Creative Investigation Presentation

By Daniel Rothery

Does the critical success of a fantasy book determine the success of the film

adaptation?

For my creative investigation I decided to look into the area of adaptations. This was a very wide topic to look into because there have been so many books that have been adapted into films.To narrow it down I decided to focus on the area of fantasy and if the critical success of a fantasy book determines the success/unsuccessfulness of the film adaptation. I will also look at other factors that can make a fantasy adaptation successful.

Focal FilmsMy focal films are all part of successful Hollywood franchises. The films are 1. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey2. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire3. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

These focal films all fall under the fantasy genre, although the Hunger Games is a hybrid for action, adventure and science fiction. Along with the films I will be looking at articles and other items that will help me explore what makes a fantasy adaptation a success.

Focal Films The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Peter Jackson (2012)

This is an epic fantasy film directed by Peter Jackson. It is the first installment in a three-part film adaptation based on the 1937 novel ‘The Hobbit’ by J.R.R Tolkien. The story is set in Middle-earth sixty years before the events of the previous film series ‘The Lord of The Rings’. It tells the tale of Bilbo Baggins, who is convinced by the wizard Gandalf the Grey to accompany thirteen dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, on a quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug.

Book Sales (Released 1937) – 100mBox Office (1/3) - $303,001,229

Focal FilmsThe Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Francis Lawrence (2013)

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a 2013 adventure fantasy film directed by Francis Lawrence. It is an adaptation of the second Hunger Games book in the series and follows on from the events of the first book/film. The plot of Catching Fire takes place a few months after Katniss and Peeta won the 74th annual Hunger Games. Throughout the film, Katniss senses that a rebellion against the Capitol is shimmering through the other districts.In a cruel twist Katniss and Peeta are sent back into the 75th edition of the games, as part of the quarter quell the tributes are reaped from the existing pool of victors.

Book Sales (Catching Fire Released 2009) – 19m+Box Office - $424,645,577

Focal FilmsThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Andrew Adamson (2005)

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is a 2005 fantasy adventure film based on the C.S Lewis boom of the same name. It is the first film installment of the series but the second book published in the series of books.The book/film follows the journey of 4 siblings, Peter, Lucy, Susan and Edmund. Lucy accidently stumbles upon the world of Narnia during a game of hide and seek. She persuades her brothers and sister to come into the world of Narnia, there they must fight against the evil White Witch to stop her dictatorship and the widespread winter she has cast upon the land. Book Sales (Released 1950) - Box Office - $754,013,115

Do the critics count?Looking into reviews of my focal films and also myself read reviews before going to see a film, including The Hobbit and the first instalment of the Hunger Games I began to wonder do the critics opinion actually count? Sometimes if the book series does have a strong fan base then creating the adaptation isn’t a financial risk for the production company. Just like the Harry Potter, Lord of The Rings and The Hunger Games films. For example the most recent Hunger Games film, Mockingjay, received some rather bad reviews from critics but it still grossed almost $350m at the box office. I’m also a fan of the books so I did find this figure interesting considering the reviews the film did have.

O Adaption: From Film to NovelO William Costanzo notes that it has been estimated that a

third of all films ever made were adapted from novels. This online article looks like it could be over five years old, so since around 2010 there has been a very large handful of novels adapted into box office hits such as The Hobbit, The Hunger Games, Percy Jackson and the Divergent series.

O The article points out that a major success point from an adaptation is that the visuals images on screen simulate our perceptions directly. But there is also the point that the film must compress the events of a novel into two hours or so whereas there aren’t any time limits on how long it takes you to read a novel.

O The article also points out that most of the novels/literature studied at schools have also been adapted into novels making the adaptations more appealing to the younger generation, creating more of rise in the box office.

People’s Belief O Source 7Whelehan points out that the most important issue of adapting great literary classics into movies is the fidelity to the original source – the novel.  She claims that many people will instinctively believe the film adaptation is inferior compared to the novel.People’s belief that the book is always better than the film can sometimes damage

A sense of escapismFantasy texts are based on complete fiction. The author creates a world that is completely different to the reality on earth. This then creates a sense of escapism for the reader. This can then be the same for the film adaptation; the audience are captivated by the escape to a world that can be far superior to their own reality. In turn if the film is a huge success it then can create a mass sense of hyper reality. An example of this is the Harry Potter series.

Conclusion

Overall I feel that there isn’t just one reason why fantasy books are mainly successful film adaptations. The book doesn’t necessarily need to be critically successful but as long as the adaptation captures the audience’s imagination and pushes the