGuigan and stars Camilla Belle, Dakota Fanning, Chris Evans as a trio of super powered people in Hong Kong who are being hunted by a US government agency and Djimon Hounsou. Sound familar? Yeah that’s been pretty much the plot of every X-Men film.

Steve Martin returns in the sequel that shouldn’t be made for the remade that should have never been made, The Pink Panter 2. The talented pair of Jean Reno and Emily Mortimer return from the film film and they are joined by the also talented Andy Garcia and Alfred Molina. His mission in the new film is to stop a “globe-trotting thief who specializes in stealing historical artifacts.”

He’s Just Not going to see this movie, or even write about it.

Fanboys took just as long as Coraline to hit theaters, but for very different reasons. The film has been screened at dozens of sci-fi conventions and comic con. The film is about five friends who take a cross-country trip to the Skywalker Ranch to steal a print of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace so their dying friend can see it before its world premiere.  The film was picked up by the Weinsteins and the major content of the film, the plot line about the dying friend, was cut out sending fans into a rage. After more than a year of protesting and chants of “Darth Weinstein”, the film was returned to its original form and is finally being released. Directed by Kyle Newman, the film stars Dan Fogler, Jay Baruchel, and the ever loveable Kristen Bell, along with Christopher McDonald, Seth Rogan, Ethan Suplee, and Danny Trejo, and a ton of fun cameos.

I have absolutely loved everything I have seen from Neil Gaiman and Henry Selick’s Coraline; from the advanced footage and animation tests shown at Comic Con two years ago, to the recent 3D trailer I saw in theaters with Bolt. The film looks breathtaking. Lots of new footage below…

Between Neil Gaiman’s dark story, Henry Selick’s stop motion (Selick directed The Nightmare Before Christmas), and the simple fact that it will all be in 3D… yeah, I’ll be there on opening weekend.

Honestly, the world doesn’t really need any more Neil Gaiman fans. His appearances and readings are always packed and sold out.  His signings go on for hours longer than intended.  To get into one people often camp out all day or overnight.  His blog gets millions of hits and any charity or auction or event that he pimps on it becomes wildly popular and gets tons of donations or sells out or reaches its goal.

So when I tell you all about The Graveyard Book, released today, I mean this for Neil Gaiman fans only.  How can you tell if you’re a Neil Gaiman fan?  Well, if you’ve read and liked some of his more popular works such as the Sandman graphic novels or American Gods.  If you like stories that put a new spin on characters both fictional (Sandman) and non fictional (Will Shakespeare).  In fact, if you like any sort of fantasy stories, science fiction stories, or even just fairy tales.  Come to think of it, if you’re a fan of good, smart, witty writing.  Basically, if you can read you should be a Neil Gaiman fan.

The Graveyard Book is the story of a boy raised in a graveyard by all sorts of ghouls and ghosts.  It’s being marketed towards young adults, but much like his other children’s books, most popularly Coraline, it’s really written for big kids like myself.  His prose is dark, twisted and full of puns and wit that would have gone over my head as a young adult.  But like a Pixar movie, Gaiman’s young adult material is written to be enjoyed by children, yet wholly understood by adults.  He writes for his daughters, but also for himself, the big kid in a man’s body.  I personally can’t wait to get my hands on it.  I’m headed over to the book store right now.  And if you’re able to read this post, then you should be too.

Still weary about whether to give Neil Gaiman’s stuff a try?  Right now you can read one of his earlier novels, Neverwhere, online for free.  Yes, I said free.  Not much of a gamble there.  And if you don’t love him, then good.  Like I said, the last thing we need is more Gaiman fans.  But I have a feeling that those lines aren’t getting any shorter.

I saw a panel and behind the scenes footage for the adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s “Coraline” at the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con and it blew me away. Henry Selick (who directed “The Nightmare Before Christmas”) is directing “Coraline” in all of its stop motion glory in 3D. The teaser trailer for the film has hit the web and you can view it after the jump…

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