Harry Potter. Twilight. The Hunger Games. These three book series have amassed cult followings across the United States and the rest of the world that rival most large sports franchise fan bases. Because of their runaway success and the devoted followers of the universes created by the authors, these book series, along with many others before and after them, were eventually re-written and cast for the big and small screens. But what happens when that translation is made for Hollywood standards? Does the authenticity of the story and characters hold up? Do direct translations work for screen, or is rewriting necessary?
Anne Rice’s “Interview with a Vampire” serves as one of the best examples of how a direct print-to-screen translation is a success for both the writer and movie director. According to the behind the scenes featured on its DVD, Rice was greatly involved with the screenwriting for the film release, and her desire to prevent the book script from being changed satisfied both fans of the book and moviegoers alike. It was one of the most successful films of the early ‘90s and remains a cult classic to this day. This is one of the many films in which intense rewriting for the screen was not only unnecessary, but it is also a showing of how authenticity in translation can prove to be successful.
Of the three book series mentioned earlier, the translation of “The Hunger Games” to screen almost proves why not all page-to-screen movies are great for the book fans. For fans of the series, while many questions were answered from the book, many moviegoers were confused about certain scenes and character relationships in the film since it was written in a first-person narrative of the main character, Katniss. Many seemingly important aspects were never fleshed out or explained in as much detail as they are in the book.
Casting appropriate actors is always an issue with movies based on popular book series. Suzanne Collins, author of “The Hunger Games,” wrote and briefly described her characters using racially ambiguous words and descriptions, but some readers seemed to overlook the characteristics. Many fans and readers were surprised by the casting of Thresh being a black actor when they were expecting someone different. People instantly create their visions of characters while reading, so it is always difficult to place actors to appease all readers’ adaptations.
While most page-to-screen translations benefit both the writer and movie director financially, all too often, too many cosmetic and important changes are made to satisfy subjectively ridiculous Hollywood standards of beauty. While this may not be a problem for most who are excited to see their favorite book series on screen, those of us who care more about the quality and authenticity of the book we love are robbed of the chance to see our favorite literary work receive the justice it is due.
