Top 20 Books That Should've NEVER Been Made Into Movies

These books NEVER should have been made into movies. For this list, we’ll be looking at printed works that, for one reason or another, just didn’t translate to the big screen. Our countdown includes "Eragon," "The Giver," "The Lovely Bones," and more! Which of these stories did YOU like way more on the page? Let us know in the comments!
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MsMojo is a leading producer of reference online video content of Top 10 Lists, Origins, Biographies, Commentary and more on Pop Culture, Celebrity, Movies, Music, TV, Film, Video Games, Politics, News, Comics, Superheroes. Your trusted authority on ranking Pop Culture.
#Books #Movies #Adaptation #Novels #Literature

[@MsMojo]

Which of these stories did YOU like way more on the page? Let us know below, and check out our video of the Top 20 Book to Movie Adaptations of the Century So Far - kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqS2mqqdd92Fjtk

[@meganthompson6676]

Eragon. Mainly because it's the only movie on this list whose book I read first.

[@dreamguardian8320]

I like Fire and Blood in the book more than the TV show House of the Dragon.

[@mellow9827]

The series unfortunate events with Jim Carrey playing, count Olaf in it. The movie was bad, the Netflix version was better.

[@ClassifiedRanTom]

I don't think it's "Should've NEVER been made", I think it's more "Should have been made better"!

[@JennA-uf6lo]

I can’t believe Peter Jackson turning The Hobbit, a 250-page straightforward story, into an 8-hour *trilogy* didn’t even make the dishonorable mentions.

[@dinocub1]

Each movie made a ton of money, so considered a success. Yes Jackson took extreme liberties with the original source material, however, I still enjoyed the movies thoroughly.

[@abellewis3062]

It was still a box office success. Enough said.

[@JennA-uf6lo]

Whether they made a ton of money is irrelevant. I’m pretty sure making a ton of money was the point of bloating that simple story almost beyond recognition, so yay them. I still maintain that they should have given it as much care as they did with TLotR. Yeah, there were a couple of unnecessary changes in that one (the whole Aragorn fighting a Warg and falling off a cliff was stupid), but even with my nitpicks that trilogy stayed true to the heart of the source material. But The Hobbit? Nope, it didn’t need all that extra stuff and I will always believe it completely went off the rails.

[@abellewis3062]

@@JennA-uf6lo Ok.

[@ThePirateprincess23]

I remember reading both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy in high school (The Fellowship of the Ring was just released into theaters and I had wanted to see it so bad that my mom actually suggested that I read the book first). While The Hobbit trilogy started out well with An Unexpected Journey and had a strong follow up with The Desolation of Smaug, The Battle of the Five Armies was so weak and confusing that it makes you wish that Peter Jackson should have stayed with his original plan of making 2 Hobbit films instead of 3.

[@Lukeno52]

Artemis Fowl is definitely a glaring omission here. The entire character's arc is far too complex for a film to actually work since he is almost completely dislikeable until a couple of books in, but the changes from the book for the film made literally 0 sense; they completely changed the entire character of Artemis and they got rid of half of the point of Holly's story arc as well.

[@trinaq]

"Paper Towns" was alright, but appeared to miss the entire point of the book. Along the way, Q learns that Margo wasn't the person that he thought that she was, and there was a lot more to her than a mere Manic Pixie Dream Girl. However, in the film, she's EXACTLY the person that Q expected her to be.

[@SConArt87]

The problem with the Eragon movie was just HOW much of the important story notes they left out. I'm looking forward to the DisneyPlus series that Paolini is writing the screenplay for.

[@aliceramdom.s]

the CGI was bad

[@waittillfamewtf2385]

"Fifty Shades of Grey" (2011) ✒️ E. L. James

[@LauraFromMarkerQuest]

Those books shouldn't exist either.

[@TheCommenterDragon]

As a kid I loved the live action Cat in the Hat film! But as an adult I can understand why a lot of people hated the adaptatian I mean I guess it could've been better, But there's no denying that the actors all did an outstanding job with their performances!

[@julieta8683]

I'm in complete and total agreement 👍🏻

[@garveyneal1672]

Well I'm hoping that Warner Bros animation Pictures version will do something that's appealing both kids and adults and do better than the last one did.

[@IAmMissingnoMaster]

I think forbidding any future live action adaptations of Dr. Seuss's stuff is a gross overreaction. OK, sure, the Cat in the Hat wasn't all that, but does How The Grinch Stole Christmas count for nothing? Jim Carrey absolutely _nailed_ it as the Grinch!

[@jasonramirez3856]

Yes, except for Mike Myers honestly. He was totally mis-casted as the Cat in the Hat.

[@monsterjamfan100xtreme4]

Not to slam Bo Welch badly, but I think he could’ve been better if directing the sets other than actors (from what I’ve heard, he’s pretty competent when it comes to directing sets) and yet actors did a pretty good job and I don’t blame myers for anything since universal forced him to be in the movie otherwise he would’ve been sued from them (not kidding that would’ve happened)

[@davidlance5310]

Replace Cat in the Hat, Hitchhiker’s Guide & Watchmen with the Hobbit, Twilight & 50 Shades of Grey series & this list would’ve been solid

[@jimbo9208]

but those movies sucked

[@davidlance5310]

@@jimbo9208 well hearing that Hitchhiker’s is getting another tv series remake makes me believe WatchMojo will take back what they said about it. Also Watchmen’s biggest mistake was not having a squid but still tried to do more with the source material in ultimate cut & then the tv show cleared up Snyder’s ignorance in not to use the squid. Cat in the Hat was more than just some house crasher, he was at heart a teacher for the kids. If anything, Artemis Fowl is a bigger insult than all those entries combined

[@kylerogers6811]

@@davidlance5310 no it wouldn’t change the fact that the movie version still sucked lol

[@hunterolaughlin]

Except The Hobbit can work as a film if it stayed as one film and loyal to the book and used the elements from the films that did stay true to source material such as Bilbo’s meeting with the dwarfs, Riddles in the Dark and encounter with Smaug. There’s at least potential with a Hobbit film, so I wouldn’t say it’s unfilmable.

[@georgeray1906]

​@@hunterolaughlinYeah since Rankin Bass did a pretty good adaptation of the Hobbit.

[@stephenking5852]

The Golden Compass didn’t just leave out the anti-religious themes. It also relied too much on exposition.

[@aliceramdom.s]

I liked it but yeah

[@joyunicycle]

Forgot these honorable mentions: - Ella Enchanted - 2010's Gulliver's Travels - Mommy Dearest - Artimis Fowl Any I forgot?

[@beethovensfidelio]

The Bonfire of the Vanities (since the other Tom Hanks films are terrible adaptations: Cloud Atlas and Da Vinci Code).

[@laurenmontera9516]

Ella Enchanted was totally different from the book. I could barely tell that it was the correct film.

[@darkstarmoonshadow]

Bridge to Terabithia A Series of Unfortunate Events How to Eat Fried Worms

[@hunterolaughlin]

There’s actually a miniseries from Hallmark Entertainment made in the mid 90s based on Gulliver’s Travels that’s more faithful to Jonathan Swift’s book and includes all 4 of his voyages and stars Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, James Fox, Alfre Woodard, Omar Sharif and Peter O’Toole and was produced by the Jim Henson Company. I highly recommend checking it out. You’ll have a much better voyage with that than “Jack Black’s Weird Vacation”.

[@aliceramdom.s]

​@@darkstarmoonshadow​ the series of unfortunate events the flim is a classic and I grew up loving it and I did read the first book and it is basically like the first book or similar and when the sh*t tv show came around I thought it ruined the whole vibe of the flim and the world that the flim had made and ok job for the actors who worked with the "tv show" but I am so glad that it is cancelled the tv show.

[@kenmclemore523]

I think the Redford version of "The Great Gatsby" was closer to the intent of the book; the character architypes and tropes explored in the novel are key to Fitzgerald's parody of the era; they are too busy being earnestly self-important to notice the wreckage around them. To borrow from Margaret Mitchell, "Frankly, my dear, the world didn't give a damn" about them... KDM

[@sarahkimberley9375]

I don't think any Dr Seuss book should ever be adapted into a film again, it just doesn't work

[@monsterjamfan100xtreme4]

Agree but I really like Grinch though. Illumination did good with the animation and at least it didn’t really rely too much pop culture references and did better with being an adaptation, and Horton hears a who is my second favorite as it’s pretty much the same thing (in my opinion that is) at least other than the anime reference (Seriously Dr Seuss in Anime style?! Really??) I saw it as a better adaptation. Lorax was fine but not great and the live action Ones completely sucks and there are a ton of reasons for it.

[@hunterolaughlin]

Except Horton Hears a Who (2008) was decent and tried to stay true to the spirit and message of the book.

[@OverlordZeroULTIMA]

Yeah, I'd say to leave them alone unless it's purely animated. The animated Grinch movies are good, and Horton Hears a Who, imo, was good. I never watched The Lorax, but I already feel like I'd be mixed on it as it is. Cat in the Hat now looks like a creep and I don't remember if I liked it as a kid - but I feel like I was bored, but not bored enough to fall asleep...Or if I dared fall asleep, Cat would haunt my nightmares.

[@crushhazard1]

I know it’s a long time ago but the standard-bearer “books that should never have been made into a movie@ is Gore Vidal’s Myra Breckinridge.

[@bheast86]

THE HITCH-HIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY was a radio series before it became a book - then stage versions, then a TV series; the problem was that they did the movie wrong (incidentally throwing in stuff that only followers of the mythos would recognize, though they're the people who'd most object). You suggest that it's the books that shouldn't be adapted while it's been the problem that various adaptors mess it up. People mess up well-established literary properties time after time; that doesn't mean that somebody shouldn't try a faithful version of THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, A FAREWELL TO ARMS and others. You could have mentioned DUNE, if it hadn't been for the 21st century remake. You didn't mention CONTACT, which did an far worse job of a faith-associated fantasy than THE GOLDEN COMPASS. You might have had the cojones to mention approved screw-ups of novels: THE GUNS OF NAVARONE, IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, THE ENGLISH PATIENT, THE PRESTIGE, JOJO RABBIT; there was no reason why people couldn't have made those properly.

[@beethovensfidelio]

I would’ve also included “The Bonfire of the Vanities” and the TWO film adaptations of “Endless Love”.

[@MandMWeekly]

I agree with your choices. those should've been included on the list, I have some choices that should've been included as well. "Artemis Fowl". which butchered the original source material by Eoin Colfer in the worst way ever . (Thanks for that, Disney!) "Beautiful Creatures", (By Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl) which ripped out much of the gothic southern charm and personality from the book it was based on, left out several important characters, left out several distinct character traits from the characters in it. changed the ending up completely; and not to mention that the film was released at the wrong time "Chaos Walking" by Patrick Ness. Which took a really good book trilogy and gave us a poor adaptation in every way possible and impossible that didn't even touch on any of the themes in the book series in any way. (Sorry you had to be in it, Daisy Ridley, Tom Holland, and Mads Mikkelsen) "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens.It's incredibly shot and well acted; but nearly all the textured themes about class and poor people, not to mention that much of Kya's personality in the book is non existent in the film; they also try to give more focus to the romance between her and Tate, rather than have it support the story in a good way. Also, one thing they missed about "The Great Gatsby" is the book was also a scathing and biting satire of the American dream, and those (particularly Gatsby) who seek to claim it at all costs. as well as providing commentary on the privileges and consequences of wealth, as well as the consequences of trying to reclaim the past instead of pushing forward into the future.

[@joyunicycle]

As much as I like the 2013 Great Gatsby, I was heavily bummed that it left out the important line of Nick assuring Gatsby that Daisy loves him, he can hear it in her voice, Gatsby sadly saying, "Her voice is full of money". The director cut it out to keep the audience routing for the two to be together.

[@aliceramdom.s]

"the lovely bones" was good as a flim and there were some subjects in the book that weren't suitable to make into the the flim so yeah.

[@trinaq]

Happy 20th Anniversary to Cat in the Hat. I loved it as a kid because of how zany it was, but it hasn't held up too well as an adult.

[@kamsismith]

I remember watching the movie a lot as a kid, I haven't watched it recently.

[@Omar-wq9dz]

I watched all the time when I was younger, but it hasn’t held up like you said

[@WildnKrazyGurl]

I watched it a lot as a kid but not as an adult. The B humor was good as a kid

[@klairbaranek]

The cat in the hat was already turned into a cartoon movie .

[@twiceborn_by_grace]

The entire Twilight series should have been on the list.

[@darkstarmoonshadow]

I hear the book is 10x better than the movie

[@breanainn28]

@@darkstarmoonshadow My issue was not reading the book before watching the movie because when I tried reading the book I couldn't get through the beginning. I closed the book and put it back. The movie ruined the book for me.

[@hippiemama52]

​@@breanainn28exactly the same for me. I couldn't get past the first chapter of the first book. I didn't even bother with the movies.

[@aliceramdom.s]

they are fun flims

[@lynnevetter]

@@darkstarmoonshadow Which isn't saying much. 😂

[@SashaThePhoenix]

i was just gonna play five seconds of this so I could look it up in my history later. But then you opened with a clip from Eragon.

[@brianlipensky1722]

Most Stephen King works should be on this list, it's actually rare when film gets them right. Only a few exceptions to that are Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, Carrie, Misery, Stand By Me and The Dead Zone TV series.

[@darkstarmoonshadow]

I agree

[@hippiemama52]

Have you noticed that the movies that were the best were the ones not having to do with the supernatural? Carrie and The Shining being the exceptions.

[@hunterolaughlin]

You didn’t like The Shining or It (2017)?

[@brianlipensky1722]

Not even Stephen King liked the 1980 version of The Shining, hated it so much that he had a miniseries made in 1997 that came closer to his novel. And the 1990 version of It is better than both parts of the reboot.

[@lynnevetter]

I give you a like for NOT including The Shining. And for including The Dead Zone. That one is so underrated. Definitely spooky.

[@billdelaney2817]

You guys left out Artemis Fowl. And given that Compass, Eragon, And Percy Jackson made it in, Artemis deserved a spot

[@joyunicycle]

How did it not make the list? It truly was a foul movie..........I'll see myself out now

[@rockfyre3095]

After reading the entire series and learning about all the changes being made to the film, not to mention being stuck in limbo for years, I flat out refuse to watch it. I'll keep my paperbacks and audiobooks.

[@aliceramdom.s]

​@@joyunicyclehuh?

[@aliceramdom.s]

I like the percy jackson flims

[@beck86]

@@aliceramdom.s me too

[@gameoholic1994]

Oh, “The Great Gatsby.” So THAT’S where the famous GIF came from; the one at 19:54. I used to think it was from “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Didn’t that one have Leo DeCaprio too?

[@SuperLucario64]

Aw man. The cat in the hat is such an underrated movie. I watched it since I was a kid.

[@MarioSonicPhillyFan700]

Yeah I agree

[@logans.butler285]

It's in IMDb's Bottom 100 film…

[@shelfraawoods1785]

I love Cat In The Hat. I took my daughter when she was a toddler and she loved it!! She still does!! It was perfect for kids and the adult jokes were over the kids heads which I loved

[@ethanbucket5098]

Me and my sister thinks it’s a guilty pleasure

[@josearielortiz2055]

The Cat in the Hat can still be remade and extend the story in a more effective way that makes sense without all those dirty jokes. Instead why don’t we have some slapstick comedy, rom-com, adventure genre? Charlie Chaplin style. Some boundaries might be in order though.

[@cassiedlp847]

I like the movie ending of My Sister's Keeper tbh..itvwas more realistic to just let Kate die..the book ending was to dramatic

[@briannastultz6924]

I actually disagree. I think what made the book ending so upsetting was that the sister (blanking on her name) had just won her bodily autonomy freedom only to lose her life in a car accident.

[@cassiedlp847]

@@briannastultz6924 ooohhh...good point 👍 But I still prefer to just let Kate die..maybe I can accept the book ending if after Anna dies, Kate continues to be still sickly..but miraculously she never got sick again, which I think already is on the mystical side which is a departure from the original plot of the story, which is moral/humane ambiguity

[@lynnevetter]

The Shopaholic books are amazing!! I love them all. Sophie Kinsella is like one of the funniest writers ever. I found the author through the book Remember Me. It was soo great. I read Undomestic Goddess shortly after and then I dove into the Shopaholic books. I still haven't seen the movie. I will some day. lol

[@cartooncentral263]

The Cat in the Hat has more character development in his PBS Kids show, “The Cat in the Hat Knows A lot About That”.

[@phantomrequim]

Yeah, maybe having Michael Myers play the Cat in the Hat wasn't such a bright idea. The role wasn't really suited for him now that I think back on it.

[@olvialee7221]

There are WatchMojo videos I love, like, enjoy and hate or I’m just not into it. I’m a honest girl. Adapted from books or not, I hate it when my childhood movies are being judged.

[@aliceramdom.s]

same

[@adonisd3210]

I UNEQUIVOCALLY disagree with “THE LOVELY BONES” & “THE WATCHMEN” being on this list. What Gen Z intern submitted them?! 🥴

[@codybk91]

Eragon and The Giver are 2 of my favorite movies 😅I think that they adapted The Giver pretty well from book to film

[@raymonddagostino6118]

I so wanted Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to be great because I love the book series but when I saw the movie I knew we'd never get the sequels I thought could have happened.

[@KellyRende-yo3ql]

Douglas Adams himself believed it would be impossible to do a Hitchhikers Guide movie series. I thought BBC TV did a pretty good job with the first two books of the "trilogy." For them on DVD and still watch them every once in a while...

[@angrytheclown801]

Disney was the worst studio to try to also. I knew it was a horrible choice because there's an undercurrent of mean spiritedness that Disney is crap with. With those confused, in the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Jetblack Desoto, a rock star, spends a year dead as punishment for tax evasion. Also, there's a character whose whole thing is literally to be reincarnated just to be killed by Arthur Dent the main character. One of his last thoughts when he comes back as a potted plant is "Oh no, not again."

[@Trinny1978]

It's the only movie I've ever walked out on. I love the books but absolutely loathe the movie.

[@manuelgrothe608]

0:34 Illumination’s The Cat In The Hat

[@treadingtheboards2875]

I have not read "Cloud Atlas" but I found the movie very easy to follow, But then, I have been reading science fiction for the last 65 years. I find though, that they should never have made a TV series of Asimov's Foundation, they have totally ruined the story. As for Hitchhikers, the movie tried to cram at least 3 books into 2 hours. It didn't work. I prefer the original television series, on which the book was based on.

[@caronstout354]

Cloud Atlas: 6 eras, 6 characters, 6 stories, 6 actors, 1 birthmark, and 1 soul...

[@fellicutis]

You missed The Bonfire of the Vanties.

[@samuelcollantes1175]

The thumbnail brought me here! Happy sunday afternoon Ms Mojo. Take care and God bless you, greetings from Colombia as well to you.

[@MarioSonicPhillyFan700]

The Cat In The Hat does have a bunch of problems but it's still very enjoyable to watch. (I like Mike Myers)

[@bighand1530]

When it comes to Mike Myers, nothing is gonna beat Shrek.

[@MarioSonicPhillyFan700]

@@bighand1530 Yeah I can't argue with that

[@WildnKrazyGurl]

I still watched it a lot as a kid. Very B humor and just as a kid made me laugh

[@mattalan6618]

@@bighand1530 for me its Austin Powers. but only at the time i was into that kind of humor. i tried going back to watch them and i could even get through the first movie. thats when i decided that those films were a product of their time

[@aliceramdom.s]

yes

[@jasminejohnston6393]

When I went to see The Cat In The Hat in theatres…I was 9 years old and because it’s based on a Dr Seuss book, my folks thought it was a kid friendly movie. Boy were they wrong!

[@aliceramdom.s]

oh well

[@catherinekeena4657]

And now Barbie is the same lol

[@lordnightingale7346]

The Golden Compass got recently a TV series adaptation that really made the book justice.

[@user-ix1rp9ff3p]

really? even with -Roman Catholic Church- the Magisterium?

[@lordnightingale7346]

The Magisterium, the Dust, the Angels (including Metatron), the Gallivespians, the Mulefa, the Subtle Knife, the Land of the Dead with the Harpies... And Ruth Wilson as Mrs Coulter was so much better than Nicole Kidman

[@Trinny1978]

Loved that TV series 👍

[@angelasieg5099]

I was very disappointed in Eragon. The books are brilliant and engaging especially when you consider it was penned by a teenager. The very talented cast were confronted with telling only half the story.

[@aliceramdom.s]

it was a bad flim all together

[@theresacherco3503]

They should remake it

[@user-ix1rp9ff3p]

hate to disagree with you but it was kind of boring (couldn't even get past chapter 1 of book 1), and this is from me who previously enjoyed "Harry Potter"... also wasn't the author problematic in a business ethics pov??

[@Olimpina]

Seventh Son should definitely be on that list. That adaptation was such a let down, I'm happy I didn't go to the movie theater to watch it. Mismatched characters, not respected personalities, rushed romance between Tom and Alice who were made older just so they can have an intimate scene, a drunk Gregory telling Tom to eat because he shouldn't face the Darkness with an empty stomach...They either didn't read the books or just didn't care about it... What a waste of Ben Barnes and Jeff Bridges...

[@mountkilimanjaro2982]

I don’t exactly agree with this list. My Philosophy is that every good book deserve’s a faithful film adaptation.

[@reviewthis18]

I would like to add the Wheel of Time books. I am aware that this video deals with movies rather than TV shows, but I still believe that the Wheel of Time would not work with either. The series if 14 books long and 500 pages is a very small amount by the standards of this series. To put it simply: The Wheel of time is far too long of a series to successfully adapt.

[@christinadeibel4937]

I'm so glad I wasn't the only one who hated The Great Gatsby movie.

[@PerfectlyImperfect93]

Pronounce Aaliyah’s name right please. 🕊️

[@sheilaholmes996]

Sounded ok to me.

[@meahdahlgren5875]

Prefectlyimpefecrfect93 ❤

[@PerfectlyImperfect93]

@@sheilaholmes996 It should be UH not AH. Aaliyah.

[@RadioLaPrincess]

I disagree about the Great Gatsby. Part of the lure is all about the parties. Yes there is a dark side but people are more into the party scenes even in the book.

[@COMPFUNK2]

If the Cat in the Hat is only number 20, I cringe at the discovery of what the rest of the countdown looks like.

[@bahesb2419]

To me, The cat in the hat movie is that kind of movie that is SO Bad it‘s good. I laughed extremely in some scenes when I first watched it, especially At the kitchen scene. This movie might be far from the original source material but it still got some comedic moments that got me to laughter. That‘s for sure

[@tipsypeaches]

Douglas Adams worked on all the different adaptations of Hitchhikers', including the movie, and deliberately made them all different. Yeah he didn't see the finished movie, but they were working from a treatment he approved of, so 🤷

[@michaelrue1400]

The placement of Zaphod Beeblebrox's second head in the movie was just weird. The BBC miniseries was much better.

[@VHarlequinxQueenV]

The fact Lolita isn’t on this list is shocking considering how bad both adaptions were

[@LucyLioness100]

The ‘97 version is still a lot closer to the novel compared to Kubrick’s

[@VHarlequinxQueenV]

@@LucyLioness100 But it still romanticizes the fuck out of Dolores's entanglement with Humbert and in a lot of ways made her seem like the aggressor which makes it a bad adaptation as the whole point is Humbert is an unreliable narrator.

[@GamerFunOriginallyAarush]

9:21 Um… it’s actually 2009… not 2001 and there’s only one movie!

[@AJ-xc4qe]

I've paid attention to the production companies under the movie titles and I'm shocked at how many of them were made by Disney's adult divisions, Touchstone and Hollywood (RIP to both): The Scarlet Letter, Confessions of a Shopaholic, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Beloved.

[@tracyconnor6166]

The time traveler's wife had some parts in the book which were very off/uncomfortable to read. Glad those weren't used in the film.

[@aliceramdom.s]

exactly like "the lovely bones" was good as a flim and there were some subjects in the book that weren't suitable to make into the the flim so yeah.

[@KevinKlineisawesome]

Even though I never read some of the source material, some movie adaptations like Percy Jackson and the Olympians: the lightning thief, The Golden Compass, and the giver made me wanna say: I can’t believe my parents took me to see these films. Then, there are some where I enjoy the films more so than the source material, like confessions of a shopaholic. And then, there are some where I’m glad I neither saw the films nor read the books like my sister’s keeper and the scarlet letter.

[@shaliseshaw9385]

The Golden Compass, The Witches(1980s movie), The Shining, The Tale Of Despereaux, A Series Of Unfortunate Events series, The Stupids(James Marshall book), Interview with A Vampire, the Garfield comics, Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls Of Ga'hoole, Artemis Fowl, Peter Rabbit, The Ant Bully, Where The Wild Things Are, the 2010 Gulliver's Travels movie, and other books that received bad movie adaptations that removed the source material, characters that were important to the book, etc. should be on another list. 🎥🎥🎬🎬🎬🎬🎬🎬📺📚📚📚

[@leesashriber5097]

There are just some books that should never be made as a movie. In many instances, I've rarely watched a movie that was better than the book. Great upload. 😊

[@darkstarmoonshadow]

Blame it on Hollywood; no creativity what so ever

[@leesashriber5097]

@@darkstarmoonshadow , agreed!!! Hollywood has gone to the pooper. If I want 25 Batman movies, 22 Superman movies, and all the other comics movies, I'd be through the roof. No originality, no talent, and so on. It's sad. Movie theaters are closing everywhere and if still open, I'd never pay the prices for any of the films out there today. 🙄

[@aliceramdom.s]

not necessarily

[@logans.butler285]

I remember being so excited to The Dark Tower film, being a huge fan of the book franchise myself. But as soon as I learned the film was going to be an added conclusion to the already finished franchise, I knew I had to stay away ⛔️

[@LucyLioness100]

So much wasted potential & yeah you can’t condense 8 books or even just 1 into 95 minutes of movie

[@nixda9326]

i actually liked the Percy Movies. but i must admit that i didnt read the Books. so i cant really compare them to be as disappointed as the People who read the Books.

[@aliceramdom.s]

I haven't read the books but I did read the graph novel's and listen to the first book on audio cd so and I did't think much of them and I like the pecry jackson flims as well.

[@nixda9326]

@@aliceramdom.s yeah i men, i just heard or read that many People who watched the Movies and read the Books were disappointed about the Movies. especially the second one. but i must say that i ididnt found him so bad like many People said. im really sad that it seems that there wont come more Movies with this Cliffhanger.

[@aliceramdom.s]

​@@nixda9326yeah like most of the "book fandom" "hates" the flims but I think that they are ok. ok the second one wasn't as good at the first one but I think that they were like the right age. in the new "tv show" apparently the main character's are going to be like 12 or something and they look nothing like the flim character's.

[@TheAeroAvatar]

Weird you didn't include A Wrinkle in Time. Twice already Disney has tried it, first with a direct-to-TV movie, and then with a full length feature......and both fell flat.

[@criminalmindsgirl2936]

What the hell? I know they made changes to Watchmen. But it was still a great movie with great performances.

[@thatgirlfromktown]

There are 2 book series I wish would get movie adaptations. Runes by Ednah Walters & Touched by Elisa S. Amore. I also highly recommend anyone who still enjoys some YA novels with a little romance, lots of drama and action, fantasy, norse mythology, witches, seers, fallen angels and stuff like that to check those books out. They are on Audible.

[@leahness1121]

H2G2 does NOT belong on this list. Having watched more of the show than I'm willing to admit & loving the novel a whole bunch... I thought the movie was great & do I wish a few things were different and that it came out now in the era of franchises? Hell yes! But for what it was, it was fun to see a part of the galaxy that lived only in my head (and early 80's television that I watched on DVD) brought to life by Jim Henson.

[@KatePeterson83]

A wrinkle in time should be on this list

[@caronstout354]

Yes!..2 adaptations so far and both were substandard.

[@hunterolaughlin]

I’m hoping someone can actually make a good adaptation of the book. People thought Dune was unfilmable, but we got a good adaptation with the 2021 film. So I’m sure we can still get a good adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time.

[@aliceramdom.s]

​@@hunterolaughlinyeah

[@beck86]

And yet, even though some of the authors protest and complain, they can't deny that the film adaptations helped to sell more of their books. I really enjoyed The Hitchhikers Guide, The Lovely Bones and The Golden Compass.

[@javib2978]

I don't consider the Eragon film, as cynical. I like the fast pace route. I read the book as a child. I found it slow at times. When the film came out, I was in middle school. I was no longer a child anymore. I was going near my path to adolescent hood. In order to reach my path to young adult hood. I wish Fox had some involvement with the remake, than having Disney handle everything. As I known, let book adaptations either be film or tv. There's no forcing it on either format, let it be what it wants to be. Whether the author of the source material is involved or doesn't want to. Be what you want it to become.

[@javib2978]

Differences Between Comic Book and Novel Adaptations. Superhero stories are meant to be episodic ongoing adventures. Book adaptations such as Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Narnia, Earthsea, Lord of the Rings, detective books, manga, horror, western, slasher, and sci fi novels. On the hand, are not episodic ongoing stories like superheroes. There once in a lifetime experience. They are meant to alter changes to the source material. People have to deal with it. Novel adaptations are meant for die hard fans, scholars, and librarians alike. Changes to their source material need to occur. To feel justified. Even if novel readers don't like the changes. Too bad. What is the point of adapting them in the first place? It doesn't matter if the novel creators aren't involved, it's okay. Being book accurate is no longer an excuse anymore. You can't judge book adaptations. If they alter book adaptations, changes it's source material to fit the runtime, I am not arguing about it. Producers, do your own thing. Creative interference needs to happen. "Film and tv directors, you cannot get what you always want to do. Because, life doesn't work that way. You are told what you are tasked to do. There is no need to be rebellious. Deal with it".

[@javib2978]

Aside from the Harry Potter tv show remake. There is Mashle and Jujutsu Kaisen. These two series have a main protagonist go to a special school, make friends, school drama, action, suspense, and both series have a chosen one prophecy tale. I have no dislike for the new Harry Potter tv show remake. There is also a tv remake of Percy Jackson, Little Witch Academia, Mashle, and Jujutsu Kaisen.

[@javib2978]

I enjoyed the film this book was based on. I don't understand why it was criticized at the time of release? I don't want a remake. If they remake it, it's going to be retelling the first book, that was already done as a film. But with a slow pace. I found the film version of Eragon justified. I wish the new series was a reboot and sequel to the film. Rather than starting from the beginning.

[@javib2978]

Why Book Adaptations Need To Serve to the Producers and Higher Ups From Hollywood. Book film adaptations like Eragon, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Percy Jackson, Twilight, Atlas Shrugged, Harry Potter, The Seeker, The Hobbit, Jumper, and so many more. Use 100-200 budget for production. They use cgi and practical effects as a way to experiment. These are not superhero movies. There a reason why Alan Moore criticized more specifically at superhero movies. Because he thinks superhero stories, especially Marvel and DC, have their source material cannibalized to hollywood. And are serving to the higher ups of hollywood. Book adaptations need to serve hollywood producers and the higher ups by a lot of film studios. Have been a trend for so many decades age. Possibly, since the very beginning and introduction of hollywood. Since they have nothing else left to go. Even if the book adaptations are butchered, authors aren't involved, criticized by die hard fans, or go against the source material. Like I have said, I am giving it a pass and let it slide. Producers, and everyone who worked by hollywood. Have their right to do what they want to do with the book adaptations. There is no thing as perfect, only experiment and add changes. In order to become relevant to die hard fans, scholars, analysts, and average people alike. Book adaptations can be what it wants to be. Let it become what it can be. There is no definitive answer to adapt books in other media.

[@nicolelylewis]

I liked The Great Gatsby and The Lovely Bones...and My Sister's Keeper is one of my favorite movies. And yes, I've read all of the books. I was surprised about the ending change for MSK, but I still love the movie.

[@williamleo9704]

I kind of expected the Saga of Darren Shan to be on this list.

[@teenie36214]

I’m still mad that the series adaptation of The Time Travelers Wife was cancelled. It was better than the film.

[@lynnevetter]

Cloud Atlas was lovely. It led me to the book as I wanted more.

[@mauricioduron3193]

Mesmerizing Wachowskys. Can't get enough.

[@avalynyost1498]

I feel like Fahrenheit 451 should have been listed especially the 2018 HBO version it did nothing to compare to the book by Ray Bradbury

[@kmyoung180]

I had LOVED the Beautiful Creatures series and was beyond excited to hear that they were making a movie from it... Until I saw it. The movie crams all 4 books into the movie, which is bad but combining 2 significant secondary characters into 1 movie character was hurtful. Sufficed to say, I hate the movie. My mom loves the movie, but has never read the books.

[@christinecremen4151]

I agree.

[@haz0077]

the cat in the hat was peak comedy and i wont hear otherwise

[@heatherpayne1995]

I got free tickets to Cat In the Hat through my work. After the movie my boss asked me what I thought of it. I told him I kind of still wanted my money back.

[@zackdaniels7382]

The film adaptation of James Herbert’s “Shrine” was god awful! The book was full of eerie tension and horror, while the movie adaptation, “The Unholy”, was generic and forgettable.

[@jonathank4278]

I never read the books ,but I think probably Twilight .

[@kaitlynlloyd9985]

The fact that I was shown the Demi Moore version of the Scarlett Letter when we were reading it in highschool 😬😂

[@mlpartclub412]

Top 10 video games that dealt with serious issues, please? Ex: Hank’s suicidal. (Detroit: Become Human.)

[@CartoonPhreak]

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008) is highly enjoyable. The original book, Meet Kit An American Girl (2000), was written by Valerie Tripp.

[@jamesstutz6907]

With Percy Jackson they aged up all of the characters. In the book Percy was given the quest to find the bolt and he never fought Luke at the end.

[@dawnshaw6880]

The cat and the hat has been one of my family’s most treasured movie throughout the years and now it’s come full circle for my grandson to enjoy the movie was awesome I don’t know why people hate it so much

[@dawnshaw6880]

Talk texting sorry for lack of punctuation

[@aliceramdom.s]

yeah

[@Wineoclockbookworm]

While World War Z wasn't a true adaptation of the book I still absolutely loved the movie. They should have given it a different name and simply noted that it was inspired by the book.

[@briannastultz6924]

I love WWZ!

[@aliceramdom.s]

yeah

[@ellnats]

i should point out that allot of the streamlineing in Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, they were done by Sir Douglas Adams himself, just for context, plus it helps if you know some aspects of the book, but some changes were honestly okay, like Arthurs reaction to the poetry, and why Z grows a 2nd head, candidates for the presidency have their minds scanned and personal motives are disqualified, so he removes his personal thoughts for stealing the heart of gold, and puts them in his 2nd head, also Alan Rickmen as Marvin was GENIUS!!!

[@Portugal2025]

It’s an older film but the Gary Cooper, Patricia Neal The Fountainhead was not a good film. In fairness, I would say it is impossible to do a film version of that. Myra Breckinridge also should be on the list

[@amwilson195]

Not a movie, but a series... Stephen King's "Under the Dome" should NEVER have been made into that series! It was so disappointing watching it, the whole plot and characters were all switched around. If you can't make it even somewhat like the book, then don't make it, or call it something else! 😂 Such an amazing book though! I like to revisit it every now and then. 😁

[@wingscozynook]

rip to the people who actually had to read the great gatsby in high school. i left school and graduated early before i got to that point

[@MessierEighty8]

Bite your tongue! Confessions of a Shopaholic is an amazing comfort movie!

[@AshParth560]

3:21 sounds the same for anime fans right there when ya quote that 😂

[@Merylstreep1949]

Yeah, but The Giver had freaking Meryl Streep DOING SCIENCE FICTION!!!!!

[@maxmeidl4909]

It just goes to show that Dr. Seuss's books should not be stretched into 90-minute movies. They always have to have terrible bullshit filler, and pointless celebrities, and ultimately be extremely boring and tedious.

[@radicaIized]

The only book that truly deserved a movie adaptation is the great gatsby

[@cwalker6911]

I hope Farenheight 451 is on this list 😅

[@nageswaraokilaru5728]

I believe you should have added the adaptations of Tom Clancy's novels "The Sum of All Fears", "Clear and Present Danger" and "Patriot Games"

[@CharcoalRabbit]

I like Watchmen and The Cat in the Hat. The former is one of the most comic accurate movies I know and the latter is a guilty pleasure with absurdity I find myself at home with.

[@akganimationstudioproducti3779]

Word of advice, if you’re going to adapt The Cat in the Hat, then do it with animation (They did it before and are doing it again)

[@hunterrousseau3770]

Don't even forget about the "Fifty Shades" series either

[@whedonite81]

The Queen of the Damned movie was an abomination. It didn't name half the characters so if you didn't read the books you don't know who half the people on screen are, it rewrote Lestat's making and turned a very interesting story of the origins of vampires into a love story between two characters that barely interacted in the book. Also I can't hep but wonder if Eragon might be better as a series, like The Golden Compass which had a bad movie but great series.

[@mastercheif1173]

Man, this list was harsh. Yeah, most of these movies were bad, but as much as I hate the Eragon movie, I don’t think it’s fair to cite it as an indictment against the book. I also really like Gatsby. I thought the themes of numbing feeling through excess and false persona were well represented. I also think the movie captured the vibe of the book well too. Fitzgerald wrote a great fever dream and Baz Luhrman shot one.