To celebrate the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, I’ve drawn up a short list of novel adaptations due to hit cinemas next year, which I expect to be pretty spectacular. This is just a small sample of a number of great looking adaptations due out in 2013, ordered by release date. A  word of warning, if you are unfamiliar with the story of The Hobbit, the final choice could perhaps be considered a spoiler.

1)    The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 masterpiece, The Great Gatsby, is a classic, which many would not hesitate to call one of the greatest novels of the 20^th century. Set in the US during the roaring twenties, the novel immerses the reader in the superficially glamorous world of the Jazz Age, and introduces them to the mysterious millionaire, Jay Gatsby.

The Great Gatsby has been adapted countless times, but the latest version set to grace the silver screen looks spectacular. Directed by Baz Luhrmann, who is no stranger to cinematic opulence, having helmed films such as Moulin Rouge, the movie boasts an A-list cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Isla Fisher and Tobey Maguire. If the trailers are any indication, the film will be as glamorous and lively as the decade it depicts, ensuring fans of the book are not disappointed.

The Great Gatsby is scheduled for release in May 2013.

2)    Ender’s Game

Ender’s Game is a 1985 science-fiction novel by Orson Scott Card, which won both the Nebula award and the Hugo award, the two most prestigious titles in the sci-fi genre. It follows the path of Ender Wiggin, a boy genius, as he thinks and fights his way through Battle School; the most brutal military training program in the galaxy. An army of bug-like aliens is intent on destroying the human race, and Ender may be the only one that can lead the forces of Earth to victory. But first he has to survive his training.

Ender’s Game; the movie, is an idea that has floated around for a long time, and has finally gained enough traction to become reality. The film is directed by Gavin Hood (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), and features a strong cast of young stars, including Asa Butterfield (Hugo) as the eponymous Ender, and Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) as his sister, Valentine. Experience on set is provided by acting behemoth Ben Kingsley and, a man who is no stranger to battling aliens, Harrison Ford.If the talented cast can do the novel justice, I have no doubt that it will not only be the greatest science fiction movie of the year, but one of the greatest films of the year.

Ender’s Game is set for release in October 2013.

3)    The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

This month sees the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first in a new trilogy of films set in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth. The Desolation of Smaug is the second installment in this trilogy, centred around Bilbo and the dwarves’ dealings with the dragon, Smaug. After riddles in the dark, I think the desolation of Smaug is the strongest part of Tolkien’s prequel to The Lord of The Rings, and I can’t wait to see it on the big screen. I’m sure that after fans have seen The Hobbit – An Unexpected Journey, this sentiment will be shared by millions.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug will be released in December 2013.