Have you ever watched a movie and thought it was amazing, only to find out it was a book first? Odds are you have, or at the very least, seen a book adaptation without realizing it.
Book adaptations – whether it’s a movie, TV show, musical/play, etc. – have a history of overall success. Just one look at the IMDb box office rankings over the last couple of years would confirm that. This is a driving factor for companies looking to produce many adaptations across various platforms.
As audience members, we have seen plenty of good and bad book adaptations. To ensure you never have to experience the awful ones again, I’ve narrowed it down to two main traits that distinguish the flops from the hits: audience connection and adaptation structure.
Audience connection
One of the biggest challenges with any book adaptation is the plot. In long or complex series, some of the subplots may be cut.
For many fans, these narratives are viewed as critical components to the story, and are upset when they are removed. If readers’ favorite moments are taken away to appeal to a wider audience, the company could be losing out on the profits from the people who are typically guaranteed to watch, and the people who made the story popular in the first place.
It is understandable that adaptations have a time constraint, while books don’t, and that some elements of the narrative may have to be altered to fit the adaptation’s format.All the more reason why picking the right medium for the adaptation is necessary for its success.
Books that are 500+ pages long may not do well in a movie format, as cramming the whole plot in one film may feel rushed to readers. Likewise, a book that is around 300 pages or less may feel dragged on in the format of a TV series.
Adaptation structure
Once the plot is set, the next step is determining the perspective. If the book is written from a first-person point of view, the adaptation must capture the essence of the story by substituting the critical information the reader gets from an internal monologue. For instance, some movies opt to go with voice-overs. If this is not overdone, it can be the perfect balance. How this aspect is tackled will change the entire experience for the audience.
In addition to the medium, there are certain platforms and companies that may be better at adaptations. Some companies allocate a lower budget to adaptations than others, which could cause conflict over creative differences. If these differences are highly apparent in the work, such as awful CGI or cringy acting, it distracts the audience.
Yes, the entertainment industry is an art form where everyone has their own opinions. Yes, it is impossible to fully satisfy or please everyone. Of course, I enjoy seeing my favorite characters or storylines come to life in unique ways.
However, people need to understand that a book is not a movie, a TV show or a play. It’s a book. The original source material and the adaptation are two completely different versions of a tale. Stop comparing them. In fact, some of the most lucrative adaptations come from the companies that are not afraid to make changes as needed.
Book adaptations are not going to stop. They are considered lower risk, have plenty of content to choose from and can more easily meet the production needs of the industry. Look at the trailer or advertising and see if the movie meets at least one of the two criteria defined above. If it does not, it’s likely pointless to watch.
