Book to on-screen adaptations are either executed extremely well or they are seen as a complete failure. Considering all adaptations have a source material to base their scripts off, one would think that making a good adaptation would be commonplace amongst media. Sadly, here are a few adaptations that unfortunately lost the plot of their own books.
Divergent was one of the most loved dystopian YA books to hit the shelves (and the genre) in the early 2010’s. This series features the dystopian backdrop of the ruins of Chicago and four separate factions ruling over a displaced population. The books take a few weird turns the farther one reads into the series, but it is nothing compared to the movies. To start, the first movie’s script is mediocre at best, with a poorly paced plot and surface-level characters, its only selling point is the self-inserted alternate universe it finds itself set in. Every movie thereafter marks a noticeable step-descent in the movie production, budget, and effort taken.
A Wrinkle in Time, which was published in 1962 and was adapted in 2018. While it was not the worst adaptation on this list, it is also not the best. The film was very fantastical and tended to lean more towards the whimsical visuals and of the story rather than the message of the book, which was the power and the struggle between good and evil. Because of this, many people felt it missed the mark and almost became a different story entirely. If the film had been a standalone, without the book for the audience to reference it would have been a well-written movie, but because it was not, this adaptation makes the list.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians has been a staple in YA books since the 2000’s, and for good reason. The books are well-paced, have engaging characters, a fleshed-out plotline, a romance for the ages, and an overhanging arc to the story that concludes perfectly at the end. Not to say that it does not have flaws, every series does, but out of all the books on this list, this would have to be an audience favorite. However, the movie adaptation of these books (not to be confused with the newly adapted TV series) basically took the characters’ names out of the story, the general setting where the books take place, and wrote their own story. These movies performed so badly at the box office that only two were ever made, which was two too many according to the author of PJO, Rick Riordan, himself.
It is difficult to judge movie adaptations of great novels on their own. With fantastic source material and already established fan bases, expectations are always high, but these three adaptations, while possibly good on their own, seriously pale in comparison. Nevertheless, enjoyment is subjective, but just remember, the book is always better.
