There are several factors that must be considered when adapting a pre-existing story– especially one with a considerable fan base– to a film format. It is a particularly complex process considering that it revolves around someone else’s work, every fan has a different vision of what the adaptation should look like, and the screenwriter, director, and actors, etc. all have their own visions as well.
Of course, no one ever has the exact same idea of what the final piece should look like, which means there must be a lot of condensing in order to find themost essential components of the story. Where a lot of adaptations go wrong is that they lean too much into their own visions and lose sight of the heart of the story, or they follow the original story too closely and only appeal to the pre-existing fan base.
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For a film or series that is an adaptation to be considered successful, it must be satisfactory to the original fan base, but must also appeal to new fans to contribute to a high enough viewer count to justify making it. Any fan of a story that’s been adapted can tell you how disappointing it is to anticipatethe story they lovebeing brought to life, only to find it’s not the same story. Capturing the essence of a story is not simply copying its plot line, it requires pinpointing the most essential events in the plot, the most essential characters, the most essential details, and the moral message.
In the case ofThe Sandman, it took a lot of consideration and failed attempts to achieve the successful version thatNetflixhas released. Much of the praise that this adaptation has received has been for its ability to breathe life into this story. The characters feel real and deep andthe tone is reflected wellbut not so much that the visuals are too much for the audience to handle. According to most fans ofThe Sandmanfranchise, the moments in the series where the adaptation does stray from the comic’s telling were successful and contributed to a fuller understanding of the world or the characters. In other words, the changes made in the adaptation give the story a more 3D effect, which is what makes the characters feel so real and the world feel so immersive.
Many of fans’ favorite parts of the show werechanges that the creators madefor the adaptation. One notable example is the exploration of events that the comic mentioned but didn’t show, which can now be seen by fans. Another example is the order in which the series explores some events and character introductions, which were partly adjusted to give the flow of the events in the show more fluidity. These seemingly simple changes had a big impact on the show’s reception among fans.
Another part of adapting a story is making it relevant to abroad and diverse audience. This is often done by having actors that are women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, or people of color play characters to add a level of diversity and representation to the tale. WhileThe Sandmandoes this some, the changes seem easy to overlook because the visual appearance of so many of the characters is not relevant to their position in the story. Of course, there are always fans that will complain regardless of whether the change actually affects the story, but their complaints are nothing short of dismissible considering the universe thatThe Sandmanis set in.
Overall,the few changes that the series makesto the original story do not hurt the story or the characters, but do the opposite– they contribute to a better understanding and deeper connection to the world and the characters. None of the changes that the creators made to the story were done in vanity and each one creates a much denser version of the universe, bringing the story to life in more ways than one.
Other comic book adaptations have not been so masterful in finding this balance between staying true to the original story and adding new components that actually improve the story. Anotherrecent comic series adaptedto film isPaper Girls, which received satisfactory reviews and responses viewed as a show but didn’t quite have the same impact viewed as an adaptation. Though it found success enough to justify it being made, some fans of the original series were surprised by some of the changes it made.
It seems like the perfect adaptation for the times since it has an ensemble of teen girl protagonists and follows an interesting and acclaimed sci-fi storyline. The characters are easilythe best part of the series, but they’re not enough to distract from the parts of the show that stray from the qualities of the original. Even the level of emphasis that each of the characters gets in the series varies from the comics. The series does a great job capturing the concept of time in the story but fails to enhance the world visually, likeThe Sandmandid.
Ultimately, in order for a series or film to really be considered an adaptation, and not simply inspired by a pre-existing tale, it must capture themost vital parts of the story, while also contributing something new to the world. WhilePaper Girlscould be recognized as the same world from the comics, the series doesn’t seem to bring the world to life the same wayThe Sandmandoes. What makesThe Sandmanso undeniably successful as an adaptation isn’t the fact that it perfectly follows the key plot points, but that it creates a fuller, more realistic version. Ultimately,Paper girlsadapted the story from the comics,The Sandmanremastered it.
