Genius: MLK/X. Poster of the 2024 movie and cover of the 2020 book, Sword and the Shield
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Sword and the Shield
Peniel E. Joseph, 2020
movie vs book
Kenneth Biller, Suzan-Lori Parks, 2024-

MLK/X delves into the lives of the iconic figures of the civil rights era, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. This docu-drama series provides an intimate portrayal of their intricate roles as husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons, offering a perspective beyond the iconic T-shirts to reveal their humanity.


Mudbound. Poster of the 2017 movie and cover of the 2008 book
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Mudbound
Hillary Jordan, 2008
movie vs book
Dee Rees, 2017

In Mississippi Delta farm country, Henry McAllan and his younger brother Jamie dig a grave and struggle to lower their deceased Pappy’s coffin into it. When the Jacksons, a black sharecropper family, pass by in a wagon, Henry asks the father, Hap, for help. Henry seems uncomfortable asking; Hap hesitates to reply.


Monster. Poster of the 2018 movie and cover of the 1999 book
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Monster
Walter Dean Myers, 1999
movie vs book
Anthony Mandler, 2018

Monster tells the story of Steve Harmon, a seventeen-year-old honor student whose world comes crashing down around him when he is charged with felony murder. The film follows his dramatic journey from a smart, likeable film student from Harlem attending an elite high school through a complex legal battle that could leave him spending the rest of his life in prison.


Cyrano. Poster of the 2021 movie and cover of the 1897 book, Cyrano de Bergerac
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Cyrano de Bergerac
Edmond Rostand, 1897
movie vs book
Joe Wright, 2021

A man ahead of his time, Cyrano de Bergerac dazzles whether with ferocious wordplay at a verbal joust or with brilliant swordplay in a duel. But, convinced that his appearance renders him unworthy of the love of a devoted friend, the luminous Roxanne, Cyrano has yet to declare his feelings for her—and Roxanne has fallen in love, at first sight, with Christian.


JT LeRoy. Poster of the 2018 movie and cover of the 2008 book, Girl Boy Girl: How I Became JT Leroy
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Girl Boy Girl: How I Became JT Leroy
Savannah Knoop, 2008
movie vs book
Justin Kelly, 2018

The true story behind JT LeRoy, a character created by Laura Albert who writes as a young, queer man. When her debut novel becomes a best-seller and JT becomes the darling of the literary world, she comes up with a unique solution to preserve her anonymity but give life to her nom-de-plume. Together with her boyfriend’s sister, they embark on a wild ride of double lives, infiltrating the Hollywood and literary elite, only to discover who they are while pretending to be someone else.