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From Page to Screen: Picture Books Go to the Movies

Hollywood has adapted some of the most beloved picture books of all time into full-length movies.

antbullymovie
The Ant Bully

After Lucas Nickle floods an ant colony with his watergun, he's magically shrunken down to insect size and sentenced to hard labor in the ruins.

Starring:  Julia Roberts, Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Paul Giamatti, Regina King, Lily Tomlin, Cheri Oteri, Larry Miller
Directed by:  John A. Davis
Release date: July 28, 2006
Running time: 1:28
MPAA Rating: Rated PG for some mild rude humor and action.
Tagline: The battle for the lawn in on.
Production: IMDb Details
Based on: The Ant Bully (2004) by John Nickle
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Cat in the Hat The Cat in the Hat

Conrad and Sally Walden are home alone with their pet fish. It is raining, and they are bored with nothing to do. That is, until The Cat in the Hat walks in the front door.

Starring:  Mike Myers, Dakota Fanning, Spencer Breslin, Alec Baldwin, Sean Hayes
Directed by:  Bo Welch
Release date: November 21, 2003
Running time: 1:22
MPAA Rating: PG for mild crude humor and some double-entendres.
Tagline: Don't mess with the hat.
Production: IMDb Details
Based on: The Cat in The Hat (1957) by Dr. Seuss
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Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

The most delicious event since macaroni met cheese. Inspired by the beloved children's book, the film focuses on a town where food falls from the sky like rain.

Starring: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Andy Samberg
Directed by: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Release date:  September 18, 2009
Running time:  1:30
MPAA Rating: PG for brief mild language.
Tagline:  Prepare to get served.
Production:  IMDb details
Based on: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (1978) by Judi Barrett. Illus. by Ron Barrett
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Curious George Curious George

Will Ferrell stars as The Man in the Yellow Hat, a gentleman who looks after his pet monkey - an inquisitive and wonderful creature whose enthusiasm often gets the best of him.

Starring:  Will Ferrell, Drew Barrymore, Dick Van Dyke
Directed by:  Matthew O'Callaghan
Release date: February 10, 2006
Running time: 1:26
MPAA Rating: G
Tagline: Welcome to the world of Curious George!
Production: IMDb Details
Based on: Curious George (1941) by H. A. Rey
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Horton Hears a Who Horton Hears a Who

Horton the Elephant struggles to protect a microscopic community from his neighbors who refuse to believe it exists.
 
Starring:  Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Carol Burnett, WIll Arnett
Directed by: Jimmy Hayward and Jimmy Martino
Release date: March 14, 2008
Running time: 1:26
MPAA Rating: G
Tagline: One Elephant. One World. One Story.
Production: IMDb Details
Based on: Horton Hears a Who (1954) by Dr. Seuss
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How the Grinch Stole Christmas How the Grinch Stole Christmas

The Grinch hates the citizens of Whoville. And that is even more true at Christmas. When little Cindy Lou Who attempts tries to rise above the commercialism of the holiday, she invites the Grinch to celebrates, which ends with his public humiliation.

Starring:  Jim Carrey, Molly Shannon, Christine Baranski
Directed by:  Ron Howard
Release date: November 17, 2000
Running time:  1:44
MPAA Rating: PG for some crude humor.
Tagline: Inside a snowflake, like the one on your sleeve, there happened a story you must see to believe.
Production: IMDb Details
Based on: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1957) by Dr. Seuss
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hugocabretbook
The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and a robot.

Starring:  Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Chloe Moretz
Directed by:  Martin Scorsese
Release date:  Currently filming
Running time:
MPAA Rating:
Tagline:
Production: IMDb Details
Based on: The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2008) by Brian Selznick
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Jumanji Jumanji

When two kids play an old magic board-game they found, they release a man trapped for decades in it and a host of dangers that can only be stopped by finishing the game.

Starring: Robin Williams, Bonnie Hunt, Kirsten Dunst, Bradley Pierce, Jonathan Hyde.
Directed by: Joe Johnston.
Release date: December 11, 1995
Running time: 1:40..
MPAA Rating:  Rated PG for menacing fantasy action and some mild language.
Tagline: Roll the dice and unleash the excitement!
Production: IMDb Details
Based on: Jumanji (1981) by Chris Van Allsburg
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Madeline Madeline

Redheaded young girl Madeline is very good at getting into trouble, but she's also fantastic in solving problems as well, and her school-mistress Miss Clavel is not too approving of her. The biggest problem comes up when Lord Covington decides to sell the Madeline's school.

Starring:  Frances McDormand, Hatty Jones, Nigel Hawthorne
Directed by:  Daisy von Scherler Mayer
Release date: July 10, 1998
Running time: 1:28
MPAA Rating: PG for some momentary language
Tagline:  In an old house in Paris, that was covered with vines...
Production: IMDb Details
Based on: Madeline (1939) by Ludwig Bemelmens
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Meet the Robinsons
Meet the Robinsons

When Lewis's science fair project is ruined, he joins forces with a strange boy from the future in order to steal his invention back. Unless he finds and fixes it, the world faces a bleak future.

Starring: Angela Bassett, Daniel Hansen, Jordan Fry, Laurie Metcalf.
Directed by: Stephen J. Anderson.
Release date: March 30, 2007.
Running time: 1:34.
MPAA Rating: G.
Tagline: If you think your family's different, wait 'til you meet the family of the future.
Production: IMDb Details
Based on: A Day With Wilbur Robinson (1990) by William Joyce
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The Polar Express Polar Express

On Christmas Eve, a doubting boy boards a magical train that's headed to the North Pole and Santa Claus's home.

Starring:  Tom Hanks, Eddie Deezen,
Directed by:  Robert Zemeckis
Release date: November 4, 2004
Running time: 1:40
MPAA Rating: G
Tagline:  Journey Beyond Your Imagination
Production: IMDb Details
Based on: The Polar Express (1985) by Chris Van Allsburg
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Shrek Shrek

An ogre, in order to regain his swamp, travels along with an annoying donkey in order to bring a princess to a scheming lord, wishing himself King.

Starring:  Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow
Directed by:  Andrew Adamson
Release date: May 18, 2001
Running time: 1:40
MPAA Rating: G
Tagline:  The greatest fairy tale never told.
Production: IMDb Details
Based on: Shrek (1990) by William Steig
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The Stupids The Stupids

An incredibly dull-witted family unknowingly stumble upon an illegal weapons deal while on the trail of their "stolen" garbage.

Starring:  Tom Arnold, Jessica Lundy, Bug Hall, Alex McKenna
Directed by:  John Landis
Release date: August 30, 1996
Running time: 1:33
MPAA Rating: PG for some violence.
Tagline:  Tom Arnold is Stupid ... Stanley Stupid
Production: IMDb Details
Based on: The Stupids series by Harry allrd. Illustrated by James Marshall
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Where the Wild Things Are Where the Wild Things Are

Max, a disobedient little boy sent to bed without his supper, creates his own world--a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures that crown Max as their ruler.

Starring: Catherine Keener, Max Records, Mark Ruffalo, Forest Whitaker and Catherine O'Hara
Directed by: Spike Jonze.
Release date:  Otober 16, 2009
Running time:  1:41
MPAA Rating: PG for mild thematic elements, some adventure action and brief language.
Tagline:  There's one in all of us.
Production:  IMDb details
Based on: Where the Wild Things Are (1963) by Maurice Sendak.
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zathuramovie
Zathura

Two young brothers are drawn into an intergalactic adventure when their house is magically hurtled through space because of the board game they are playing.

Starring: Jonah Bobo, Josh Hutcherson, Dax Shepard, Kristen Stewart, Tim Robbins.
Directed by: Jon Favreau.
Release date: November 11, 2005
Running time: 1:43.
MPAA Rating:  Rated PG for fantasy action and peril, and some language.
Tagline: A New Adventure From the World of Jumanji.
Production: IMDb Details
Based on: Zathura (2002) by Chris Van Allsburg
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