It is no secret that a great book is hard to adapt to a screen, big or small. Nothing seems to come out better than the stories and characters that each reader creates in their own mind when reading a novel or comic book.
We unconsciously give characters our own traits, which makes it easier to relate to them. And we can read scenes and dialogue at our own comfortable pace. But when these characters and dialogues appear on the screen, they are often different from what we imagined, and that can be disappointing.
There are, however, happy exceptions to this rule. Some showrunners manage to not only respect the source material, but also add new meanings and their own vision that enhances the story. Here are five examples of such thoughtful adaptations.
The Boys (2019-present)
Based on: The comic book series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson
The reason people are so hooked on this satirical superhero show, and so eagerly awaiting its fourth season in 2024, is because it did such a good job with the source material.
The Boys took the basic concept of the comics and its characters, but made it much more digestible and relatable. In the source material, there are a lot of arcs created purely for shock value, and that gets tiresome over time. In the show, the balance between sane and wild is perfect.
Dirk Gently's Detective Agency (2016-2017)
Based on: The series of novels by Douglas Adams
Douglas Adams' humorous detective novels are great and have seen some interesting adaptations. But the Max Landis series took it to a new level. It didn't stick too closely to the original work, but it managed to keep its trademark weirdness and humor.
To this day, many viewers are disappointed that the show was canceled after Season 2 and they never got to see the wackadoo things it was building up to. If there's anything worth reviving, it's Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.
Invincible (2021-present)
Based on: The Image Comics series by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley
Having the creator of the original comic book writing for the Prime Video show serves the story well.
Knowing that many viewers would tune in aware of what happened in the source story, Kirkman made a brilliant decision and tweaked its flow to reveal the most shocking twist early on. This helped turn an average superhero cartoon into a spectacular show.
House of the Dragon (2022-present)
Based on: Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin
Anyone who has read Martin's book will confirm that it is nowhere near as entertaining as the show. The reason is that Fire & Blood is basically a bunch of murky historical accounts thrown together as an in-universe history book.
However, it provided a great framework for the HBO show, and Martin's involvement ensured that the onscreen characters and their development were familiar and satisfying even to hardcore fans.
Sharp Objects (2018)
Based on: The novel by Gillian Flynn
HBO's psychological thriller made quite a few changes to its source novel. And while the book is great as it is, all of the showrunners' creative choices benefited the adaptation and made the story look good on screen.
Of course, the casting of Amy Adams as the troubled protagonist and Patricia Clarkson as her overbearing mother helped breathe new life into the book's characters. Now, when you read the novel after watching the show, it's impossible to imagine anyone else in their places.