Conan. James Bond. Tarzan. Terence looks at these, and other literary characters who were changed by movie-makers on their way to the big screen...
Adapting literary heroes to the screen is a tough dilemma for filmmakers. With the possible exception of the Harry Potter phenomenon, the vast majority of a potential movie audience often has little or no familiarity with any given character's literary exploits. The end result can often be frustrating for fans of the original stories, especially when movies make too many arbitrary changes, or even do away with the spirit and intentions of the books entirely.
Conan The Barbarian, the latest rendering of Robert E Howard's pulp fantasy hero, swung its way into cinemas last week. While critics and fans are divided over its merits, most agree that it's at least more faithful and better made than such Howard adaptations as Conan The Destroyer or Kull The Conqueror.
Adapting literary heroes to the screen is a tough dilemma for filmmakers. With the possible exception of the Harry Potter phenomenon, the vast majority of a potential movie audience often has little or no familiarity with any given character's literary exploits. The end result can often be frustrating for fans of the original stories, especially when movies make too many arbitrary changes, or even do away with the spirit and intentions of the books entirely.
Conan The Barbarian, the latest rendering of Robert E Howard's pulp fantasy hero, swung its way into cinemas last week. While critics and fans are divided over its merits, most agree that it's at least more faithful and better made than such Howard adaptations as Conan The Destroyer or Kull The Conqueror.
- 8/22/2011
- Den of Geek
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