30 Movies That Are Better Than the Book, Ranked

It’s not unusual to ask someone’s opinion of a movie and hear the phrase, "It’s not as good as the book." And in many cases, that’s the truth. Perhaps the "magic" of the book gets lost somewhere en route to the big screen. 

But sometimes a movie adaptation comes along that’s superior to the original text. That’s why we ranked 30 movies that are considered by many to be better than the books that preceded them. Their box-office earnings certainly agree, with one movie earning as much as 14 times its original budget.

30. Random Hearts

Based on: "Random Hearts" 

Author: Warren Adler

Release date: Oct. 8, 1999

Budget: $64 million

Box-office earnings: $74.6 million

Bottom Line: Random Hearts

The budget of "Random Hearts" was astronomical, and the movie itself doesn't really show where that $64 million went. Take into account it's a movie that is centered around a plane crash we never actually see. 

That's because a good chunk of that money went to star Harrison Ford, who was definitely worth the money. This is one of his more underrated films.

While it didn't do very well at the box office, it was definitely an improvement on the book, which ended up serving as more of a baseline to the movie's plot than anything else. 

29. I Am Legend

Based on: "I Am Legend"

Author: Richard Matheson

Release date: Dec. 4, 2007

Budget: $150 million

Box-office earnings: $585.3 million

Bottom Line: I Am Legend

Richard Matheson's novel was actually adapted before Will Smith turned it into a big-budget extravaganza. Charlton Hesston made it into "The Omega Man" in the 1970s. 

Starting in the 1990s, Matheson's novel was a hot property that was circled by almost every major star in Hollywood, but the massive budget involved scared off most studios until they landed on Big Willie Style in his prime.

And he knocked it out of the park. 

28. Gangs of New York

Based on: "Gangs of New York"

Author: Herbert Asbury

Release date: Dec. 20, 2002

Budget: $100 million

Box-office earnings: $193.8 million

Bottom Line: Gangs of New York

Leave it to Martin Scorsese to take an obscure novel from the 1920s and turn it into a big-budget movie that's equal parts drama and action movie. 

The fight scenes from "Gangs of New York" alone set it apart. While the movie was set up as a star vehicle for Leonardo DiCaprio, it's Daniel Day-Lewis as Bill the Butcher who steals the show. And it was Day-Lewis who walked away with the Best Actor nomination. 

Herbert Asbury could never have imagined this when his book was published in 1927. 

27. American Assassin

Based on: "American Assassin"

Author: Vince Flynn

Release date: Sept. 15, 2017

Budget: $63.2 million

Box-office earnings: $67.2 million

Bottom Line: American Assassin

One of the more underrated action movies of the last decade (if not of all time), if you want to see a really talented, young actor doing his thing, check out Dylan O'Brien in "American Assassin." 

It's O'Brien who really takes Vince Flynn's novel and elevates it in cinematic form. The opening action sequence at the resort is truly something to behold.

Also, having Michael Keaton in your movie is almost always a great move. 

26. Stand By Me

Based on: "The Body"

Author: Stephen King

Release date: Aug. 22, 1986

Budget: $8 million

Box-office earnings: $52.3 million

Bottom Line: Stand By Me

Stephen King's "Different Seasons" featured four novellas. Three of them were turned into films, and two of them became all-time classics with "The Shawshank Redemption" and "Stand By Me" based on "The Body." 

This a set 'em up, knock 'em down for a writer and director in their primes. King wrote the brilliant story, and Rob Reiner brought it to life on screen, fleshing out more of what King was shooting for in his novella. 

25. The Godfather

Based on: "The Godfather"

Author: Mario Puzo

Release date: March 24, 1972

Budget: $7 million

Box office earnings: $287 million

Bottom Line: The Godfather

Please don't take this as a knock on "The Godfather" novel by Mario Puzo.

Director Francis Ford Coppola actually mined the novel for half of the plot of "The Godfather: Part II," and in the late 1990s, there was a plan to rip even more of it out for a presumptive "The Godfather: Part IV." That was going to be based around a young Sonny Corleone, juxtaposed with his son, played by Andy Garcia, running the Corleone organization in the mid-1980s. 

What "The Godfather" movie does improve on is taking out some of Puzo's more cringeworthy moments. Removing most of the plotline of Sonny's mistress and Garcia's mother is one notable part missing. Thank goodness. 

24. Mean Girls

Based on: "Queen Bees and Wannabees"

Author: Rosalind Wiseman

Release date: April 30, 2004

Budget: $17 million

Box-office earnings: $150.1 million

Bottom Line: Mean Girls

Screenwriter Tina Fey turned her own teenage years and Rosalind Wiseman's book and mashed them up to make "Mean Girls," a surprise box-office hit in 2004. 

The movie that propelled Lindsay Lohan, albeit briefly, onto Hollywood's A-List of actresses, was a perfect example of taking a contemplative text like what Wiseman wrote and turning it into something more.

As far as movies about teenage life go, this is always going to be one of the best. 

23. Die Hard

Based on: "Nothing Lasts Forever"

Author: Roderick Thorp

Release date: July 15, 1988

Budget: $30 million

Box-office earnings: $141.5 million

Bottom Line: Die Hard

Be honest. You're just finding out right now that "Die Hard" was based on a novel. 

Well, it was, and "Nothing Lasts Forever" was actually written as a sequel to another book by novelist Roderick Thorp that was turned into another big-time movie with another big-time star. "The Detective" was optioned by Frank Sinatra, and he made it into a movie in 1968. 

One notable change from the "Die Hard" book to the movie is that the character of John McLain goes to visit his wife in the movie. In the book, the character is a much older man, named Joe Leland, and is going to visit his daughter at the high-rise building she's working at. 

22. The Revenant

Based on: "The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge"

Author: Michael Punke

Release date: Dec. 25, 2015

Budget: $135 million

Box-office earnings: $533 million

Bottom Line: The Revenant

If you want to get technical about it, "The Revenant" is based on a book that was based on a poem that was based on the real-life events surrounding the ordeal of frontiersman Hugh Glass in the 1820s. 

Either way, neither poem or book could match the masterpiece of cinema put together by director Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu and star Leonardo DiCaprio as Glass.

Filmed using natural light in a grueling shoot, the film brought home a long-coveted Academy Award for Best Actor for DiCaprio and brought Inarritu his second consecutive Academy Award for Best Director. 

21. There Will Be Blood

Based on: "Oil!"

Author: Upton Sinclair

Release date: Dec. 26, 2007

Budget: $25 million

Box-office earnings: $76.2 million

Bottom Line: There Will Be Blood

Often referred to as the best film of the last 20 years, Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood" was based on a little-known 1927 novel "Oil!" by Upton Sinclair. 

Daniel Day-Lewis is hypnotizing as oilman Daniel Plainview, and the film's opening sequence is as unusual as anything you will see in modern cinema. Day-Lewis doesn't speak for almost 10 minutes before uttering one word: "No." 

Day-Lewis won the Academy Award for Best Actor, but Anderson lost out on Best Director, which went to the Coen brothers for "No Country For Old Men." The debate about whether that was the right call continues to this day. 

20. The Exorcist

Based on: "The Exorcist"

Author: William Peter Blatty

Release date: Dec. 26, 1973

Budget: $12 million

Box-office earnings: $441.3 million

Bottom Line: The Exorcist

This is an interesting case of a movie being better than the book, and we need to give props to "The Exorcist" author William Peter Blatty. He was adamant that he be hired to write the screenplay for the movie based on his novel, and that paid off in a big way. 

It's hard to explain exactly how terrifying audiences found this movie when it first came out, or what a gigantic hit it was. "The Exorcist" made $441.3 million at the box office in 1973, which is equivalent to $2.7 billion in today's money.

That's roughly the same amount of money that the No. 1 box office movie of all time, "Avengers: Endgame," made when it was released in 2019. 

19. Jackie Brown

Based on: "Rum Punch"

Author: Elmore Leonard

Release date: Dec. 25, 1997

Budget: $12 million

Box-office earnings: $74.7 million

Bottom Line: Jackie Brown

It's a testament to author Elmore Leonard's talent that only once has famed director Quentin Tarantino made a film that wasn't from one of his original scripts, and that was "Jackie Brown" in 1997 — based on Leonard's 1992 novel "Rum Punch." 

Because it was his follow-up to "Pulp Fiction," audiences probably didn't appreciate "Jackie Brown" like we should have when it first came out, and looking back, it's another one of Tarantino's film that should have gotten way more Oscar shine than it did. 

18. First Blood

Based on: "First Blood"

Author: David Morrell

Release date: Oct. 22, 1982

Budget: $15 million

Box-office earnings: $125.2 million

Bottom Line: First Blood

There is something truly harrowing about Sylvester Stallone's performance in "First Blood." The movie has proved infinitely rewatchable and spawned a whole "Rambo" franchise that now encompasses five films, seven video games and an animated series. 

It's not just Stallone that takes David Morrell's novel to a new level. Costars Brian Dennehy and Richard Crenna turn in bravura performances as well — Dennehy as the evil, corrupt sheriff and Crenna as Rambo's commanding officer in Vietnam. 

Is this the greatest action movie of all time? It should at least be in the discussion. 

17. Fletch

Based on: "Fletch Won"

Author: Gregory Mcdonald

Release date: May 31, 1985

Budget: $8 million

Box office earnings: $59 million

Bottom Line: Fletch

"Fletch" is one of the best comedies of all time and is the perfect example of Chevy Chase's brilliance, in the face of how notoriously difficult he was to work with. 

Author Gregory Mcdonald eventually wrote 11 novels with journalist Irwin M. Fletcher as the main character, but none matched the popularity and staying power of the original "Fletch" movie.

We say this with a tremendous amount of confidence because the sequel, "Fletch Lives," is widely considered one of the worst sequels of all time. 

16. Goodfellas

Based on: "Wiseguy"

Author: Nicholas Pileggi

Release date: Sept. 19, 1990

Budget: $25 million

Box office earnings: $47.1 million

Bottom Line: Goodfellas

"Goodfellas" might be the greatest movie of all time. It's so highly regarded that most people don't associate it with the book it was based on, "Wiseguy" by Nicholas Pileggi. 

Pileggi's nonfiction book used the actual names of real people while Scorsese's movie was able to take some of that narrative and use characters based on the real-life versions — most notably the characters of Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. 

Scorsese adapted another of Pileggi's nonfiction books into a movie five years later when he made "Casino" in 1995. 

15. A Walk to Remember

Based on: "A Walk to Remember"

Author: Nicholas Sparks 

Release date: Jan. 25, 2002

Budget: $11.8 million

Box-office earnings: $47.5 million

Bottom Line: A Walk to Remember

Another adaptation of a Sparks novel (this one was published in 1999), “A Walk to Remember” is simply more compelling on screen. This may be down to the pairing of Mandy Moore and Shane West as Jamie and Landon, an unlikely couple whose love is put to the ultimate test. 

The movie stays true to many aspects of the book, but the characters are stronger and the ending clearer. You’ll need tissues for both, but the movie has the edge (just). 

14. The Princess Bride

Based on: "The Princess Bride"

Author: William Goldman 

Release date: Sept. 25, 1987 

Budget: $16 million

Box-office earnings: $30.9 million

Bottom Line: The Princess Bride

Goldman was hired as a screenwriter on Rob Reiner’s movie adaptation of his 1973 novel, which helped ensure it didn’t stray too far from the original text. Some readers will prefer the book, but there’s definitely a case to be made in favor of the movie. 

In the words of Rita Kempley in The Washington Post, "As a good fairytale should, ‘The Princess Bride’ teaches but never preaches. It's a lively, fun-loving but nevertheless epic look at the nature of true love." 

13. The Jane Austen Book Club

Based on: "The Jane Austen Book Club"

Author: Karen Joy Fowler 

Release date: Sept. 21, 2007

Budget: $6 million

Box-office earnings: $7.2 million

Bottom Line: The Jane Austen Book Club

While the general story is the same in both the book and movie, Robin Swicord’s adaptation of Fowler’s novel changes many of the smaller details. Typically, a movie doesn’t have the time to address all the components of a novel, so in this case, the movie offers an exploration of its characters in a more satisfactory way. 

The cast — Emily Blunt, Maggie Grace and Kathy Baker, for starters — is captivating throughout, and the more uplifting ending means you’ll have a smile on your face when the end credits roll. 

12. Hidden Figures

Based on: "Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Who Helped Win the Space Race"

Author: Margot Lee Shetterly 

Release date: Dec. 25, 2016

Budget: $25 million

Box-office earnings: $169.6 million

Bottom Line: Hidden Figures

Shetterly’s 2016 book is interesting, but because it’s non-fiction, the story isn’t quite as engrossing. Director Ted Melfi gave the story life, and Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe paid NASA women Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson the flawless on-screen tribute they deserved. 

Naturally, two hours would never be long enough to tell the full story of these incredible women, so you should still read the book, too. 

11. The Shining

Based on: "The Shining"

Author: Stephen King

Release date: May 23, 1980

Budget: $19 million

Box-office earnings: $47 million

Bottom Line: The Shining

Famously, King hated the 1980 movie adaptation of his bestselling thriller and very publicly criticized director Stanley Kubrick for making changes to his original story. He also had little positive feedback for Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of the main character, Jack Torrance. 

That’s unfortunate, but there’s no denying the movie’s place as one of the most iconic films of all time. In 2018, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.” 

10. Fight Club

Based on: "Fight Club"

Author: Chuck Palahniuk 

Release date: Oct. 15, 1999

Budget: $63 million

Box-office earnings: $101.2 million

Bottom Line: Fight Club

David Fincher’s movie adaptation does the seemingly impossible and makes Palahnniuk’s 1996 story even more dramatic. With Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Jared Leto and Helena Bonham Carter starring, it became a much bigger hit than the book. 

Of course, it always helps when an author enjoys the movie adaptation of their book, and Palahaniuk has praised director David Fincher for his ability to tighten the plot and make connections that even Palahniuk himself didn't consider making. In 2009, The New York Times hailed “Fight Club as the “defining cult movie of our time.” 

9. Little Women

Based on: "Little Women"

Author: Louisa May Alcott 

Release date: Dec. 29, 2019

Budget: $40 million

Box-office earnings: $218.9 million

Bottom Line: Little Women

Alcott’s classic “Little Women” has been adapted for the big screen several times, but Greta Gerwig’s 2019 version is the most powerful. While it stays pretty faithful to the dialogue of the book, its narrative isn’t linear, and it takes Jo’s story further by fulfilling her dream of writing a book and getting it published. 

For readers who’ve always felt that where Jo is at the end of the book is disappointing, the end of the movie is a gift. And it begs the question: If Alcott herself had written the book she’d really wanted to write, free from the social constraints of the 1860s, would it have looked something like this? 

8. American Psycho

Based on: "American Psycho"

Author: Bret Easton Ellis

Release date: April 14, 2000 

Budget: $7 million

Box-office earnings: $34.3 million

Bottom Line: American Psycho

Ellis’s 1991 thriller caused controversy, but that’s not why many people favor the movie adaptation. Christian Bale delivers an impeccable performance as Patrick Bateman, a serial killer who also has an insecure side and who can be incredibly charming –– which is no small feat. 

The confession scene toward the end of the movie leaves us wondering if all Bateman’s gruesome acts that came before were no more than a fantasy, and it packs a greater punch than the same scene in the novel. 

7. Blade Runner

Based on: "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?"

Author: Philip K. Dick

Release date: June 25, 1982 

Budget: $30 million

Box-office earnings: $41.5 million

Bottom Line: Blade Runner

Dick’s 1968 dystopian sci-fi novel, set in a post-apocalyptic San Francisco, is a great read for fans of the genre, but it made none of the impact of Ridley Scott’s atmospheric thriller “Blade Runner.” 

With stellar performances from Harrison Ford, Sean Young, Rutger Hauer, Daryl Hannah and others, it’s no surprise that the movie was voted the third best sci-fi film of all time (behind “Star Wars” and “2001: A Space Odyssey”) by members of the 1993 World Science Fiction Convention. 

6. The Silence of the Lambs

Based on: "The Silence of the Lambs"

Author: Thomas Harris 

Release date: Feb. 14, 1991

Budget: $19 million

Box office earnings: $272.7 million

Bottom Line: The Silence of the Lambs

There’s no doubt that Harris’ 1988 psychological horror novel is a page turner, but the movie version is so good it won no less than five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Jodie Foster. 

Arguably, the film creates more tension than the book, which is in no small part thanks to Anthony Hopkins’ performance as the forensic psychiatrist turned cannibalistic killer Hannibal Lecter. Lecter may be colder in the book, but the addition of a charming side in the film creates a more complex character. 

5. The Shawshank Redemption

Based on: "Rita Hayworth & Shawshank Redemption"

Author: Stephen King 

Release date: Sept. 23, 1994

Budget: $25 million

Box-office earnings: $58.3 million 

Bottom Line: The Shawshank Redemption

King’s novella, from his 1982 collection “Different Seasons,” is considered a strong piece of writing. But Frank Darabont’s movie adaptation, featuring Tim Robbins and Michael Clarke Duncan, brings it to life. 

The fact that the film has been ranked the No. 1 film of all time by fans on IMDb since 2008 says it all, really. But if you need convincing, Looper agrees that the film “improves on the original tale in a few heartwarming moments” and provides closure for characters that’s absent in the book, while preserving King’s original dialogue. 

4. The Notebook

Based on: "The Notebook"

Author: Nicholas Sparks

Release date: June 25, 2005

Budget: $29 million

Box-office earnings: $117.8 million 

Bottom Line: The Notebook

The movie adaptation of Sparks’ 1996 love story reached a much wider audience than the book — perhaps because many people who’ll watch romance on the big screen don’t particularly want to read about it. 

The sizzling chemistry between Ryan Gosling (Noah) and Rachel McAdams (Allie) is another huge factor, creating a more complex relationship and taking the depth of their emotion to a whole other level. For instance, Noah writes Allie one letter per day in the movie, which makes his monthly mail in the book a little less impressive. 

3. Bridget Jones’s Diary

Based on: "Bridget Jones’s Diary"

Author: Helen Fielding

Release date: April 13, 2001 

Budget: $25 million 

Box-office earnings: $282 million

Bottom Line: Bridget Jones’s Diary

The Bridget Jones movie is another example of a book being brought to life by an awesome movie adaptation with perfect casting at its heart. That’s not to say Fielding’s book isn’t great, but it’s an easy read and the movie packs a greater emotional punch. 

Plus, of course, the film gives us the ultimate on-screen love triangle of Renee Zellweger, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth. And then there’s Gemma Jones as Bridget’s mother, who gives the character much more compassion and likability than she has in the book. 

2. The Devil Wears Prada

Based on: "The Devil Wears Prada"

Author: Lauren Weisberger 

Release date: June 30, 2006 

Budget: About $35 million

Box-office earnings: $326.7 million

Bottom Line: The Devil Wears Prada

Generally assumed to be based on Weisberger’s own experiences working as an assistant to Vogue’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, the 2003 novel led to one of the most enjoyable movie hits of 2006. That’s largely due to the fantastic cast, in particular Meryl Streep as the ice-cold fashionista Miranda Priestley. 

Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt are perfectly cast as her overloaded assistants. If it’s drama you’re looking for — and in a narrative set in the world of high fashion, who isn’t? — the movie delivers where the book falls short. 

1. Forrest Gump

Based on: "Forrest Gump"

Author: Winston Groom

Release date: July 6, 1994

Budget: $55 million

Box-office earnings: $683.1 million

Bottom Line: Forrest Gump

All you need to know about Groom’s 1986 novel is that the eponymous character becomes an astronaut with an ape named Sue as his sidekick. But that’s not the only difference between the book and Robert Zemeckis’ hit movie. 

On the surface, they’re both a series of wacky things happening to a wacky guy, but they’re actually completely different — and that’s a good thing. The film leaves the ultimate feel-good impression while the book might leave you feeling a little short-changed.