Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy discussion

There are a lot of great books that have been turned into a movie(good/bad) and became a hit, but am I the only one who thinks that not every best seller can be turned into a movie? Some of them gets down graded. IMHO some books are better left being a book.
Idk maybe that's just me (-.-)

Totally, agree with you CC. & not it's not just you.

I'm bracing myself for "Outlander" the movie. As much as I'm excited, I'm scared.

Fifty Shades is another one. I really like the series (I'm on book 2) but not for the erotic aspect of it. I think the books has more depth than what the hypes were all about (the wives crawing all over husbands and the sex toys sales were up -- whatever!) and I hope they are not going to make it too sexy and more to the depth of the characters and the story line.

Also, I've heard that people compare Fifty Shades to Twilight, I still don't see it. However, I can't help myself & compare it to 9 1/2 Weeks, rather. And I really like that movie. :)

i don't think outlander will ever be made...i know the rights have been sold, but I keep hoping that they do something more like the BBC Pride and Prejudice with like a 6-8 hour run...

fifty shades...ugh, please no

For Outlander, I like a mini-series too.

Ha ha, with Fifty Shades -- No, you don't like the books or No, you don't want it to made into movie? LOL.

i would love to never see any mention of that book ever again...i'm soo sick of hearing about it...I have some serious ethical issues with the publishing of it, considering its origins

I agree Outlander would need to be much longer than a movie in order to tell the story correctly.

or how about showtime or HBO take it and adapt it - a la GoT...that would be awesome! I would totally get my subscription for one of those channels again if they did that

Dee if they ever made Outlander (which I do hope they do!) it would have to be like BBC did with the Austen Books. It is too long of a story, plus so much happens I don't think you can leave anything out and still have it be a great story.

that is the only way I would want outlander to be made

I want Fifty Shades to be an HBO Series! That could be awesome!!! I can't see a movie being great, but I'll see it when it comes out. I really really hope the pic a great Christian!

I am kind of to the point that I don't want my favorite books made into movies. I am a big Twilight fan, read the books in 2007 so long before the movies, and have been apart of the frenzy about them as I have so many friends in that world. That said, I can no longer read the books without seeing the actors and the ones that didn't "fit" my mental picture have effectively killed a character I loved. Casting is soooo important. If it is a book I am not interested in re-reading then fine. If it is a book like The Mortal Instruments series that I re-read all the time - I definitely will not watch that movie nor even a trailer. My Jace is too important to me to be "killed". I don't want Outlander made into one either - just too many mental pictures no movie is going to mess up for me personally.

You have a very good point Terry! I agree, I hate it when the characters don't match with the one you had pictured in your head (and not in a good way).

Casting is a huge deal. I think with the H.P. series they did a fantastic job with all the characters really but your right, the Twilight ones (with the exception of a few) all sucked.

I think that Mortal Instruments is going to be disastrous-- like Twilight. The cast is ALL wrong. Same thing for Aprilynne Pike's Wings Series with casting Miley Cyrus as Laurel...ugh!

Outlander- Yes! Mini-series please!

I also really really hope they make The Fever Series into movies. I think they would transfer epically on the big screen. I know the rights were bought, but I don't know if they are definitely doing it or not.

I would also be happy to never hear another damn word about this 50 Shades business...it's a fanfic or God's sake! If that is enough to make housewives across the country horny, they obviously aren't reading the 'right' books! LOL!

Those are just my opinions though!

I am just sick about the Mortal Instruments casting for Jace, but telling myself I am better off in the end because nothing could be close to as good as the books. My granddaughters and a lot of their friends feel the same way - big mistake in casting.

I was okay with most of the Twilight casting but the main male character in both Twilight and The Mortal Instruments is supposed to be above and beyond a beautiful guy. And let's face it, in those books we are supposed to develop a book crush on the Edwards and the Jaces - but then cast a guy who can live up to it. And my apologies to those who love Rob Patz - I wonder how many of them read the books before it was cast. If people see the movie first then they know nothing different!

I love the Fifty Shades books, but I don't think they will translate well onto film. I think they will concentrate too much on the sex and kink, and leave out all the complexity and depth of emotions. :(

I agree Terry wholeheartedly. Edward was suppose to be swoon worthy and beautiful and everything you would want in a guy and lets face it, Rob just was nothing like him. In fact (I hope I don't offend anyone!) I found him a little creepy with the super pale skin and his eyes being how they were. It was a little unnerving.

Which really is sad, because in other movies he really does look so much better.

I know, right? I love Fifty Shades too, but no..Fifty Shades doesn't make me horny...it makes me sad.

There are so many books that would make a good movie, but only if done right. What irritates me is when the movie doesn't follow the book. Minor changes are okay, but when, for example, a story goes in a different direction (a shortcut) or the characters are changed, that always disappoints me.

Beth wrote: "I think that Mortal Instruments is going to be disastrous-- like Twilight. The cast is ALL wrong. Same thing for Aprilynne Pike's Wings Series with casting Miley Cyrus as Laurel...ugh!
H
Outlander- ..."

Yikes, I didn't know about this. But I don't like it.

I prefer when movies from books use unknown actors and stay closer to the book instead of trying to pick a name to hype it up. The story is good enough.

I'm really not liking the book to movie move. A lot of what happens in books cannot be acted out well so too much license is used and it comes off poorly. The books also have to be cut too much to fit the two hours and the movies tend to not really grasp the personality of characters well. Like Ashley, I would prefer unknowns be used to stay closer to the book.

Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) wrote: "I think with the H.P. series they did a fantastic job with all the characters ..."

I think they were able to pull this off because they went with mostly unkown actors and fit the actor to the part instead of picking a popular actor and making the part fit them.

I think if they are going to make a movie out of books then they should be ready to make a film the length it needs to be to tell the story rather than squishing the book into their time frame. If you're not willing to tell whole story, why by the rights to begin with? This IMHO are the two main reason's most books don't work well as movies.

I agree - and be prepared to pour a ton of money into it - like the HP series and Lord of the Rings.

CC ~* Waiting for Qhuay *~ wrote: "There are a lot of great books that have been turned into a movie(good/bad) and became a hit, but am I the only one who thinks that not every best seller can be turned into a movie? Some of them ge..."

I completely agree. Some stories are just better off on the page rather than on the big screen, and I'll be glad when Hollywood learns this lesson.

Terry (Ter05 TwiMoms/ MundieMoms) wrote: "I agree - and be prepared to pour a ton of money into it - like the HP series and Lord of the Rings."

The two series I thought of when I read this thread. HP was pretty true to the story and it adapted well to movies, but I will forever be bummed about 17yr old Daniel Radcliffe as Harry. He was cute at 11, but not so much as a teenager. Yes, I'm shallow, I wanted a good looking Harry.

LOTR was not meant for the movies however. There is just too much story in those books for is to adapt well to movies. They kept getting worse from 1 to 3, as the books got more detailed the movies got more conviluted. No amount of money could have made those movies into something representative of the magic that is, Lord of the Rings.

I probably read Lord of the Rings so many years before the movie that helped me to enjoy the movies - which I did. My son re-read them before the movies though and he thought they did a great job - knowing some has to be lost in the transition.

I guess I was okay with Harry in HP as the actor just grew with Harry and lots of cute kids don't grow up to be handsome! LOL By then he WAS Harry to me.

Details always get lost in movies, but they really had to gut the plot to work for a movie. I will give Peter Jackson credit...the visuals were amazing and I will always see New Zealand as Middle earth and the creatures were amazing. Definitely a case where the visuals helped the books.

If they made the dark hunters into a movie or night huntress id b in Heaven

Tiffany wrote: "If they made the dark hunters into a movie or night huntress id b in Heaven"

I would love to see Night Huntress become a movie!

A good example of a book I think should have been left alone is Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief...they absolutely butchered the story line--tweaked characters and shattered Rick Riordan's story! I don't know how they are going to make the sequel, but alas, they are! The only plus about the movie was aside from Grover, the cast was dead on...but how could they leave out Ares and Clarice...I don't know!

They keep saying they are going to turn Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter Novels into movies and tv shows but Im not so sure I want them too. I have a perfect image of Acheron and Simi and all the other hunters if they dont cast right it would just kill it for me.

Catherine wrote: "They keep saying they are going to turn Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter Novels into movies and tv shows but Im not so sure I want them too. I have a perfect image of Acheron and Simi and all the oth..."

Beth wrote: "Tiffany wrote: "If they made the dark hunters into a movie or night huntress id b in Heaven"

I would love to see Night Huntress become a movie!

A good example of a book I think should have been l..."

Yes, I would love to see who they would cast as Bones dear goodness it would have to be someone really really good. I hear you CAtherine, I do have reservations about who they would cast. That's the thing I do hate about turning books into series and movies because sometimes what you create in your own head is better than reality. However, what they did with the vampire diaries was soo amazing and pretty little liars and hunger games which I admit I was die hard fans of and had low expectations came out really well so far. Those are a bit younger than NH and DH but in the right hands sometimes they can really capture some good things. But doing Simi and the other hunters would be a huge tasks, this isn't paranormal but I wish they would try and do the rough rider series too in the right hands it wouldn't have to be pornography. I would also like to see the Succubus Georgina Kincaid series come to life that has a lot of potential, I would to see it on HBO after True Blood!

I think my fear of them ruining it for me outweighs the desire to see it on screen

Me to Pat. Especially, BDB, DH, and NH.

Beth wrote: "Tiffany wrote: "If they made the dark hunters into a movie or night huntress id b in Heaven"

I would love to see Night Huntress become a movie!

A good example of a book I think should have been l..."

I completely agree. They got the visual right, but destroyed the plot. I'm probably going to see the second movie when it gets out, but it's more of a trainwreck thing... you just can't look away. I understand that some things have to be left out when making a book into a movie, but why did they rewrite the entire thing?

Like most of you Im also worried about the movie adaptation of Fifty Shades. There's more to it than kinky sex and I just hope it doesn't turn porn-ish :(

The books that I would never watch in case they're turned into a movie or series, are BDB and Night Huntress. I've already established a vivid image of characters in my imagination and I don't want it to be ruined. :))

Yes I was also a fan of some of the books turned movie but I only watch movie installments if I already finished reading the book/series. That way I wont see the actors' faces when Im reading the book. :D

I think for one thing it would depend on who produces it. Some books that turned movie were great books but the movies SUCKED. Then there were some that were really good. I think it would be disappointing no matter what (to a point) for best sellers to be turned into a movie because it will never be what you imagined it as you read it.

Wow, Fifty shades as a movie... how are they going to do that without getting an R rating (Australian must be over 18 to view). I think your censorship is even more restrictive in the States?

I think I read on this forum a while ago that KMM's Fever series is going to be a movie by Disney! That just makes me so nervous and who in the Hell would ever live up to the image of Barrons we all have painted in our minds. No one on earth is that mysterious, charismatic and hot. (In my imagination, anyway)

I don't think Fifty Shades of Grey will translate well to the screen. It started off as a Twilight fanfiction after all and look what happened to those movies.

S.L.J. wrote: "I don't think Fifty Shades of Grey will translate well to the screen. It started off as a Twilight fanfiction after all and look what happened to those movies."

I hope it dies in development hell, but I guess we can't be so lucky... ;)

I'm worried about the Dark hunter series they are making for the tv/movie. I love this series but if it is done cheaply I'm afraid it will ruin it.

Its kind of like the Terry Goodkind series, my husband has read the books and I was going to read them. BUT then I saw the TV Series they done on it. It was so cheap and nasty it put me off reading the books. And as someone said the casting is so important to get right. There is nothing that ticks me off than when some is meant to be 6" something big built, six pack, and they get the person to play this part skinny man barely 5".

And in regards to Fifty shades of grey it could be the best porno movie anyone has seen without the elevator music lol

Movies will never be quite the same as their movie counterparts and, realistically, I prefer to look at them as two entirely different things. In my opinion, with the write actors, writing and directing, the movies can be excellent - but never quite the same as the original idea that spawned it.

If they ever do a PG version, it'll be about 58 minutes long because they'll have to cut out all the sex. Other than the porn scenes, there is literally nothing else in these books.

No real character development. Just a closed off girl opening up.
No real romance. Just kinky and seriously freaky crap.

(view spoiler)[Don't even get me started on the tampon part. *Gonna vom...* (hide spoiler)]

It's literally womens sexual desires written down. And that's it. How can that translate into a movie without being a porno?

I've come to fear any of my favorites being made into movies. While in theory I would love to see the dark hunters or Anita Blake on the big screen, the fact is, I just don't trust Hollywood to do it right.

Forget clipping the plot down to fit, or poor cast choices. Look at Sookie and True Blood. The entire plot line of the books and the HBO series are so different that I can't force myself to read the rest of the books and I don't want watch the series because it is little more than soft-core porn half the time. They took very entertaining books and corrupted them beyond recognition. The only good things I can say about the HBO series are; Eric 'OMG' Northman and Lafayette. Okay...Pam is pretty awesome too. The rest of them can all be staked.

There are few book-to-movie versions around which I found intensely satisfying. Even the best which comes to my mind (The Name of the Rose) was only "almost" there, Eco's book being so much more layered.

I think that most of the books which truly use the full possibilities of fiction are no good material for movies, whereas the majority of the best movies I've ever seen (for instance "Witness") are original screenplays.

It's inherent in the differences of the media, I'd say.