Books That Became Golden Globe-Winners

For anyone who only knew the story of Pinocchio from the Disney film (no, not the 2022 live-action one) and then saw Guillermo del Toro’s much darker version, prepare to be surprised again when reading the strange and scary original story. (“The Talking Cricket,” as he’s known in the book, dies in the span of two pages.) Del Toro’s interpretation won the Best Animated Motion Picture award in 2023, and was nominated for Best Original Score and Best Original Song.

Chess prodigy Beth Harmon’s defiant charm captivated audiences as well as the Golden Globe committee in 2021. The Netflix show won Best Television Motion Picture and is based on the book of the same name, inspired by various elements of the author — and Class C chess competitor — Tevis’ life.

When addiction touched Hari’s family, Hari set out to learn the truth about the illness. His shocking findings, including how the war on drugs began with the great jazz singer Billie Holiday’s death at the hands of a racist policeman, became a viral TED Talk, a documentary series “The Fix,” and the feature film that earned Andra Day her first Golden Globe for Best Actress.

Lamb’s acclaimed novel about a man dealing with the aftermath of a shocking act committed by his paranoid schizophrenic twin brother became an HBO limited drama series largely helmed by Mark Ruffalo. In addition to winning Best Actor for playing both twins, Dominick and Thomas Birdsey, Ruffalo was also an executive producer of the show.

This wickedly funny and charming one-woman play reads less like a theatrical performance and more like the unfiltered stream of consciousness of an unsympathetic narrator you can’t help but root for. After taking this dark comedy to the stage, Waller-Bridge proceeded to write, produce, and star in the adaptation that earned the series a Best Musical/Comedy win and her a Best Actress statue.

If you were engrossed in the HBO series “Chernobyl” that won Best Picture, you won’t be able to turn away from this oral history about the worst nuclear disaster in history. This heart-pumping recount of unspeakable danger, political corruption, and the scientists who worked tirelessly to bring the truth to light is beautifully written by a Nobel Prize in Literature winner.

A searing portrayal of American marriage and the sacrifices, betrayals, and gender roles it entails, complete with a twist ending you won’t see coming. The movie version earned Glenn Close her third Best Actress Golden Globe in 2019.

The dystopian classic won Best Drama and Best Television Actress in 2018. More than an argument for women’s rights, Atwood’s tale is a brilliant commentary on the effects of dehumanization, putting law above love, and the dangers of picking sides and uncritically sticking with them.

Before its Golden Globe win and Oscar nomination, the hit film was adapted from this book about the making of a terrifically bad movie. The resulting film-adapted-from-a-book-about-a-movie is pure entertainment, no matter how you consume it.

Isaacson’s exclusive biography on the co-founder of Apple brings this generation’s leading innovator to life again through interviews and anecdotes, and provided the behind-the-scenes details for Aaron Sorkin’s award-winning retelling.

The fictional tale of King Henry VIII — and his looming downfall as he struggles to find an heir before his court descends into chaos — took home the Man Booker Prize before its adaptation won the award for Best Television Motion Picture in 2016.

Genova, a neuroscientist who specializes in Alzheimer’s, uses fiction to explore the physical and emotional effects of the disease. Alice is a respected Ivy League professor with a happy family, but her world comes crashing down when she’s diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. This fierce, emotional debut captures graceful bravery in the face of a devastating illness. Julianne Moore won Best Actress in 2015 for her portrayal of Alice.