From Harry Potter to The Hunger Games to Lord of the Rings, many of our favorite movies and shows once started as great books. So, what makes a good book-to-screen adaptation? And why adapt something that is so beloved to the big screen? Screen adaptations often bring our imaginations to life and allow us to experience the world we already love in a whole new way. Let’s dive into some of the best book-to-screen adaptations of all time!
What Makes a Good Book-to-Screen Adaptation?
First off, good screen adaptations involve dynamic characters, exciting storylines, and intriguing relationships. The adaptation has to be a refreshing take on the storyline, one worthy of the audience’s attention. Often, successful adaptations include a universal theme, one that a broad audience can relate to. The pacing has to fit that of the story, and the movie can’t feel too rushed or like too much of the book has been left out. For more information on what makes an excellent book-to-screen adaptation, check out the following link!
What Are the Downsides to Book-to-Screen Adaptations?
Although some people like seeing their favorite books play out on screen, others prefer to have their favorite characters live untouched in their imaginations. So often, beloved characters never translate to the screen in the ways we thought they would, and usually, studios cast someone who is too far from who we pictured a character being while reading. Similarly, if you watch a show or movie before reading the book and then go back and read it, it is hard to visualize the characters as anyone but whoever Hollywood has already cast in that role. It takes a little bit out of the experience of reading, which should be to create the world as you see fit in your head.
Let’s be honest: the screen adaptation rarely holds up to the book. There’s a reason the phrase “the book was better than the movie” is so popular. On-screen, things are usually cut for time, budgetary reasons, or the limitations of the medium itself, and often, many things from the book are left out. However, I would argue that sometimes, this is a necessity. After all, who would want to watch a five-hour movie?
What Are Some of the Most Popular Book-to-Screen Adaptations?
For this section, each book-to-screen adaptation was broken down by category. Some of the categories included are franchises, classics, young adult adaptations, and limited series adaptations.
Franchises: Divergent, The Hunger Games, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, The Maze Runner
Classics: To Kill a Mockingbird, Gone with the Wind, Little Women, Pride & Prejudice
Young adult novels: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Twilight, Heartstopper, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Limited series’: Little Fires Everywhere, Big Little Lies, Normal People, Daisy Jones and the Six, Tiny Beautiful Things
To see more of the best book-to-screen adaptations, check out this link!
What Are Some Upcoming Book-to-Screen Releases?
Recent movie adaptations have included Dune 2, Killers of the Flower Moon, and The Color Purple, while recent TV releases have included shows such as The Three-Body Problem, One Day, and Heartstopper. (Read more of our The Three-Body Problem review here.
With so much content being released across a variety of different streaming services, there are bound to be some new on-screen adaptations coming soon. Some of these upcoming releases include Apples Never Fall, The Idea of You, Bridgerton (season 3), and It Ends with Us. Check out more forthcoming releases here.
Additional Information
Arguably, one of the biggest anticipated releases is the upcoming third installment of the Dune series. Here, Total Apex writer Zachary Roberts talks more about the final installment of this beloved franchise. For a more general look at some upcoming releases, check out this link!
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