Once more it’s Monday, and time for Fantasy with Friends! The prompts are hosted at Pages Unbound, and this time we’re talking about movie adaptations:
Are there any fantasy books that you think had a movie adaptation that was even better than the book? If not, what are some of your favorite and least screen favorite adaptations?
I don’t really watch movies (or TV), so I am poorly equipped to answer this one! I did watch more when I was younger, but nowadays I’m lucky if I watch a single movie in a whole year (and I’ve watched one for 2026: Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man, which is great but not fantasy). Sooo this will be a short post.
We’ve discussed The Lord of the Rings before, and I think that’s a broadly good adaptation that made a couple of choices I didn’t love (e.g. regarding Faramir’s character, but also the omission of Glorfindel in order to give Arwen a bigger part to play). There were reasons those choices were made, often really good reasons, and I’m not a purist about it: adaptations are adaptations, and can change things without that being a bad thing.
Another example, though not a movie, is the BBC radioplay adaptation of The Dark is Rising — the one that aired when I was a kid, not the more recent one — which cut out most of Will’s brothers and simplified his family significantly, but managed to nonetheless capture the sense of threat, struggle and wonder of that book beautifully. The casting was amazing, especially Merriman and the Rider. I love Will’s family, but I accept the need to adapt and the ways that was good for the story.
On the other hand, we don’t speak of The Seeker, which I never even tried to watch because it was apparent even from trailers that it completely mangled the story.
Studio Ghibli have mixed examples for me: their adaptation of Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea books just isn’t worth watching to me, as it didn’t stay remotely true to the spirit of the story. Buuut though their adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones’ Howl’s Moving Castle is completely different from the book, losing aspects that are deeply important to me (Howl’s Welshness, for instance), I love that one — even though it adds in themes that I don’t think are there in the original. Maybe it’s because Howl and Sophie are true to their book-selves, despite all the changes, as is their relationship.
I had more to say than I thought, though not about any recent movies! I’m kinda curious to see what other people think and what adaptations they think have been worth the time.
The classic fantasy movie that’s better than the book is “The Princess Bride”, though it’s cheating a bit since the screenplay was written by the author, and he was largely known for his screenwriting, not his novels.
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Predictably, I have never actually seen it (but have read the book)…
If it hasn’t been ruined for you pre-emptively by people quoting it incessantly, it’s absolutely worth a watch. It’s a film made with a lot of love and lot of fun, and with care for everyone involved, and there’s some wonderful character actors who really get to shine.
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I must admit, it might’ve been a little, ahaha.
Well, think both are equally as good
Two books that I really liked but loved how their movies were adapted even more are Big Fish and Nimona. One miniseries adaptation I love where I also loved the novel is Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. I also really enjoy how Percy Jackson has been adapted with the current tv show.
I’d heard Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell‘s adaptation was good! I’m surprised because it’s such a complex novel, with all the footnotes and intersecting stories, but I am kinda curious…
I don’t watch too many movies myself, but I’m always looking what books have been adapted! I do find Studio Ghibli films interesting because a few times I have gone to read the books they were based on and they seem very…not similar. Like the films took the central concept and then just did something entirely different with the rest! But I love them anyway!
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Yeah, Ghibli definitely seem to take a story and then run with it in their own direction. Sometimes that adds a lot and comes out very charming!
It’s not fantasy, but thoroughly recommend Project Hail Mary. I still haven’t read the book, but it was such a lovely watch!
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In the unlikely event I watch another movie this year, it is a possibility because I did watch (and like) The Martian…