Thanks to its stellar cast and memorable backstory, A Million Little Pieces is one of the many upcoming book-to-movie adaptations [1] you should have on your radar. The film is based on James Frey's 2003 bestselling book about his struggle with addiction and recovery. Released as a memoir, Frey's book became the center of a controversy soon after it was published, stealing headlines after reports of Frey embellishing parts of his story came to light. Oprah Winfrey [2] had chosen his title for her book club, but after the facts of the story were questioned, she publicly rebuked him on her show.
The book's backstory is reason enough to be intrigued by the upcoming film, but even better, big names are attached to star. Keep reading to see all the information we've rounded up about the buzzy movie so far, then check out even more books to read before they become films [3]!
The Book
Originally released as a memoir in 2003, A Million Little Pieces captures Frey's experience as a young alcoholic and drug abuser who enters a rehab facility for treatment. There, he meets several interesting people who shape his experience and his recovery efforts.
The True Story and Related Controversy
A couple of years after the book came out, Oprah selected Frey's work for her book club. Months later, reports [4] revealed that parts of the book had been exaggerated [5] and some of the details were made up.
She confronted Frey on her show [6], frustrated that the book wasn't as true to life as originally implied. "I feel duped," she said, telling him she felt he'd "betrayed" readers. Since then, Oprah has acknowledged that she was hard on him. "Over the years, I've always tried to maintain the position of nonjudgment and being able to find the thread of light — a way in to see that person as a human being and look at them with some sense of compassion," she said. "And I did not do that with James Frey."
The Star
Actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays the lead in the film.
The Director
It's a husband-and-wife project! Aaron Taylor-Johnson's wife, Sam Taylor-Johnson, is the film's director.
The Cast
Other members of the cast include actress Carla Juri, Charlie Hunnam [7] (as Frey's brother), and Billy Bob Thornton [8], who plays one of the men Frey meets at the recovery clinic.
The Release Date
A release date hasn't been announced yet, but in the meantime, you can follow the cast and crew on social media [11] for more sneak peeks.