Steven Spielberg's 10 best films adapted from books, ranked

Collider published a list by Justine Kraemer ranking the 10 greatest Steven Spielberg movies adapted from books. The piece notes Spielberg's career spans more than five decades and that a significant portion of his most memorable work comes from literary sources.

The list places Jaws at number one, followed by Schindler’s List at two and Jurassic Park at three, citing Peter Benchley’s novel, Thomas Keneally’s Schindler’s Ark, and Michael Crichton’s novel respectively. Other entries include Empire of the Sun (J.G. Ballard), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (Michael Crichton), AI: Artificial Intelligence (inspired by Brian Aldiss’s short story Supertoys Last All Summer Long), War of the Worlds (H.G. Wells), Munich (based on George Jonas’s Vengeance), Ready Player One (Ernest Cline), and Bridge of Spies (based on Stranger Than Fiction: The True Story of an American in Moscow).

Kraemer’s write-up emphasizes how Spielberg balances faithfulness to source material with cinematic reimagining, offering brief descriptions that explain why each adaptation made the ranking.

Key Topics

Culture, Steven Spielberg, Jaws, Schindler's List, Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton