Everything from comic books to novels can be adapted into movies or television series. Two of the top franchises in the world, Marvel and Harry Potter, are adaptations. Marvel movies are loose adaptations of Marvel Comics, and the Harry Potter movies were adapted from the bestselling series by J.K. Rowling. “Little Women” and “Pride and Prejudice” are also classics- in the movie and literature departments. However, there seems to be a shift forming from movies to series. “Looking For Alaska” and “Normal People” are two books that were turned into mini-series that came out on Hulu in the past few years. Another widely popular novel-to-show adaptation is “The Queen’s Gambit”, which came out on Netflix in 2020. 

Many more adaptations are coming soon or were recently released such as “The Wheel of Time”, a 19-book series that recently became a show on Amazon Prime Video, and “Dune”, a newly released sci-fi film starring Oscar Isaac and Timothée Chalamet. Coming up soon is a television series based around the popular young adult series by Victoria Aveyard, “Red Queen”, on Peacock. There is a good mix of movies and shows that are coming up, which poses a certain question: what is the best way to adapt a book?

Structural Differences 

People who argue for the series or mini-series format usually claim that episodes work better with the chapter format. There is much more screen time for characters, which allows for more characterization and more time to explain the plot. Complaints about movie adaptations usually come from these sort of problems, whether it be disappointment in the way the characters were portrayed, or annoyance to changes in the plot or storyline. The format of these shows can keep everyone’s favorite dynamic characters from falling flat on the big screen. One episode of a series can be almost half of the length of a feature film, so there is much more time to dive deep into each aspect of the book. 

Box Office Issues

Many fans have been more pleased with the series versions of their favorite books. However, many production companies have turned to movies because they tend to be more successful than series. Mini-series tend to be somewhat forgettable and it is harder to make a series memorable. Also, the extended amount of screentime may drive viewers who haven’t read the book away as they won’t be as dedicated to the characters. A movie’s budget is spent all on the two-to-three hours that it lasts, but a show has to divide an overall budget between episodes, which also allows for some movies to be better quality. Obviously, the success of a show or film really depends on the reactions of audiences, and a budget can’t buy success. However, if movies tend to do better, then more companies may prefer this method, despite fans popularly wanting more series. 

On the other hand, series or mini-series having smaller budgets can open the door for many actors looking for their big break. Casting is a very important part of the recreation of books, and sometimes the best choices are actors who many have never heard of before. 

The Big Picture

In the end, both films and series can portray books well. It all depends on the writers and producers of the show. Many people did not enjoy the movie adaptation of their favorite movie. That doesn’t necessarily mean they would have enjoyed it if those same writers had been in charge of a series adaptation of the same series. Regardless of the format, it is always great to see literature brought to life in front of our eyes, and hopefully more authors get amazing chances for their works to be adapted for fans!