Book Adapted To Movie: Attract New Audience At Risk To Disappoint Readers

Tom Holland in Cherry (Apple TV)

JAKARTA - Books are ideal materials to translate into other formats. More than 29 books are confirmed to be adapted into films or series.

The high demand for adaptation has also made books popular again in the community. Bridgerton, for example. This book by Julia Quinn is an original Netflix series produced by Shondaland that has attracted viewers.

Not only is the number of viewers a record high, but Bridgerton's book collection is also widely sought after in a number of online bookstores. Now, books are not only a source of adaptation. In fact, many books are 'made' to be produced into television shows and films.

Plus, books are timeless. For example, Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale series was an adaptation of Margaret Atwood and the book, published in 1985, is starting to be read again. The publisher did not announce any sales number either. For them, how the book was hunted heralded the big effect of the series.

This year, a number of books are planned to be adapted for viewing. Netflix will release Behind Her Eyes, The Dig, Firefly Lane, Apple TV with Cherry, HBO Max with Dune, and many others.

Books and adaptation content have become a symbiotic relationship of mutualism as television gets new stories. Meanwhile, his book is popular despite being released a long time ago.

The Queen's Gambit, the Netflix original series released in 2020, was a hit, while its book (1983) ranked among the top book searchers. The label “adapted to Netflix” is a matter of pride.

Decreased Reading Interest

Indonesia ranks second in the bottom of 61 countries on the list of the World's Most Literate Nations Ranked based on the Central Connecticut State University survey in 2016. In terms of infrastructure assessment for reading, Indonesia is far more fortunate than European countries.

Launching the Ministry of Communication and Information website, this fact contradicts Indonesia's population, which ranks fifth as the country with the most gadgets after China, India, and the United States.

Apart from Indonesia, other countries have also experienced a decline in reading interest. A report from the Washington Post said that in 2017, the reading interest of the United States population decreased by 30 percent.

This is because they prefer to watch television. The Post also says Americans can spend two hours and 45 minutes watching television and this number is 10 times greater than reading.

This figure is also influenced by competition from streaming services such as Netflix and Apple TV. In fact, this platform takes book material as their adaptation content and is often encountered today.

However, with the number of adaptations of books, this has an effect on sales of physical literature, not limited by the time of release.

Reader Response

It is undeniable that this book which is adapted into a spectacle can attract new readers and audiences. But on the other hand, the response of the readers is cold and they are often disappointed by the format of this adaptation.

Movies and television are visuals whereas books are about words. Adjustments need to be made in order to be balanced, but often the production team forces it in the process.

Sally Rooney's Normal People is credited with emphasizing the youth transition without exaggerating the character traits. Due to this success, Rooney is preparing for the next adaptation of another work, Conversation with Friends.

In addition, this adjustment also depends on the budget, technology, and production itself. When audiences watch movies/television series from the books they read, they will compare several things.

Of course, this happens because what is presented in the film/television is the point of view of the director while everyone has their own biased interpretation.

For example, in the Twilight book series when it was made into a film, the audience began to enliven the discussion of Team Jacob or Team Edward. Yet when the book was published, no audience started the debate.

Books Become a Source of Adaptation

Quoting CNN International, Jinny Howe from Netflix said viewers want to see the books they are reading can be turned on and, Netflix is happy to provide the service.

"Books have been a source of entertainment for many years, with endless opportunities for readers to see themselves," said Howe.

From the first hit television shows like Orange is the New Black to recent releases like The Queen's Gambit, Bridgerton, and Lupine they have found many readers watching the series of the books they read.

As long as it benefits both parties, the adaptation of the book will always be done for the sake of a spectacle.