Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - Book vs Movie

Introduction

hARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE (2001) - PINTEREST IMAGE

The Harry Potter series is a fantasy collection written by author J.K. Rowling. Her first book, "The Philosopher’s Stone," was published on June 26, 1997. The series achieved tremendous success, prompting producer David Heyman to adapt it into a film, ultimately selling the rights to Warner Bros. The movie adaptation of "The Philosopher’s Stone" was released on November 16, 2001, and it also became a global hit. The Harry Potter franchise gained significant popularity with this film. It was an excellent movie, and the directors did an outstanding job. While this adaptation was successful and maintained several similarities to the book, there were also a number of notable differences. In this blog post, I will discuss the characters, acting and casting, scenery and setting, and the plot and key scenes.

Characters

I read the first book of the Harry Potter series three or four summers ago, and I became completely obsessed with the film adaptation. One of the aspects that brought the movie to life was the portrayal of the characters. While some characters had differences compared to the book, one character was depicted perfectly in both appearance and personality traits: Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts. In the first book, Dumbledore is portrayed as kind, calm, and gentle, and the movie captured these qualities well. Additionally, his appearances in the film were very similar to those described in the book.

He has a long white beard, wears long robes, and a pointy hat. Additionally, there are characters from the book that were completely cut out of the movie, such as Peeves the poltergeist and Charlie Weasley. The reason for their exclusion is to focus on the main storyline. While this is a valid point, I believe the directors should have at least included some scenes with Peeves and Charlie Weasley instead of omitting them entirely.

Acting and casting 

Hermione Granger - emma watson - Harry potter and the philosopher’s stone - pinterest image

A successful film adaptation relies heavily on great casting and strong performances. The casting directors did an outstanding job on this film. Many actors and actresses were perfectly suited for their roles, but one person who truly embodied her character is Emma Watson, who plays Hermione Granger. Hermione is portrayed as highly intelligent, loyal, brave, bossy, feisty, and a bit of a know-it-all. Emma captured these personality traits exceptionally well, particularly the know-it-all and bossy aspects. Hermione’s strong-willed nature sometimes annoyed others, but Emma’s performance brought depth to the character. When they filmed "Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone," Emma was just 10 years old, and she did an incredible job. The first time I watched the movie, I was amazed by this talented young actress. They even styled Emma’s hair to resemble Hermione’s description in the books.

severus snape (alan rickman) - Pinterest image

The only difference is that she doesn’t have the prominent front teeth that Hermione from the books has. Another excellent actor was the late Alan Rickman, who portrayed Severus Snape. In the first book, Snape displays a sinister, malicious, and cruel demeanor. He is particularly biased against Gryffindor and shows considerable favoritism toward Slytherin. Snape is described as having shoulder-length, greasy black hair, a large crooked nose, uneven teeth, cold black eyes, and black flowing robes, which make him resemble an overgrown bat. In the movies, Snape maintains a bitter, cruel, biased, and sarcastic personality, which somewhat mirrors his character in the books. However, some aspects of his appearance differ from the descriptions in the books, such as his crooked nose and yellow uneven teeth. Nevertheless, there are similarities, including his cold black eyes, shoulder-length greasy hair, and black flowing robes. The casting directors made an excellent choice when they selected Alan Rickman for the role of Snape; he truly brought the character to life. Alan Rickman was a remarkable actor and will always be remembered for his work.

Plots/scenes:

The scenes in this film were somewhat similar to those in the book, but several important scenes were completely cut due to time and budget constraints. I understand that not everything can be included in a two-hour movie, but the main issue is that they are removing crucial scenes and plot points from the book. One particularly important scene that was cut from the movie is Harry’s prophetic dream. Harry experienced this dream shortly after arriving at Hogwarts. In it, he was wearing Professor Quirrell's turban, who was talking to him, insisting that he belonged in Slytherin. When Harry tried to take off the turban, it wouldn’t budge; instead, it became heavier and tighter. The dream ended with a flash of green light, and by morning, Harry had completely forgotten it. This dream serves as foreshadowing for later events in the story, especially when it’s revealed that Lord Voldemort is connected to Professor Quirrell. I believe that Harry’s dream should not have been cut from the movie because it is significant for the development of the plot.

Conclusion

Although there were crucial parts left out of this movie adaptation, it's a very good movie and still my all-time favourite. David Heyman, the directors, and the actors/actresses gave it their all with this movie. However, I recommend readers first read the book to get a better understanding of the storyline, to avoid any confusion when watching the film.  

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Lina Ahmed is a 21 year old at Algonquin College student in the professional writing program. She loves spending time with friends and family. Her favourite genres are romance, sports romance, fantasy, and romantasy. She loves to write and loves talking about her favourite books. She spends her free time reading, writing, and watching movies. Lina likes sharing her writing ideas and loves to compare books with their adapted movies. She’s currently working on a romance book, and wants to get published in a few years from now. Lina Ahmed’s goal to be one of the most successful published authors ever. 

Getting Lost in the Characters

Characters are crucial for a story, because if there are none, what then? Who are you to follow if there’s nobody to lead you? Who are you to relate to or sympathize with if there’s nobody to connect to? And what happens if the imaginary person we’ve made up in our heads gets replaced by actors that never crossed our minds? Sometimes, the transformation is incredible, as if they stepped right out of the book. Though at other times the change can be shocking, as if on the way, something got lost in the translation.

Katherine McNamara as Clary fray. image courtesy of freeform

Superficiality

One of the more noticeable elements that separates a book character from an actor is the exterior. In books, we create detailed images of characters in our minds, but Hollywood often prioritizes appearance and aesthetics over accuracy.

 In The Mortal Instruments books by Cassandra Clare, the protagonist, Clary Fray, is ordinary, small, stubborn, red-headed, artistic and insecure. She is a relatable teenager, and after she’s thrown into a world of supernatural beings, she goes from being a damsel in distress to a girl who grows into her bravery.  

 However, in the Shadowhunters TV adaptation starring Katherine McNamara as Clary, though she fit the visual aspect—tall, beautiful, confident, with long, perfect red hair and makeup, this clashed with the book depiction of her as down-to-earth and self-conscious. The show often focused more on her physical appearance and not on her personality and emotional growth, making Katherine feel more like a surface version of Clary.

halle Bailey as Ariel. Image courtesy of disney

Race

Changes in race from a book to a movie add another layer of complexity, leading to mixed feelings and uncertainty. Sometimes, when the director casts an actor of a different race than the original character, it can add representation, offer a fresh reinterpretation that might attract people who hadn’t watched or read the original and make it more inclusive.

 A recent example is Halle Bailey, who played Ariel in The Little Mermaid 2023 live-action remake. The response to her getting cast got split in the middle, between those who liked her portrayal and those who despised it. For some, it was a long-overdue celebration of diversity in a classic princess tale. Though for others, it challenged decades of fixed imagery, of knowing Ariel’s original design in the animated film (and supposedly in the original fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1837) had fiery red hair, pale skin, and blue eyes. And in the adaptation, those looks were replaced by a girl with warm, gold, radiant skin and red locs.

By having Halle Bailey play Ariel, it breathed new life into old stories and opened them up to a broader audience. As well as allowing black children to see themselves in a princess role.

Bridging

Still, some adaptations bridge the gap between a book character and a movie/TV show character perfectly. The most successful ones prioritize the character's essence—their personality, struggles, and growth—over external appearance. 

Emma watson as hermione granger. image courtesy of heyday films

In Harry Potter, for example, Emma Watson might not have had Hermione’s large front teeth or bushy brown hair, but embodied her intelligence, loyalty, and integrity so well that they overshadowed the physical discrepancies. Her mirroring of Hermione’s personality traits and spirit proved more important to the fans and to author J. K. Rowling herself, who actually said that Emma was too pretty to play Hermione.  

 Emma Watson’s portrayal of Hermione Granger proved that casting is not always about physical accuracy, but about emotional authenticity. It left the audience not feeling as if they were watching a stranger wearing her name, but as if that was the character. Emma Watson was in every way Hermione Granger.

Conclusion

Live-action adaptations often walk a thin line between honoring and replicating the book and creating something entirely new. On one hand, superficial casting and race changes can distance you from the story. Alternatively, thoughtful casting and genuine, well-done performances can bring characters to life in incredible ways. At most, an adaptation doesn’t just mirror the book; it makes it more immersive. In the end, what makes us fall in love with the characters isn’t how perfectly they match on the page, but how they make us believe in them, how they convince us they are indeed that character. Because then we don’t lose them at all; in fact, we’ll find them time and time again, just in a different form. 

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Erin Murray is currently a second-year student in the Professional Writing Program at Algonquin College. She enjoys listening to moody instrumental music when writing, and once the temperature drops, loves carrying around a cup of tea. She’s had the on-and-off hobby of writing stories since high school, and dreams of having her own WIP traditionally published in the future. When Erin is not at her laptop, she’s thinking of a new novel idea or daydreaming about the one that is underway.

Elsie Silver: Two Series Adaptations?

Love, romance and cowboys. Elsie Silver knows it all. Over the course of the past four, nearly five, years, Elsie Silver has released a total of 14 books, all of which are interconnected standalones. 

Author Elsie Silver. Image Courtesy of Bloom books

Now, she has revealed an adaptation for not just one but two of her series’, her “Rose Hill” series and her “Chestnut Springs” series being those chosen for an adaptation. Neither series currently have a release date sent for their adaptations nor have they started filming. But speculation says that it may come as soon as 2027.

Rose Hill Series

Elsie Silver’s “Rose Hill” series is her most recent completed series. First published in 2024, her novels quickly rose to popularity. With four books to its name, one of which wasn’t even published when the news hit that it was going to get adapted, the “Rose Hill” series is one of the most popular romance series of the year.

Even though “Rose Hill” is the most recent one of her series, it was the first one to receive an adaptation among all three. On June 5th, 2025, Variety announced that Amazon has plans to develop the series, along with the news that Elsie Silver will be among the executive producers for the future show. 

Rose Hill series. Image courtesy of BigLittleReads

Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much information that has been revealed to the public, but many fans hope that the casting and the overall plot for the show will be similar to what they read in the novels. Especially with the author being among the producers, fans should be able to get the story that they want.

Chestnut Springs

Elsie Silver’s “Chestnut Springs” is her second completed series. First published in 2022, her “Chestnut Springs” series is what made people start to read her novels and what brought her, her initial popularity. With five books to its name, the “Chestnut Springs” series is, by far, her most popular series; it’s what made most fans fall in love with the world that she had built in the first place.

The “Chestnut Springs” series is the second of her series’ to turn into a TVshow. On September 11th, 2025, Variety announced that Netflix has plans to develop the series. Similar to Amazon with the “Rose Hill” series, Elsie Silver will be an executive producer for this production.

Additionally, much like with the previous series, there hasn’t been much information that has been revealed to the public. Though it was mentioned that once this TV show is released, it will become the latest Western romance to come to Netflix.

Chestnut Springs series. Image courtesy of bookowls

Fan Theories and Questions

There is a lot of speculation among the fans following the last announcement of the “Chestnut Springs” series. Starting off with one of the biggest questions fans have: Will the characters from the future “Chestnut Springs” show, show up in the “Rose Hill” show? Unfortunately, the answer has not yet been revealed. However, it seems highly unlikely that the same cast will appear in either show, especially since the rights for each series is separately owned by two rival companies.

Over the years, since the release of Flawless, the first novel in the “Chestnut Springs” series, fans have been posting their fancast for both series’ and they’re currently wondering if any of the actors are going to be featured in the TV production, which, as nice as it may be, it might be a little unrealistic. In any case, what the audience wants the most when it comes to the casting for the characters that have held their hearts for the past few years, is that they find actors who can really portray the characters naturally and that won’t disappoint them.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this news is very exciting for Elsie Silver fans. Having not just one but two of her series’ being turned into a TV adaptation is something that has exceeded expectations. Even though it is unlikely that there'll ever be any form of crossover between them, hopefully both Amazon and Netflix can capture the essence of what the series’ are and can make fans enjoy the future programs.

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Alyssa Simard is currently a student at Algonquin College’s Professional Writing Program. She spends her time with her family, reading, and watching shows and movies. She prefers to spend her time getting absorbed into fictional worlds, whether they’re her own creation or one that she’s read or watched. Her dream is to one day become a published romance author and share her love for reading and writing to the world.

Wuthering Heights (2026): Still with the white Heathcliff?

Warning: This post references quotes from Wuthering Heights which contain outdated and offensive language concerning Romani people.

As soon as the lead actors in Emerald Fennell’s upcoming adaptation of Emily Brontë’s 1847 Gothic classic Wuthering Heights were announced, the internet was in an uproar. The news that Margot Robbie would play Catherine Earnshaw drew immediate criticism; blonde, blue-eyed Robbie, 35, doesn’t quite fit Cathy’s description of a brown-haired, brown-eyed teenager. More than that, though, people were offended by the choice to cast Jacob Elordi as male lead Heathcliff.

How can it be a faithful adaptation, one has to wonder, when Margot Robbie has a face that has seen an iPad, and, more pressing, when the actor playing Heathcliff is white?

“A dark-skinned gipsy”

Heathcliff is the foster brother of Cathy and Hindley Earnshaw, raised alongside them and Ellen “Nelly” Dean, the novel’s narrator. Found on the streets of Liverpool and taken in by the Earnshaw siblings’ father, Heathcliff serves many roles in Wuthering Heights: villain and antihero, love interest and oddity. He grows up among landed gentry on the edges of the Yorkshire moors, but never quite fits in. Race is at the centre of that struggle.

Title page of the 1847 edition of Wuthering Heights. eMILY bRONTë PUBLISHED THE BOOK UNDER THE PSEUDONYM ELLIS BELL. (Courtesy of Christie’s Auction House.)

Heathcliff is often called racially ambiguous, but I don’t think there’s much ambiguity about it. Throughout the novel, emphasis is placed on the fact that Heathcliff is visibly nonwhite. People remark countlessly on the darkness of Heathcliff’s skin, and on his black eyes and hair. This isn’t a case of him having a tan — when Mr Earnshaw first presents young Heathcliff to his family, he says, “it’s as dark almost as if it came from the devil.”

It seems clear from the text that Heathcliff is Romani — he’s called a “gipsy” repeatedly, and looks “exactly like the son of the fortune-teller” — or else of direct South Asian heritage¹. A neighbour believes him to be “a little Lascar” (that is, an Indian sailor who worked on a European ship); Nelly tells Heathcliff he looks as though his mother could be “an Indian Queen” and his father the Emperor of China.

“It’s just a book”

In light of all that, it’s understandable why people are unimpressed by the choice to cast Elordi. Writer-director-producer Emerald Fennell didn’t consider Heathcliff’s ethnicity at all. According to the BBC, Fennell gave him the role (sans audition) because he “looked exactly like the illustration of Heathcliff on the first book that I read.” She added that “it seemed to me he had the thing” to play Heathcliff.

Whatever “the thing” is, it’s not ethnicity.

Previous adaptations have cast white men as Heathcliff, of course (though Andrea Arnold’s 2011 version cast a Black actor, after an initial search for a Romani actor). But in 2025, it’s deeply strange that the opportunity to cast a canonical nonwhite character was flouted. Especially considering that nonwhite actors were cast in white roles: Nelly is portrayed by Vietnamese-American Hong Chau, and Edgar Linton by Pakistani-British Shazad Latif.

But the movie’s casting director, Kharmel Cochrane, has no regard for the importance of race to the story. When asked about criticism of the casting choices, she said, “You really don’t need to be accurate. It’s just a book.”

Race is integral to the story

The thing is, there’s no way to adapt that book meaningfully without considering Heathcliff’s race. It’s central to his character, to the actions of those around him, and to the story itself. Heathcliff’s race is the source of others’ cruelty, but Brontë also uses it to explain his own cruel, abusive, and strange nature. He’s not like Hindley, or Cathy, or the Lintons, whose whiteness is arguably as integral to the story as Heathcliff’s “dark face and hair.”

Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as Cathy Earnshaw and Heathcliff. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

Cathy loves Heathcliff to the point of viewing him and herself as one person, at one point declaring, “I am Heathcliff,” but in the end, Heathcliff is other: a brown boy taken in off the street as though he’s a strange pet. When Cathy chooses to marry the more suitable Edgar Linton — pale, blond, and from an old, wealthy English family — instead of Heathcliff, it ultimately leads to the downfall of everyone in the story. 

Emily Brontë, painted in 1833 by her brother, Branwell Brontë. Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, London.

Whether Emily Brontë was wholly conscious of it or not, racism is part of the very fabric of the story.

Lost opportunity, lost cause

I’m sure that, like everything Emerald Fennell has directed over the last few years, her Wuthering Heights will be beautiful and punchy. Faithful? No. Good? Well, that remains to be seen.

Regardless, I doubt it has a chance to be a good adaptation. By ignoring Heathcliff’s racial identity, this adaptation ignores the very fabric of the story. It’s a tragically lost opportunity to explore an interesting and often-ignored facet of Gothic literature. And, for an adaptation being made in 2025? It’s frankly embarrassing.

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Moira Rickett is a freelance editor and translator and a student in the Professional Writing program at Algonquin College. She likes nonfiction writing, literary analysis, and collecting useless trivia, usually about dead historical figures. When not working on her latest project, she can usually be found procrastinating working on her latest project.

Did the director visualize the The It Ends With Us story well?

Expectations of Movie Adaptations

When it comes to book adaptations, there are both good and bad things. Good things are that the movie captures the heart of the book. The most important part of the movie is the premise of the book and the casting. The characters are what make the book great and special. The fact you could relate to them. Casting is very important for movie adaptations because it brings the characters to life. The characters should look the part, and be good actresses/actors. 

Image courtesy of the hollywood reporter

They should bring their all for the character's personality, emotion, how they speak, etc, should be perfect. Another thing is that the movie should show the whole point of the book. The theme, the settings, the plot, the whole premise. Not living up to these expectations, makes a bad book to movie adaptation. 

It Ends With Us Movie Adaptation

I read a book called It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover over two years ago, and I have a lot of mixed emotions about the book. I didn’t really like this book, but I still had a lot of expectations when Colleen Hoover announced that The It Ends With Us was coming out with a movie. Me as well as other readers had opinions for the casting, and the casting didn’t meet any of our expectations. I knew the movie was going to be bad when they cast Blake Lively for the role of the main character Lily Bloom. Lily Bloom is a 23-year-old red head, and Blake didn’t fit the role at all. For starters, Blake Lively is not naturally a red head, she is blonde.

They could have found another actress with red hair and in her 20s. Instead they picked someone that doesn’t fit the description. Lily Bloom is 23 in the book, and Blake is 38. She’s too old to be playing this role. I understand why they would pick Blake though, she is a famous well known actress and the movie would get a lot of attention for her being chosen as the main character. I don't know what it is but she just doesn’t fit the role for Lily. 

The important thing of picking an actress/actor for a movie is the appearance and if they’re perfect for the role, not if they would bring the movie more fame. I mean maybe her audition was great, but there were actresses out there that would have been a better choice. The outfits were also a problem in the movie and were totally out of place on Blake in the movie.

image courtesy of paragon jackets

Also, an actor that was not perfect for a character was Brandon Sklenaer for the character Atlas Corrigan, the childhood love interest in the movie. This is not how I imagined him at all. I imagined his hair to be thinner but in the movie it is too thick. Also, Atlas is in his 20s too, and the actor is 35. They could have chosen someone else for Atlas. Maybe someone who looks younger or fits the role better. The main love interest Ryle Kincaid’s appearance, played by Justin Baldoni, was fine and his sister’s, Alyssa, who was played by Jenny Slate was okay too.

I just don’t like the younger Atlas chosen for the flashback scenes. He looks too old to be playing a 15-year-old. The girl who plays Lily in the flashback scenes looked like she was fifteen at least, even though she was way older. Some of the scenes are changed in the movie. Like,  when Ryle first abuses Lily and he goes to his sister, and she tells him that he has to tell her about the death of his younger brother, but in the movie, Alyssa tells Lily about the death. I don’t know, I just think that it should have still been Ryle to tell Lily about his brother.

Conclusion 

Anyways this movie was not good, and it was mostly because of the casting. Our expectations weren’t met. A good author should bring fans' opinions to consideration if they want them to watch the movie which Hoover didn’t do. 

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Lina Ahmed is a 21 year old at Algonquin College student in the professional writing program. She loves spending time with friends and family. Her favourite genres are romance, sports romance, fantasy, and romantasy. She loves to write and loves talking about her favourite books. She spends her free time reading, writing, and watching movies. Lina likes sharing her writing ideas and loves to compare books with their adapted movies. She’s currently working on a romance book, and wants to get published in a few years from now. Lina Ahmed’s goal to be one of the most successful published authors ever. 

Pride and Prejudice 2026: What’s one more adaptation?

Do you like classics? The Regency era? What about romance? If the answer is yes, then you’d enjoy Pride and Prejudice. Whether you start by reading the novel, watching the 1995 television series or the 2005 film, you are guaranteed to love the story. Pride and Prejudice is a widely loved novel by Jane Austen and has been adapted at least 16 times, the first being in 1940, and is now being adapted once more into a television series on Netflix.

A Favorite Story’s Comeback

It has nearly been five years since the previous adaptation, Pride and Prejudice: A New Musical, was released. The film hardly spiked any interest, unlike the major success of the Pride and Prejudice film from 2005 and now we are getting a brand-new adaptation. 

Image courtesy of Netflix

Back in July, Netflix announced a brand-new adaptation that is currently in production. From best-selling author Dolly Alderton and director Euros Lyn we can expect to see a six-part mini-series as early as next year. 

Around the same time, Netflix announced their cast list, upon the list are big names in cinema and tv, such as Olivia Coleman, Jack Lowden and Emma Corrin. All of which were cast in the bigger roles for this production. Additionally, Netflix also released the cast list for the rest of the bigger roles for this story at the Tudum event.

What Fans Want to See

Fans typically know what they’re getting into when it comes to Pride and Prejudice, which is what many are expecting. They want hatred, love, tension, something they can swoon over. 

Image courtesy of Penguin Classics

What’s really needed is the portrayal of each of the characters to be as they were designed in the novel and to have the character details shine through in the future series, so that the fans can really fall in love with every one of the characters represented. 

Better yet, what fans want to see above all is a proper love story with sweet and romantic love declarations. They want to swoon over yet another Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, adding them once again to their list of characters that they can never get over. 

Sparking Controversy

After hearing the news of the new adaptation, many fans speculate if they need to make another one or whether they should leave their beloved story alone for the time being. Many fans are still hung up on both the 2005 film and the 1995 series. Leaving many to question if anything could ever beat their favorite remakes. Maybe the same will happen this time around. 

Image courtesy of Modern Library

But one of the many questions that keep coming up when discussing this new adaptation is about the casting. Are they really the best people that they could find for this series? While happy over the casting of Olivia Coleman as Mrs. Bennet, fans are upset over the cast of Mr. Darcy (Jack Lowden) and Elizabeth Bennet (Emma Corrin). Claiming that Lowden looks nothing like what they would expect a Mr. Darcy would look and same goes for Corrin and Elizabeth Bennet.

Fans want their remake done right and trying to surpass the success of past adaptations might prove to be a challenge for Netflix. Especially after such a negative impact from the fans over the cast, it leaves us to wonder as to whether or not this new adaptation will really be good and surpass expectations.

Keeping An Open Mind

With this upcoming adaptation and having watched the past successes of the others, it is probably best to keep an open mind. While it is one of the most popular stories in the world, it is something that will be different. Especially since fans of the 1995 adaptation were also questioning whether or not the 2005 adaptation would be a success, and it just so happened to become one of the most talked about Pride and Prejudice adaptations today.

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Alyssa Simard is currently a student at Algonquin College’s Professional Writing Program. She spends her time with her family, reading, watching shows and movies. She prefers to spend her time getting absorbed into fictional worlds, whether they’re her own creation or one that she’s read or watched. Her dream is to one day become a published romance author and share her love for reading and writing to the world.

A Tale of Two Plots: Understanding Alterations

PHOTO BY ANDRIJANA BOZIC ON UNSPLASH

Plot is a crucial aspect in both books and their adaptations, but how much of it gets altered or removed in the film process, why, and how does it impact the overall story? These questions often arise when there’s a live action made, and going behind the scenes is one way to find answers and see the decision-making process in full perspective.

What Does The Book Have…

Stories follow a series of events that shape the broader narrative, like life, you never know where it will actually go. That’s the plot.

In books, authors can expand timelines and character development over the course of many chapters, writing details and descriptions that can fill up entire pages. It’ll slow down the pacing of the novel, but it’s better than skipping through important information and leaving the reader lost and confused, or it might even make the pacing easier to follow, depending on your reading style.

PHOTO BY BRANDI REDD ON UNSPLASH

Either way, taking the opportunity to put worldbuilding into the plotline provides a foundation, context and restrictions, helping the reader immerse themselves in the fictional world. It gives an understanding of the magic system (if there is any), culture, history, politics, environment, rules and many more that make the world authentic and realistic, because no one wants to read a work so untrue that they cannot imagine it.

Using the thoughts, feelings, and the way characters visualize their surroundings is important too in the context of worldbuilding and plot development. It showcases the protagonist’s internal and external conflict, making the reader empathize with them. Their lifelike manners help keep the reader engaged throughout the events in the story, showing how the individuals face conflict and overcome it, their motivations, and their growth and change up until the end. And readers might relate to the character flaws and struggles, and further be invested in the journey.

…That The Adaptation Does Not

Movies cannot be exactly like the books; it’s virtually impossible.

In adaptations, there are limitations, including a shorter runtime and more visual elements. Due to the two-hour runtime in movies, they need to condense the plot and timeline and even remove characters, subplots and information originally in the book. In doing so, it leads to differences in events, which are noticeable to the audience who have read the story first. Cutting significant and memorable plot points is frustrating for readers. But in reason, it makes it more palatable for a broader audience and those who haven't read the novel and keeps it engaging.

PHOTO BY JEREMY YAP ON UNSPLASH

Another difference is that there is more show than tell in films; showing a character's internal conflicts relies on dialogue, body language, and actions. Due to this, their thoughts are often left out entirely or externalized as the individual, rather than arguing with themselves, might choose to dispute with another character.

The decision to make the original not original is often due to the amount of money. As a film’s main element is visuals, it can be costly if there is a need for special effects, mass destruction and fight scenes. Removing subplots and minor characters is a way to keep to the budget.

Though it’s necessary to compress a book, details get lost in the story. However, if studios had the opportunity to create a movie with an unlimited amount of money, then there’s no doubt they wouldn’t be able to keep to the original or at least make it more accurate.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the plot is an important element in both a book and its adaptation. It drives the narrative forward through exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution/denouement and adds a more immersive environment for readers and watchers. And though there are differences, it’s understandable that everything in a story that makes it so magical cannot be put with the same amount of depth into a live action.

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Erin Murray is currently a second-year student in the Professional Writing Program at Algonquin College. She enjoys listening to moody instrumental music when writing, and once the temperature drops, loves carrying around a cup of tea. She’s had the on-and-off hobby of writing stories since high school, and dreams of having her own WIP traditionally published in the future. When Erin is not at her laptop, she’s thinking of a new novel idea or daydreaming about the one that is underway.

Intro

Plot, characters, dialogue, action, drama, humor. Do all these elements make or break movies, TV shows, or books? Adaptations can elevate a story, turning imagination into reality, or they can lose all the special things that made them close to the heart. Here, we’ll delve into the inner workings of book-to-film adaptations, examining those that are in the works and the debates surrounding those that shouldn’t be. This blog explores the angles of adaptation and leads to the question: should every book be an adaptation, or are some better left on the page?