Book to Film/TV Adaptations

[♥ PrettySarcastic ♥]

I've recently read that sometime in 2025 (yeah they're thinking that far ahead), HBO is in early talks for a live action (you need an account to see links) series.

I personally think the films were fine enough, not perfect, but I really am rather sour on J. K. Rowling anyway so perhaps my opinion is colored by whatever the opposite of rose-colored glasses may be... So why would a television series, even as far out as 2025, be necessary?

Oh well. But it got me thinking about the subject of how Hollywood turns books we love into movies and television series we love, hate, or just have to accept the existence of.

Tell me about some of your favorite - and least favorite - book to film adaptations!

What made it into the movie or series from your book, and what didn't?

Characters, scenes, memorable quotes?

Sharing time!

[basically]

It's really poorly timed because of JKR, but I know many people who've expressed in the past that they'd love a HP TV series. Having a season per book would give it more breathing space and a chance for some of the minor characters/things (like SPEW and the entire house elves subplot) who got axed in the movies to shine. Just feels like too little, too late now. Especially because of how awful the newest HP media has been.

My favourite adaptation (or the one that comes to the top of my head right now) is Perks of Being a Wallflower. I actually preferred it over the book. The main character just came across a lot better in the movie and made the plot feel more realistic to me? It's not exactly one of my favourite films, but it's my favourite because I thought it just did the story better than the original source.

Least favourite is either Percy Jackson or Darren Shan. Both were fantastic young adult book series that got absolutely butchered in film. Really disappointed in the tone of the latter, especially, because it turned into something really hammy. Percy Jackson had the potential to become something like HP or Hunger Games. The film series was just too impatient in aging up the characters and cashing in on the hype post-Hunger Games, making it ultimately forgettable. There's a new TV show in development though, so I have hope.

All YA mentions here but they seem to be the most frequently adapted.

[kittyray]

Giving JK Rowling more money aside, I'd be into a TV show for Harry Potter. I really have been preferring that route for adaptations, just gives more time to really flesh out ideas. Both plotlines that have to get dropped for time and adding things that weren't included in the actual books. I think The Hunger Games is a good example of this with the switch from first to third person. But I also feel like there are a lot of other series out there that could be adapted instead. I've been really enjoying His Dark Materials, and I like the changes they made with the order they tell the story. I also like the idea of taking a story and making a TV show in the same universe � Watchmen on HBO was brilliantly done.

Kind of multitasking right now, so can't think of any good examples, but I'm excited for this topic.

[basically]

I've been really enjoying His Dark Materials, and I like the changes they made with the order they tell the story.

Oooh, now that you've mentioned it, His Dark Materials is a great example of a great book series that got a lacklustre film adaptation first before being redeemed by a new show!

[♥ PrettySarcastic ♥]

Ahhh. I haven't had a chance to watch HDM television show yet but it's like the top of my "to watch" list.

I've had Alice in Wonderland on my mind lately. I was genuinely surprised by how much of the content in the Disney adaptation is direct from Carroll's original book!

[It's in the public domain if you are in the US, and you may read it via Project (you need an account to see links) if you like.]

If you had asked me, "Were flamingos as golf clubs invented by Disney or in the original manuscript?" I would have said Disney, definitely.

Nope, 100% Carroll's nonsense invention. It's brilliant.

[Digipoop]

If anybody ever wanted to read Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita I can't recommend enough watching the early 00's short tv-series too (maybe even before reading the book!). The actors are cast perfectly in my opinion and it follows the plot of the novel very, very closely. The novel is definitely dated in some aspects (being written in the 30's) but I think it's something worth checking out (or at least the series, about 12 episodes). For the novel, I think the Burgin-O'Connor translation is the better one.

Nothing comes to mind in terms of least favorite adaptation.. But I've re-watched the HP movies recently and I don't think I like how the last book was adapted. For some reason the last two films seemed so boring to watch.. I have a like/kinda don't like relationship with the 4th film but I've come to appreciate the 3rd and 6th films more.

[Koto]

I have a lot of.. conflicted feelings around the entire Harry Potter universe and generally loathe JKR. I think that TV is a better medium for book adaptations as a whole: there's more breathing room, you can control the pacing more, things can be explored in a way that the time constraints of a movie don't allow for, you spend more time with the world/characters - to list a few. I think that the movies were fine, but that a show would have served them better the first time around.

His Dark Materials is turning out to be really (unexpectedly!) lovely, which has been really exciting as I love the world that Philip Pullman created! I also really loved the Witcher adaptation! I know that the first few books that the first season was based on are a loose collection of short stories set in the Witcher universe than an actual, cohesive plot, but I loved the time skips and the fact that it was a fun little puzzle for the audience.

I am also, rather unashamedly, a huge fan of the LotR movies. I think that they were wonderfully adapted to film, appropriate changes were made, and overall the storylines were solid and did the books justice. I'm reserving judgement for the Amazon series until I see it, but I am praying to the media gods that it's everything a Tolkien fan could want.

[kittyray]

Ahhh. I haven't had a chance to watch HDM television show yet but it's like the top of my "to watch" list.

I've had Alice in Wonderland on my mind lately. I was genuinely surprised by how much of the content in the Disney adaptation is direct from Carroll's original book!

[It's in the public domain if you are in the US, and you may read it via Project (you need an account to see links) if you like.]

If you had asked me, "Were flamingos as golf clubs invented by Disney or in the original manuscript?" I would have said Disney, definitely.

Nope, 100% Carroll's nonsense invention. It's brilliant.

There was a live-action, I believe made-for-TV adaptation I really liked as a kid, but not sure off the top of my head which version it was. The Disney version isn't bad, and I certainly watched it more times than the live action one (had the VHS of the former). I really liked the books as a kid, and I can't say I've re-read them in full inside of the last decade or two, but still really enjoy them and revisit bits and pieces every so often!

[Donatella Versace]

I am personally a big fan of a series of unfortunate events the book series and the adapation on netflix!

[kittyray]

I am personally a big fan of a series of unfortunate events the book series and the adapation on netflix!

That was so good! I really liked how it was done and I think it captured the vibe of the series really well.


Also this thread reminded me that I pulled out my old Umbrella Academy comics to re-read before watching the series weeks ago, maybe I'll finally get around to that.