Read & Survive

10 Worst Book-to-Screen Adaptations

Golden Compass, Eragon, Cirque du Freak…

Anastasia
1–2 minutes

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. This week’s topic is Page to Screen Freebie. And I decided to go with worst book to film adaptations.
In no particular order, here we go:

Golden Compass (2007)
Okay so they did a number of mixing up all the scenes and really screwing up the plot. It also did not want to be too political and downplayed the Magisterium’s role. It’s a shame because the visual effects and the daemons were so beautiful.

Kuvahaun tulos haulle golden compass movie

Eragon (2006)
Like. C’mon. You had one job.

This is still one of my most beloved book series and acting was so dull.

Kuvahaun tulos haulle eragon

The Hobbit (film series)
Strolling. Strolling. Strolling. Strolling. Strolling. So much strolling. Seriously. 3 hours per 100 pages in the book??

Kuvahaun tulos haulle the hobbit

The Cat in the Hat (2003)
Creepy cat alert!!
How do you not have nightmares after that? Poor kids.

Kuvahaun tulos haulle cat in the hat movie

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” (2005)
Directors must have been pretty ambitious.

Kuvahaun tulos haulle "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (2005)

The Divergent Series
This wasn’t bad per say but they tried to recreate Hunger Games and then ended up cancelling the last movie? How do you screw up so bad?

Kuvahaun tulos haulle allegiant movie

The Seeker: The Dark is Rising
Uhhh-nuhhh.

Kuvahaun tulos haulle the seeker the dark is rising (2007)

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant
Oh god. I haven’t watched this one but so I hear that they basically combined three books into one and actor for Crepsley.

Kuvahaun tulos haulle Cirque du Freak:The Vampire's Assistan

I Am Number Four (2011)
Pettyfer’s pretty face isn’t enough to save this from Michael Bay. I adore Transformers but here the director just did not make a good fit.

Kuvahaun tulos haulle I Am Number Four movie

The Polar Express
It’s not bad but let’s face the fact that this was also the movie that taught the animation industry not to make people to life-like.

Kuvahaun tulos haulle The Polar Express

Thoughts? What are the worst book to film adaptations you’ve seen?
Happy TTT!

Cover picture credit

46 responses to “10 Worst Book-to-Screen Adaptations”

  1. Greg Avatar
    Greg

    I agree about The Hobbit. Those movies were so lonnnnnggg. And bummer about Eragon!

    Reply
    1. Anastasia Avatar
      Anastasia

      Yess, death by screen by Hobbit

      Reply
  2. Greg Avatar
    Greg

    I agree about The Hobbit. Those movies were so lonnnnnggg. And bummer about Eragon!

    Reply
    1. Anastasia Avatar
      Anastasia

      Yess, death by screen by Hobbit

      Reply
  3. Astilbe Avatar
    Astilbe

    I agree with your thoughts on The Hobbit, too. I was so disappointed with it.

    Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.

    Reply
    1. Anastasia Avatar
      Anastasia

      Just too goddamn long

      Reply
  4. iloveheartlandx Avatar
    iloveheartlandx

    Ugh yes, The Cat In The Hat was so creepy, and I never actually read that book, so I don’t have anything to compare it to. And yes, The Divergent series was awful, it started out relatively promising but then they changed the second and third films from the books too much, so no wonder the last film got cancelled!
    My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2019/05/14/top-ten-tuesday-211/

    Reply
    1. Anastasia Avatar
      Anastasia

      It was so weird!! I think the first part was decent but then it went downhill so fast. And I hated how they broke the last movie into two parts. I hope Hollywood learned their lesson!

      Reply
      1. iloveheartlandx Avatar
        iloveheartlandx

        Honestly I can’t remember! I hope so too, they only did it so they could make more money, it wasn’t like Harry Potter where the last book had enough material to justify two parts.

        Reply
        1. Anastasia Avatar
          Anastasia

          Uhh I was very close to include Harry Potter last two movies here because what the hell they cannot do that. But I don’t know being a potterhead it seemed too much.

          Reply
  5. lydiaschoch Avatar
    lydiaschoch

    I had the same reaction to The Golden Compass. What a shame.

    My TTT.

    Reply
    1. Anastasia Avatar
      Anastasia

      I hear they are making a series that should air this year. I hope that’s better!

      Reply
  6. clairetaylor3513 Avatar
    clairetaylor3513

    I have always disliked The Polar Express. Weird and creepy. I wish my kids did not always beg to watch it every year&#8230.
    My TTT: http://bookloverspizza.com/2019/05/top-ten-tuesday-page-to-screen/

    Reply
    1. Anastasia Avatar
      Anastasia

      Haha oh poor you! Uhh yeah another lesson learned I hope

      Reply
  7. S.E. White Avatar
    S.E. White

    Definitely the Cat in the Hat. It&#8217s a creepy book to begin with? I also still struggle with feelings of hatred and betrayal for what they did to Ella Enchanted. I love Anne Hathaway but man do I really, really dislike that movie. Usually, I just pretend she never acted in it. Denial is an effective coping tactic.

    Reply
    1. Anastasia Avatar
      Anastasia

      Haha yes denial all the way with these I think. Avoiding the problem is the best tactic… I haven’t read Ella Enchanted, I do remember liking Hathaway in it though.

      Reply
      1. S.E. White Avatar
        S.E. White

        The book is a sweet, lovely, empowering look at choice and girl-power. Super recommended :)

        Reply
        1. Anastasia Avatar
          Anastasia

          Will pick it up :) sounds like something I need at the moment

          Reply
  8. Astilbe Avatar
    Astilbe

    I agree with your thoughts on The Hobbit, too. I was so disappointed with it.

    Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.

    Reply
    1. Anastasia Avatar
      Anastasia

      Just too goddamn long

      Reply
  9. iloveheartlandx Avatar
    iloveheartlandx

    Ugh yes, The Cat In The Hat was so creepy, and I never actually read that book, so I don’t have anything to compare it to. And yes, The Divergent series was awful, it started out relatively promising but then they changed the second and third films from the books too much, so no wonder the last film got cancelled!
    My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2019/05/14/top-ten-tuesday-211/

    Reply
    1. Anastasia Avatar
      Anastasia

      It was so weird!! I think the first part was decent but then it went downhill so fast. And I hated how they broke the last movie into two parts. I hope Hollywood learned their lesson!

      Reply
      1. iloveheartlandx Avatar
        iloveheartlandx

        Honestly I can’t remember! I hope so too, they only did it so they could make more money, it wasn’t like Harry Potter where the last book had enough material to justify two parts.

        Reply
        1. Anastasia Avatar
          Anastasia

          Uhh I was very close to include Harry Potter last two movies here because what the hell they cannot do that. But I don’t know being a potterhead it seemed too much.

          Reply
  10. hopewellslibraryoflife Avatar
    hopewellslibraryoflife

    Excellent point on the Polar Express.

    Reply
  11. Brooke Lorren Avatar
    Brooke Lorren

    While I’ve seen the Divergent movies many times (mostly in Spanish) I can say it didn’t do the books justice. The acting was bad. They got minor details wrong that would have made absolutely no difference to the script but would have shown that they cared. I did like The Hobbit though.

    Reply
    1. Anastasia Avatar
      Anastasia

      Hobbit was good but so freaking long compared to the source material. I would love to see Jackson do some other epic fantasy sagas… I think he would do great. I think Divergent movie makers wanted it to be the second coming of Hunger Games but it just did not work out that well.

      Reply
  12. lydiaschoch Avatar
    lydiaschoch

    I had the same reaction to The Golden Compass. What a shame.

    My TTT.

    Reply
    1. Anastasia Avatar
      Anastasia

      I hear they are making a series that should air this year. I hope that’s better!

      Reply
  13. clairetaylor3513 Avatar
    clairetaylor3513

    I have always disliked The Polar Express. Weird and creepy. I wish my kids did not always beg to watch it every year….
    My TTT: http://bookloverspizza.com/2019/05/top-ten-tuesday-page-to-screen/

    Reply
    1. Anastasia Avatar
      Anastasia

      Haha oh poor you! Uhh yeah another lesson learned I hope

      Reply
  14. S.E. White Avatar
    S.E. White

    Definitely the Cat in the Hat. It’s a creepy book to begin with? I also still struggle with feelings of hatred and betrayal for what they did to Ella Enchanted. I love Anne Hathaway but man do I really, really dislike that movie. Usually, I just pretend she never acted in it. Denial is an effective coping tactic.

    Reply
    1. Anastasia Avatar
      Anastasia

      Haha yes denial all the way with these I think. Avoiding the problem is the best tactic… I haven’t read Ella Enchanted, I do remember liking Hathaway in it though.

      Reply
      1. S.E. White Avatar
        S.E. White

        The book is a sweet, lovely, empowering look at choice and girl-power. Super recommended :)

        Reply
        1. Anastasia Avatar
          Anastasia

          Will pick it up :) sounds like something I need at the moment

          Reply
  15. hopewellslibraryoflife Avatar
    hopewellslibraryoflife

    Excellent point on the Polar Express.

    Reply
  16. Brooke Lorren Avatar
    Brooke Lorren

    While I’ve seen the Divergent movies many times (mostly in Spanish) I can say it didn’t do the books justice. The acting was bad. They got minor details wrong that would have made absolutely no difference to the script but would have shown that they cared. I did like The Hobbit though.

    Reply
    1. Anastasia Avatar
      Anastasia

      Hobbit was good but so freaking long compared to the source material. I would love to see Jackson do some other epic fantasy sagas… I think he would do great. I think Divergent movie makers wanted it to be the second coming of Hunger Games but it just did not work out that well.

      Reply
  17. Michael Avatar
    Michael

    The saving grace for Hitchhiker’s is they used a script by Douglas Adams. Adams notoriously never told the story the same way twice, which is why while I didn’t love the movie version, I feel like it’s the vision that Adams wanted for audiences.

    Reply
    1. Anastasia Avatar
      Anastasia

      Ah I didn’t know that, thanks for sharing! Maybe I’ll give the movie a second try and see it from this perspective. But I guess in general anything related to space just gets old fast.

      Reply
  18. Michael Avatar
    Michael

    The saving grace for Hitchhiker’s is they used a script by Douglas Adams. Adams notoriously never told the story the same way twice, which is why while I didn’t love the movie version, I feel like it’s the vision that Adams wanted for audiences.

    Reply
    1. Anastasia Avatar
      Anastasia

      Ah I didn’t know that, thanks for sharing! Maybe I’ll give the movie a second try and see it from this perspective. But I guess in general anything related to space just gets old fast.

      Reply
  19. Lauren @ Always Me Avatar
    Lauren @ Always Me

    I was so disappointed by the Cirque du Freak movie… I loved the book series so much.

    Lauren @ Always Me

    Reply
  20. Lauren @ Always Me Avatar
    Lauren @ Always Me

    I was so disappointed by the Cirque du Freak movie… I loved the book series so much.

    Lauren @ Always Me

    Reply
  21. amomentsilence Avatar
    amomentsilence

    Your list was pretty spot-on, although some of them I wouldn’t say were THE WORST adaptations, but they were pretty bad or just plain boring/uninspiring (IE: The Hobbit series ughhhh…). XD

    Reply
  22. amomentsilence Avatar
    amomentsilence

    Your list was pretty spot-on, although some of them I wouldn’t say were THE WORST adaptations, but they were pretty bad or just plain boring/uninspiring (IE: The Hobbit series ughhhh…). XD

    Reply

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