"Stay true to the story" or "Why Deadpool worked"

It has been a busy couple of months since Angel Blade was released. Very exciting stuff. A northwest book tour with a stop at Emerald City Comicon and Lilac City Comicon was totally fun and I got to meet so many wonderful people. And I just love cosplay! I can't say it enough!

Today's post is mostly based on some comments I received during some of my appearances. Upon telling people what my book is about, so many have stated, "that would be a great movie!". I agree, but then somebody said "sometimes it's better if just left as a book".

I have said it before: I am not a book purist. Even as an author, I understand that there are certain liberties and interpretations that must be made when a book is turned into a screenplay and then into a final film. And if the author is happy with the final product, then I'm okay with that.

Up to a certain point.

I bring you exhibit A. The Harry Potter books were so popular for a reason, and the movies brought out what was so special about the books. Sure, there were some changes. Remember, I said that certain liberties and interpretations must be made. You can't expect to see the same exact thing, word for word and action for action, otherwise the movie would be like 4 hours long! Nobody is willing to sit through that (unless it was a Star Wars remake by JJ Abrams; I would sit through that!). The film makers for the Harry Potter series understood the elements of the books that readers loved, and thus it was successful and memorable.

Now, exhibit B. I loved the book "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter". The movie was, to say the least . . . meh. Why? Because the film makers made a completely different story. They changed too much of it, and the final product was only a vague reflection of what the readers had enjoyed about the original material.

And finally, exhibit C. DEADPOOL. Granted, this film was based on a series of comic books, but the philosophy still holds. To understand this concept, we must go back and discuss the first Wolverine film. Now, I really liked this movie (don't hate, I know so many didn't). This is where I am not a book purist, because as a stand-alone film, I felt that it worked and told a good story. But the haters have a point: they hated it because it had completely changed the source material. This was also the first feature-length adaptation where me get to see Deadpool for the first time. As a fan of the Deadpool comics, I have to say that what they did with the character in that film was despicable. Fans of the character saw nothing of the original creation in that film.

So, enter Ryan Reynolds, an actor who truly understood the real character and its literary history. Reynolds believed in the "true to story" concept so much that he campaigned hard for a Deadpool stand-alone film. And, viola, we have the movie. To the date of this post, it has grossed over $700 million worldwide, was #1 all-time for opening weekends in February, #1 grossing for all X-men movies, blah blah more statistics. Why? Because it was true to the story of Deadpool. This was an accurate depiction of the character in every way. Reynolds understood that and had his hands deep into the production enough to keep it that way.

When will film production companies get the hint? Keep as true to the original material as possible and you won't piss off your core audience. If you want to make the box office rumble and keep doing those sequels, listen to me!!!

As always,
How about a crisp High Five!