By Tessa @TessaTalksBooks Posted on

Book Blogger Hop | Book or Series I can See Getting Made into a Movie and not being Horribly Re-written

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The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer @ Crazy-For-Books in March 2010 and ended on December 31, 2012. With Jennifer’s permission, Billy @ Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer relaunched the hop on February 15, 2013. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop’s purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to their own blog.

Question:

What book or series can you see getting made into a movie and not being horribly re-written?

(submitted by SJ @ Airin’ My Dirty Laundry) 

Answer:

When I first read this question, I thought two things – I partially answered this last week, and, two, ANY book or series could be adapted poorly and often are.

When I heard that they were making Janet Evanovich’s first Stephanie Plum story into a movie (many years ago), I thought that was an adaptation that they couldn’t muck up. Then, they cast Katherine Heigl as Stephanie Plum. I like Katherine Heigl, but she just wasn’t the right fit for a Hungarian-Italian New Jersey girl with curly brown hair and blue eyes who bumbles her way through every apprehension in a slapstick manner. They dyed her hair and made it have natural messiness, but her carriage is wrong for slapstick. The dialogue just didn’t sit well or feel natural on her. And the slapstick moments weren’t funny – at all. That adaptation was horribly rewritten.

Then, I saw an interview with Lana Condor, and I had an aha moment. Lana plays Lara Jean in the cute YA film trilogy (that Netflix adapted from books) To All the Boys. I realized that every rom-com I’ve seen adapted from a book, I would rate it as good. Of course, I think I’ve always seen the movie first, which probably makes a difference. But if I have to pick a book from a genre that I didn’t think could be messed up, I would look to a rom-com that I have enjoyed – anyone that I’ve enjoyed, like the one I kept talking about last year – The Gin Lovers Guide to Dating by Nine Kaye. I don’t think they could adapt that badly and I’d love to see it.

What adaption do you think was an epic fail? And/or what potential adaptation do you think is fool proof?

19 Replies to “Book Blogger Hop | Book or Series I can See Getting Made into a Movie and not being Horribly Re-written”

  1. Staci Troilo says:

    I think there are always problems to be found with something, but in general, the Harry Potter series was well done when it was adapted for the screen. (I don’t want to talk about Goblet of Fire. Like I said, there are always problems.)

    I think Stephen King adaptations are hit or miss. Misery was pretty great. The first try at The Stand was pretty bad. I haven’t seen the second.

    Percy Jackson? That, to me, was a fail.

    But it’s all subject to interpretation, right?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tessa says:

      I agree about Percy Jackson. It missed any depth or richness that the book had whereas Harry Potter fortunately captured that aspect.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Teri Polen says:

    As a King fan, I have to agree with Staci, his are hit or miss. I haven’t seen this new version of The Stand, but I like the actors they’ve cast and have high hopes for it. I haven’t read any of the Plum novels, but just from reading reviews of them I knew Heigl didn’t seem to fit the part. Have a great weekend, Tessa!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tessa says:

      I don’t watch or read many King books/movies but the ones I have – the book and film are definitely worlds apart. Have a wonderful weekend 😊

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Kelly says:

    Behind Her Eyes (Sarah Pinborough) is coming to Netflix next week, it could be all kinds of awesome and it could go all kinds of wrong, I’m really hoping for the former!

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Mae Clair says:

    I know everyone loves The Shining adaptation with Jack Nicholson, but it didn’t work for me at all. I actually thought the TV movie was closer to the book. On the flip side, I positively LOVED the original Salem’s Lot adaptation with David Soul.

    LOTR is just astounding, and I have to mention Jaws (again) because it was so well done. 😉

    I’m eagerly looking forward to Woman in the Window and hope they don’t screw it up. I’ve also heard rumors that Netflix might be adapting Leave the World Behind. Fingers crossed on that one, too.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tessa says:

      Definitely fingers-crossed for the upcoming Netflix adaptations 🤞. And I totally agree about LOTR. I remember when the movie first came on the big screen. I think my jaw literally dropped. I felt like I stepped into the book. ❤️

      Liked by 1 person

  5. nickimags @ Secret Library Book Blog says:

    Well I really didn’t like the Narnia films in fact I only watched the first one and couldn’t face any more because I though the children weren’t convincing enough. I have found that good books make terrible adaptions, but bad books make good ones, if that makes sense?

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Louise H says:

    I would also say the Harry Potter were done quite well overall. I’ve not read The Hunger Games but I did enjoy the films of that. The Lord of the Rings films were pretty good too, which gives me hope that other fantasy books could be adapted.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Jonetta (Ejaygirl) | Blue Mood Café says:

    I think now the In Death series could be made into a movie/series. There’s so much talent out there now to successfully manage book adaptations in this genre. In the not too long ago past they were relegated to Lifetime network status. Now that Netflix, Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video have shown them how to do it, I have hope.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tessa says:

      This is true. I think the streaming services have, for the most part, elevated book adaptations. They have such a wonderful film quality to them.

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Gemma says:

    Heigl was definitely miscast and on top of that Ranger and Morelli were so boring! But if Netflix or some company were willing to do justice by the series I’d eat it up!

    An epic fail to me would still be A Song of Ice and Fire and for me that started long before the final season.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tessa says:

      I truly don’t remember Ranger and Morelli from the movie and that’s just sad, but I’m with you – if Netflix or someone wants to do it right, I’m there front and center ❤️

      Like

  9. Literary Feline says:

    A rom-com novel with the perfect cast, director and screenwriter can be really good. I kind of liked One For the Money–stress on the “kind of”. It was a terrible adaptation, I agree, but it had its moments.

    I hope you have a great weekend!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tessa says:

      I think if I hadn’t been so distracted by what horrified me, I would have found things I like. I was just way too disgruntled. 🤣

      Like

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