The Godfather (1972) is the first film in a series that has gone down in cinematic history. How many times have we seen this referenced in pop culture now? If you’ve ever taken a film class, it is likely that The Godfather was used as an example at some point.
The Godfather follows follows the Corleone family–known for their criminal activities, their gang ties, and their devotion to the family itself.
Deadline writer Denise Petski wrote an article discussing howThe Offer, a 10-part limited series produced by Paramount TV Studies, and will be premiering in 2022. This series will explore the making of The Godfather, detailing the experiences of Al Ruddy, one of the producers for the original film.
Thankfully, there are some movies out there that do the book justice. These five films are incredibly popular, and there is a successful book behind each one.
In this creative context, writers were eager to work on exciting projects, especially if they could stay with the project as it moved toward becoming a film.
There’s a saying that no idea is original, that everything is borrowed or recycled to make something new. That is definitely the case with these movies and shows. Spoiler warning for all mediums listed.
You (2018 – )
The captivating Netflix thriller is actually based on both You and Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes. Like all adaptations, there are a few ways that the show moves away from the events of the novel as a way to keep things fresh. A major, but common, shift is the addition of characters that never existed in the original novels. Characters like Beck’s creepy professor, Joe’s neighbors, and Annika (Joe’s influencer friend) don’t exist in the universe Kepnes created.
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Sex and the City (1998 – 2004)
Based on Sex and the City by Candance Bushnell, the TV series differ’s greatly from the novel. Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda aren’t major characters; Carrie isn’t living a luxurious, financially stable life; and despite the show’s positive messages about female friendship, the novel was about the complete opposite. Bushnell’s Sex in the City had looming themes of isolation and alienation, where Carrie was struggling to make ends meets and competing with her “friends”.
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The Godfather (1972)
The notorious mafia film is based on The Godfather by Mario Puzo. A lot of the plot is similar between the Godfathers, but the biggest difference is in the details. Literally. Puzo’s novel gives readers the nitty-gritty details of many characters’ lives, but sadly, most of this detail was removed when making the 1972 classic. There’s a history to the characters that the movie just doesn’t have.
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The Haunting of Hill House (2018 – )
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson is the inspiration for the 2018 Netflix “adaptation”. I put adaptation in quotes because the two works are so different from one another. While Jackson’s original story follows a group residing in a haunted mansion as part of a para-psychological study, The Netflix version follows a modern family who used to live in the haunted mansion. Sure, the plot is heavily reliant on Jackson’s own work, but the show is definitely its own thing.
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Pitch Perfect (2012)
This fun, bubbly film is inspired by Pitch Perfect by Mickey Rapkin, a non-fiction novel. The film takes inspiration from the novel, but there are aspects of the film that just aren’t true. In collaboration with Entertainment Weekly, third-year A Capella group member, Drew O’Shanick, debunked what was real or fake about the movie.
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True Blood (2008 – 2014)
The Southern Vampire Mystery series by Charlaine Harris is the driving inspiration behind this TV series. According to readers and viewers alike, both works are actually quite similar. The biggest difference noted among is the lack of depth in the show’s vampiric lore. Harris does a great job creating her own take on Vampirism, but the show lacks the details Harris embedded in her novels.
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Strange Magic (2015)
After watching George Lucas’ fairy musical, it’s hard to believe that it’s based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare. The stories both follow young women who gives up on love to live a life of romantic solitude, but Lucas’ project brings a new message to the table about love. The movie, unlike Beauty and the Beast and Shrek, makes it know that ugly people can be in loving relationships with people who are considered “out of their league”.
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