10 book-to-film adaptations not to miss in 2014

The Fault In Our Stars, out in the UK 19 June

John Green's 2012 novel has a fervent fanbase who have been eagerly waiting for the big screen project for some time. Starring Shailene Woodley and newcomer Ansel Elgort as Hazel and Gus, the film is an uplifting yet incredibly sad tale of life and love and taking chances. Out in the UK this Thursday, the film has already been released in the United States where it has become a huge box office success. Don't expect any sequels to this young adult adaptation though.

If I Stay, out in the UK on 29 August

Another movie aimed at the teen market, this one stars Chloe Grace Moretz and newcomer, Jamie Blackley. If I Stay has an interesting premise - after a car accident puts 17-year-old Mia in a coma, she enters an out-of-body state and must decide whether to let go or wake up and live a far different life. Gayle Forman's book was a powerful read - and the sequel was just as popular with fans.

Gone Girl, out in the UK 3 October

It's possible that the silver screen version of Gone Girl may be even more anticipated than The Fault In Our Stars. Starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike, the crime thriller is full of twists and turns. Rosamund is Amy Dunne, a woman in her 30s in a failing marriage and whose husband has relocated them rural Missouri. Then she goes missing. As her husband Nick becomes the prime suspect, Gone Girl explores the psychological dynamics of long-term relationships.

The Maze Runner, out in the UK 10 October

The Maze Runner is full of British up-and-coming actors, from Will Poulter - who won the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2014 - to Skins actress Kaya Scodelario, but its lead is Teen Wolf star Dylan O'Brien. Based on James Dashner's 2009 sci-fi novel of the same name, it's a dark post-apocalyptic tale that follows a group of boys who decide to escape the one place they have only ever known -t he Glade. It is surrounded by a maze full of vicious slug-like creatures that only come out at night when the doors to the maze shut. No-one knows why they are there and no one has any memories they can recall.

A Most Wanted Man, out in the UK on 12 September

A Most Wanted Man was tragically one of the final films lensed by Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who died at the age of 46 in February. Based on the 2008 John Le Carre novel - whose book Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was also turned into a thriller - this new drama follows Hoffman's counter-terrorism expert Gunter Bachmann, who is trying to track down an immigrant, thought to be part of a militant jihadist group in post-9/11 Hamburg.

Kingsman: The Secret Service, out in the UK 17 October

There was an extensive search for the lead role in the adaptation of six-part comic book series Kingsman: The Secret Service. Both John Boyega (Star Wars Episode VII) and Jack O'Connell (Unbroken) auditioned, but the role was given to a completely new face - Taron Egerton. Opposite Colin Firth's spy, Taron plays a troubled teenager who is recruited to join spy school. Part comedy and part drama, the movie hits UK cinemas in October.

Love, Rosie, out in the UK 22 October

Sam Claflin and Lily Collins take on a decade in the lives of Alex and Rosie in this adaptation of Cecelia Ahern's bestselling chick lit novel Where Rainbows End. The two best friends move to the US together to study and Love, Rosie tells their story over the next ten years. The Project marks model Suki Waterhouse first Hollywood role, and she said of shooting with Sam: "It was an incredible experience. (Sam's) absolutely hilarious – so comfortable in himself. The bits with him were the easiest to play, for sure."

Unbroken, out in the UK 25 December

Unbroken is the true tale of Louis Zamperini  - an Olympian who became a prisoner of war during WWII. Angelina Jolie spent several years trying to get the film into production, and the original idea to turn the memoir into a film has been around for decades - since the rights to the book were bought by Universal Pictures in 1956. Angelina finally got her pet project off the ground, with British rising star Jack O'Connell, as her leading man.

The Giver

An adaptation of Lois Lowry's bestselling sci-fi novel, The Giver is set in a colourless utopia where protagonist Jonas becomes the Receiver of Memory and discovers the truth behind his society's past. Australian newcomer Brendon Thwaites takes on the lead role, alongside Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Jeff Bridges, and they are joined by Katie Holmes and pop star Taylor Swift in her second big screen outing. The Giver doesn't yet have a UK release date, but with its US premiere set for August, it's expected by the end of the year.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One, out in the UK 21 November

The third film in the hugely successful The Hunger Games can't come quick enough for fans of the franchise. At the end of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) was rescued from the Games only to discover that her world still isn't what she thought it was. With five months to wait, there's still no first look trailer for Mockingjay; instead there's an interview with Julianne Moore on the power of The Hunger Games to whet the appetites of movie fans. The third book in Suzanne Collins' trilogy has been split into two films.