24 Movies And Shows Adapted From Books That Upset Fans Because They Didn't Follow The Source Material

Adaptations are disappointing most of the time.

May

• Published in Film & TV
• May 30, 2022

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." This is probably what fans want when they see a movie or TV adaptation of a book.

Seeing their favorite characters come to life and played by a talented actor may be something they can look forward to. But since a large number of adaptations tend to get mixed reactions, some fans have qualms about turning their books into movies or TV shows.

The common reason why people don't like adaptions is the casting decision. Fans already created an image of the characters in their mind.

From the description of the book, readers already know how these characters talk and what they look like. So they end up disappointed if the actor doesn't match the character's physical attributes.

Another major reason is that movies or TV shows potentially stray away from the very material that fans love. It's only natural that some scenes will be altered because they don't translate well on different mediums.

Furthermore, directors need to cut out some scenes to fit an entire book in a 1.5 or two-hour movie. But since fans have expectations, the changes may not sit well with fans.

Today, we're looking at the scenes from books that were changed and left fans disappointed. Naturally, this post will contain spoilers, so be careful of those.

1. It was Caleb who sacrificed himself at the end of the movie in The Divergent Series: Allegiant.

But it was Tris who sacrifices herself in the book.

2. Nell gets married and her marriage was a happy one in The Haunting of Hill House.

But Nell is single in the book.

3. Natasha's headphones are gold in The Sun Is Also A Star.

She owns pink headphones in the books, though.

4. Dumbledore charges at Harry, asking him if he submitted his name in the movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

But in the book, Dumbledore does this in a calm manner.

5. Angela is young and beautiful fortune teller in Eragon.

But the book indicates that she is old and has lived for years.

6. Clary and Jace are siblings in The Moral Instruments: City of Bones.

But in the books, Clary's father makes Clary believe that Jace is his brother. Eventually they discover that they aren't related.

7. Kate persuades her sister to file a medical emancipation lawsuit since she no longer needs Anna's organs and is ready to succumb to Leukemia in My Sister's Keeper.

But in the book, Anna dies because of a car accident as she was headed to the court and her organs are to be donated to her sister Kate, who struggles with the guilt of her sister's death.

8. The Wormwoods reside in an American suburb in Matilda.

But according to the book, the Wormwoods reside in Buckinghamshire, England.

9. Dorothy's slippers have a ruby red color in The Wizard of Oz.

But according to the book, she wears silver slippers.

10. Harry has blue eyes while her mother has brown ones in Harry Potter.

But the book describes Harry having green eyes like his mom.

11. Harry snaps the Elder Wand after the defeat of Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

But according to the books, he uses the Elder Wand to fix the wand he unintentionally broke.

12. Head chef Dick Halloran was murdered by Jack after going back to the Overlook to assist Danny and Wendy in The Shining.

But in the book, he lives. He was able to escape from Overlook Hotel with the two.

13. Hannibal gets out of prison and tells Clarice that he won't do anything to her as long as she won't hunt him down (to which she can't agree too because she's a newly minted agent).)

But in the book, Hannibal makes Clarice fall for him by manipulating her.

14. Bellatrix and company burn the Burrow down in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

But in the books, it is enchanted to keep its location hidden.

15. It was Greasy Sae who gives the Mockingjay pin to Katniss in The Hunger Games.

But in the books, Katniss' friend Madge, who is the mayor's daughter, gives her the Mockingjay prior to the reaping.

16. Moaning Myrtle and Nearly-Headless Nick are the only ghosts we see in Harry Potter.

The book has another ghost called Peeves the Poltergeist.

17. Trillian is an Earthling who's only in it for the ride in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

But in the book Trillian is an astrophysicist who actually wants to explore space.

18. Emma can control and is lighter than air so needs to keep wearing her lead shoes to keep herself grounded in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

But in the books Emma's power is creating fire using her hands.

19. The elves are just servants in Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire.

But in the book, Hermione establishes Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare (S.P.E.W.) after seeing Barty Crouch Sr. abusing Winky (who isn't found in the films).)

20. Ginny tucks the Potions textbook away in the Room of Requirement so that Harry won't find it.

But in the books, it was Harry who keeps it hidden near an old tiara, which marks the spot where it's hidden.

21. Ella is told by the ogres not to move in Ella Enchanges. She's helpless until her rescue by Prince Char.

But in the books, Ella studies Ogerese all night so she could sway the ogres into sparing her. And they did.

22. In Enola Holmes, the titular heroine briefly meets her mother Eudoria.

In the books, Enola never meets her mother.

23. There are scenes wherein the geishas can be seen without makeup in Memoirs of a Geisha.

But in the books, they will always look perfect.

24. Voldemort breaks into countless pieces after Harry beats him in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II.

In the books, he just falls during his death

Book fans will always find it hard to accept adaptations.

When you factor in the director's creative freedom and the time they're given to condense the book into one film, changes are inevitable. That's why it will always be hard to please book fans.

A best-selling book doesn't necessarily mean it's going to create a blockbuster movie. In the end, striking a balance between one's creativity and the source material will always be a challenge for directors.

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