Story that should be a ballet: How about Steven Millhauser's short story, The Illusionist? But, rather than the original story line, the movie adaptation?
The Harry Potter proposal earlier is, of course, wonderful. But, hard to choose a coherent sequence. So, would that suggest a series, over several years? The real way to build new audiences.
Moving on, what about Annie Proulx's The Shipping News? Too long, too many dark elements?
Has someone done Austen's Pride and Prejudice?
I'm getting carried away, so shall stop.