Movies succeed, flop with popular new young adult book series
The current reliance on novel-based films is uncreative, but these kinds of movies can nonetheless become critically successful with the right cast, screenwriter and director.
The recently-released “Hunger Games” turned out to be great thanks to Jennifer Lawrence as the lead heroine and Gary Ross’s careful use of the material while directing.
However, the major reason why movies studios adapt novels, particularly young-adult novels, into films is for the opportunity to score big at the box office. That is why most of these kinds of movies, with a few expectations, end up in the pile of rejected movie franchises. Let’s take a look at some these attempts to make film adaptations of young-adult novel: the good and the bad.
The “Harry Potter” film franchise is definitely the most successful line of novel-based films. Perhaps the best aspect of the entire series was the pleasure of watching the three leads grow into their roles, making the moment during the finale when they were waving goodbye to their children completely emotional. The series also saw its share of different directors, each taking a darker approach to the source material. All of the films featured dazzling special effects, great acting from its established supporting cast and successful portrayals of the heart of the novels.
First of all, did you really expect me to not add “Twilight” films as one of the worst films in this list? Next to “Harry Potter,” the “Twilight” movies are definitely some of the most successful young adult novel-based films to date. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are good. The first was decent at the most, but then came the sequels that dragged the series down for the following reasons: terrible writing, uninspired acting and the presence of Taylor Lautner. Let’s all be thankful that the series will soon be over, as “Breaking Dawn — Part 2” will be in theaters this fall. Oh, did I forget to mention that another Stephanie Meyer novel is getting a movie deal?
At first, it seemed that “Eragon” was going to be the next medieval fantasy epic to follow “The Lord of the Rings.” Then again, it was based off a series of novels written by a 15-year-old. There’s sword fighting, magic and dragon riding, but “Eragon” turned out to be a lifeless, derivative mess with the quality of an original movie on Syfy. Let me put it to you this: “Eragon” was so bad that Avril Lavigne wrote a song for the film.
People may have called “Chronicles of Narnia’s” approach to its source material to be too safe with its PG rating, but the movie did successfully capture the imagination of the novel. The visual effects were completely first-rate and the coming-of-age story was compelling. The casting was also top-notch, especially in the supporting roles with James McAvoy as Thomas the Faun, Tilda Swinton as the White Witch and Liam Neeson as the voice of Aslan.
The top reason why “I Am Number Four” failed as a potential movie trilogy was the simple fact that the film was released six months after the book was released. That really isn’t enough time to develop a built-in audience or create a much-needed amount of hype to attract audiences. The story centered on a group of alien teenagers who are hiding on Earth from a menacing group of bald, tattooed aliens. Like what I said with “Eragon,” “I Am Number Four” has the quality of a made-for-Syfy film. The action scenes and special effects no doubt won audiences over, but “I Am Number Four” was just another attempt to win over the “tweens” with its young cast and sappy love story.
Remember this movie? You know, the one that was completely lambasted by the Catholic Church and practically scared New Line Cinema from making any sequels. I’m considering “The Golden Compass” in the worst category because it just wasn’t a good idea — not because it was bad (because it wasn’t). Meant to be the first in a series of adaptations of Phillip Pullman’s trilogy, the movie was eventually dragged down by the derivative number of concepts introduced, including talking bears, flying cowboys, spirit animals and religious debates over the location of the soul. Even with an all-star cast that included Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig and visual effects worthy of an Academy Award, the film attracted too much controversy for a possible sequel.