While there certainly has never been a lack of film and TV adaptations, this year streaming services and the box office have been abundant with them. From Christopher Nolan’s projected Oscars front-runner The Odyssey to Netflix’s limited series East of Eden (an adaptation of John Steinbeck’s 1952 book) and Amazon Prime’s The Love Hypothesis adaptation, there is no book genre safe from Hollywood producers.
Book to screen adaptations are a profitable pursuit, as there tends to be a strong and interested viewer base. There is a reason there has been seven major “Little Women” film adaptations and a never ending stream of new Jane Austen projects, this year seeing Sense and Sensibility and The Other Bennet Sister. However, while an already established fanbase helps with promotion, it can also create expectations.
“The book was better” is a phrase that follows every adaptation no matter how faithful to the source material or how critically acclaimed it is. While there is no way to appease everyone, some attempts have seen more success than others. Released in July of this year, The Odyssey film adaptation was without a doubt a box office success, yet many people felt that it was a poor translation of Homer’s epic poem.
One of the biggest book-to-TV fumbles, the later seasons of Game of Thrones and its successor show House of the Dragon display how straying from the source material can lead to the alienation of the fanbase. Season three of House of the Dragon garnered criticism for departures in both plot points and theme from its literary origins. This contrasts with the other George R. R. Martin project released this year. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was received very positively by fans. While not every detail was faithful to the original, the overall themes and tone satisfied the viewer base.
Epic fantasy, dramas and classics are not the only books being adapted. There have been a plethora of romance book adaptations with cult followings. As seen from Heated Rivalry, Off Campus, Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation (and her other upcoming adaptions), as well as the highly anticipated Fourth Wing movie. These projects are both loudly praised and harshly criticised across the internet, but absolutely viral successes nonetheless.
“cinema seats” by mark lorch is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
