From 'House of the Dragon' to 'God of War' to 'The Witcher,' shows are getting smacked by creators for seeming to stray from source material. And there are reasons it's happening now.
There needs to be some level of adaption from a book or video game to the screen. It’s a very difficult job to actually do well though, because it requires knowledge of the source material and knowledge of what works on the screen. People that can do this are rare and expensive.
Lately it’s almost seemed like it’s become a badge of honor to not actually know anything about the topic being adapted. It’s not surprising that mindset is leading to failure.
And that’s generally forgivable - if you call it anything else. But naming your thing after a popular thing is a reliable way to get butts in seats, even if you completely bungle the tone, content, setting, and message. It’s how you guarantee “the book is better” instead of “did you know it’s based on a book?”
There needs to be some level of adaption from a book or video game to the screen. It’s a very difficult job to actually do well though, because it requires knowledge of the source material and knowledge of what works on the screen. People that can do this are rare and expensive.
Lately it’s almost seemed like it’s become a badge of honor to not actually know anything about the topic being adapted. It’s not surprising that mindset is leading to failure.
And that’s generally forgivable - if you call it anything else. But naming your thing after a popular thing is a reliable way to get butts in seats, even if you completely bungle the tone, content, setting, and message. It’s how you guarantee “the book is better” instead of “did you know it’s based on a book?”