The Book Thief: Watch the movie's moody new trailer
Markus Zusak's acclaimed novel, which follows a young girl in Nazi Germany, is on its way to the silver screen
If you didn't know The Book Thief was based on a popular novel, you'll know it within five seconds of the movie's new trailer. This glimpse of 20th Century Fox's adaptation of Markus Zusak's acclaimed book of the same name goes way, way out of its way to play up its ties to the popular YA novel, with a title card describing the book as "breathtaking" and "brilliant" even before the credit for the studio comes up.
What makes The Book Thief such a big deal? Zusak's original story — which follows a young German girl who steals books during public burnings at the height of the Nazi regime — is the rare book that was just as eagerly embraced by readers and critics, with a smattering of awards and a spot on the New York Times bestseller list for 230 consecutive weeks.
But despite the novel's acclaim, the upcoming film adaptation is a tricky proposition. For one thing, the story rests on the shoulders of a relatively untested young actress: Sophie Nelisse, a 13-year-old girl with just two credits to her name. And fans of a book as beloved and acclaimed as The Book Thief tend to be very picky about anything less than a slavishly faithful adaptation. Done poorly, The Book Thief could wind up like The Kite Runner or Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close — two highly anticipated adaptations that were greeted with shrugs by critics and audiences alike.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Then again, 20th Century Fox is coming off the back of a major success with last year's Life of Pi, for which Ang Lee won Best Director at the Academy Awards. Let's hope the studio has channeled some of that same magic for The Book Thief when it hits theaters next month.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.
-
Is pop music now too reliant on gossip?
Talking Point Taylor Swift's new album has prompted a flurry of speculation over who she is referring to in her songs
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Nuclear near-misses
The Explainer From technical glitches to fateful split-second decisions, the world has come to the brink of nuclear war more times than you might think
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Published
-
What is cloud seeding and did it cause Dubai's severe rainfall?
The Explainer The future is flooded
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published