From pages to the screen: Movies in 2013

Some of the year’s biggest movies, both at the box office and for awards contention, have their roots in the printed word, whether in novels, nonfiction books or journalism. Here’s a look at these movies and their literary sources:

The Movie: “12 Years a Slave”

The Book: An 1853 memoir recounting Solomon Northup’s horrific struggle to regain his freedom after being tricked and sold into slavery. It was a sensation when it was published and embraced by the abolitionist movement, but had been largely forgotten until the movie.
The Adaptation: British director Steve McQueen’s niche for raw, unapologetic storytelling remains true to Northup’s tale, earning raves from critics, surprisingly solid box office and front-runner status for the Academy Awards. This marks McQueen’s third feature film with actor Michael Fassbender, and first with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Lupita Nyong’o; all earned Golden Globe nominations for their performances.

PHOTOS: Holiday movie sneaks 2013

The Movie: “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”

The Book: The second book, published in 2009, in author Suzanne Collin’s blockbuster trilogy is set in the nation of Panem, where victors Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark find themselves back in the arena as rebellions loosen the Capitol’s control over its Twelve Districts.
The Adaptation: A new director (Frances Lawrence) was brought in for the sequel (replacing director Gary Ross, who bowed out after the original), and he succeeded admirably, both with critics and at the box office. The movie has taken in more than $733 million worldwide. Lawrence will direct the final two movies in the series.

The Movie: “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”

The Book: J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” traces Bilbo Baggins’ journey through Middle Earth as he joins a company of dwarves fighting to reclaim their home in Erebor guarded by ferocious dragon, Smaug. “The Hobbit” was written in 1937 when Tolkien wrote the tale for his children.
The Adaptation: “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson is back for the second film in the trilogy, all based on the short novel. Jackson seems to have gotten it right the second time around, with fans and critics raving about the action sequences (as opposed to the tepid reaction to the first film).

The Movie: “Inside Llewyn Davis”

The Book: A 2006 memoir by folk singer Dave Van Ronk titled “The Mayor of MacDougal Street” documenting the spirit, sound and politics of the 1960s folk scene.
The Adaptation: Loosely based on Van Ronk’s account, directors Joel and Ethan Coen set the film during a brutal 1961 winter in New York. The darkly comic film follows struggling artist Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) as he tries to make a name for himself in the folk scene, earning praise from critics, film festival awards and three Golden Globe nominations.

PHOTOS: 25 young adult novels turned into films

The Movie: “Philomena”

The Book: Based on the 2009 book “The Lost Child of Philomena Lee” written by former BBC foreign correspondent and author Martin Sixsmith.
The Adaptation: Director Stephen Frears brings the true story of a mother’s search for her long-lost son after a forced adoption separated the pair, sending her child to the U.S. Steve Sixsmith (Steve Coogan) accompanies Philomena (Judi Dench) on the journey, 50 years in the making. It opened to mostly excellent reviews, both for the actors and the script, with Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope credited for the movie’s screenplay.

The Movie: “The Wolf of Wall Street”

The Book: Jordan Belfort’s juicy 2008 memoir, with the same title as the movie, details his rise as money-hungry stock broker tangled in crime, corruption and the federal government before stock market fraud landed him 22 months in jail.
The Adaptation: Director Martin Scorsese’s amped up version of the book opens on Christmas Day, and it’s already receiving good word of mouth and reviews. Belfort is played by Leonardo DiCaprio in his fifth collaboration with the director. The film creates composites of other characters in the book, including the one played by Jonah Hill.

ALSO:

Awards campaign for James Franco is suitably Alien

Golden Globes 2014: ‘American Hustle,’ ‘12 Years a Slave’ take lead

‘American Hustle,’ ‘Bad Grandpa’ among hair, makeup Oscar shortlist

Twitter: @AliciaDotBanks|alicia.banks@latimes.com