When the creators opt to make a film adaptation of any novel, they are tasked with doing justice to the original source. Until now, many novels have been converted into live adaptations. Among them are Dune and The Wicher, which are novel adaptations. While Dune was a massive success, The Witchers failed to make an impact on the audience with its subsequent seasons.
During a discussion with renowned filmmaker James Cameron, Dune filmmaker Denis Villeneuve opined on his approach to making a novel adaptation film. The filmmaker emphasized maintaining the authenticity of the novel while converting it into a film. Meanwhile, Villeneuve had a straightforward approach for Dune which made it a massive hit, The Witcher’s subsequent seasons slightly deviated from the original source, which became a hindrance to its success.
Denis Villeneuve discussed his approach to making a novel adaptation film
Denis Villeneuve is a renowned filmmaker known for his work in various blockbuster films like Arrival (2016), Sicario (2015), and Prisoners (2013). Among them is his 2021 science fiction film Dune. The novel-adapted film was a massive hit, which was not just a great success financially, but it was also well acclaimed by the critics and the audience.
During a discussion with renowned filmmaker James Cameron on Variety, Villeneuve talked about his process of making a novel adaptation. During their conversation, Cameron asked Villeneuve,
“As you were trying to crack the code of the book and adapting it to a script and ultimately to a film, how did that influence individual decision?”
Villeneuve replied by saying that while picking any novel to make a film adaptation, he adheres to the notion of not messing up with the original context. Villeneuve gave the example of renowned filmmaker Pete Jackson and said,
“I remember watching dear Jackson, The Lord of the Rings, I was feeling that he had tried at his best to stay close to the description of Tolkien at that time.”
Villeneuve further emphasized that when he makes a film based on a novel he makes sure that his work resembles the original piece so that neither the sentiments of readers are affected nor the work of an author is altered in any sense. He said,
“I wanted to have the people who had read the book to feel that all the love and the respect and the reverence I had for Frank Herbert and so I said we will not express ourselves. We will try to bring Herbert to the screen as much as possible.”
Villeneuve’s intentions were successfully implemented in his work which not only made Dune an authentic piece, but it was a worldwide success as well. Meanwhile, another popular novel adaptation, The Witcher subsequent seasons saw a drastic fall since the makers of the series diverted from the original source.
Why did The Wicher see a downfall in its subsequent seasons?
The popular Netflix drama series The Witcher is based on a Novel of the same name. The first season of the Henry Cavill starring show was a big hit, but with the release of its subsequent seasons, the show saw a drastic downfall. According to Screenrant,
“The Witcher season 2 veered off into new plotlines, some of which gave context while others felt unnecessary.”
The ones who have read the book, expect the adaptation to be true to its original source, but in the case of The Witcher, the subsequent season is nowhere close to the novel. With the release of the third installment of the series, many viewers have given up on the series, due to the deviated concept of the series and Henry Cavill’s exit.
Source: Variety, Screenrant
