Icons exist in every industry, and our bookshelves are no exception to their presence. All readers dream of seeing their favorite characters jump out of the pages and materialize in front of their eyes. But the best they get is a film adaptation of their favorite books. Unfortunately, page to reel transitions do not always create the magic we imagine. Sometimes, we even boo at the once loved plot just because it didn’t come out the way it was supposed to. This is why some fans and even some authors have reservations about having their beloved manuscripts adapted into screenplays.
The success of a book-to-film adaptation is often measured on the revenue of the film or the popularity of the series. Some classics that were initially thought to be a sure thing end up tanking in the box office. Why is that?
A primary reason is our imaginations always have better cinematography than any CGI or any sort of actor in the industry. Books like Stephen King’s Dark Tower and Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game were fan favorites that almost testify how a movie shy of two-hours cannot give justice to the pages upon pages that describe a whole new world. Perhaps books like these are better left off the screen or perhaps they are just ahead of their time.
The good news is that not all great books make terrible movies. Authors are now more involved in the production of a movie and more careful about selling their masterpieces to Hollywood! This pleases fans a great deal and creates a better connection between industries. In turn, companies like The Metro Films are giving authors more of a say of what and where the production of their book-to-movie adaptation will go so that in the end, we all live happily ever after!
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