From Twilight to Lord of the Rings to the more recent, Hunger Games, the film industry has exploded exponentially due to book to movie franchises. These multiple film series have grown throughout the years. Now, the question is, why are they so popular?
First of all, most book to movie adaptations are targeted towards young adults. These teenagers are the ones who are willing to wait seven hours outside the movie theater, they are the ones who will buy the merchandise, the ones who will buy tickets in advance, and they are also the ones who will decide the fate of the movies.
These passion-filled fan girls and fan boys are the ones who fuel the popularity of these movies, spreading the news like wildfire across social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Over half the world is active on sites like these. Because of this, movies such as Harry Potter and Twilight have gained such a huge following, it is almost considered cult-like. Because of this, media has taken interest to these movies, providing more publicity for them and subsequently making these movies or adaptations so famous.
It all starts with a glimpse. A few weeks before the movie is released, a trailer is released from the film company. These teasers are often only 15 to 30 seconds long—just enough to whet the appetites of devoted teenagers. They often offer shaky camera work, mysterious voiceovers, dramatic music, and the ever present choppy cinematography. For example, take the teaser trailer for Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2. Just released a week ago, this trailer offers 30 seconds of a sun deprived Bella and a deer. Although frustratingly short, this teaser entices the readers.
Another reason why these franchises are so popular is the casting. Many have often praised the producers of Harry Potter by casting Daniel Radcliffe as the main character. Others haven’t been so fortunate. The Hunger Games was met with a lot of criticism when fans protested the casting of the main characters. However, no matter how much fans protest, many will go to the movie just to see how well these actors can portray their favorite characters from the book.
Directors can be pivotal as well. When Michael Bay announced that he was directing the Transformers series, many were ecstatic. Known for his bomb scenes and ultra sharp cinematography, many felt that Bay was perfect for Transformers. Fans can be so devoted that going to see the movie may depend on who will make it.
So the question isn’t why book-to-movie adaptations are so popular. But rather, will you go see one in theaters?