10 Successful Books That Completely Failed As Movies

Summary

• Many books have been adapted into movies, but some results fail to achieve the same success as the original novels.
• Movies such as The Lovely Bones and The Scarlet Letter performed poorly as they deviated too far from their source materials.
• Movies such as Eragon, I Am Number Four, and Beautiful Creatures failed to impress critics and audiences, resulting in planned sequels being canceled.

There have been many bestselling books that have been adapted into feature films, but there are some films that fail to reach the success of their literary basis. In the Hollywood industry, it is considered a risk to decide to adapt certain books into movies. The success of a book-to-film adaptation always depends on its faithfulness to the source material and how it is seen by both critics and audiences.

Books such as Harry Potter, Little Women, and Lord of the Rings were adapted into critically acclaimed movies that were financially successful and relatively faithful to their original stories. Other films based on books fail to live up to their source material and are often labeled a disappointment by critics and audiences. Many bestselling novels didn’t work when they were made into films and many would agree that they worked better as a book.

10 Eragon (2006)

Adapted from the 2002 novel by Christopher Paolini

The first book in The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini, Eragon tells the story of a young farm boy who discovers a dragon’s egg; when the egg hatches into a dragon, Eragon takes the dragon as his pet. Their peaceful lives are shattered when the evil king learns about the egg and sets out to take it for himself, leaving Eragon and his new pet to flee their hometown with a storyteller who teaches him the way of dragon-riding. The book was praised for its plot and characters, and it was listed as one of the most popular children’s books of the 21st century.

Eragon was adapted into a movie in 2006, starring Ed Speelers and Jeremy Irons. Despite being successful at the box office, it was negatively received by critics, with some describing the story as flat and the performances as lifeless. Plans to adapt the sequels into movies were eventually canceled; however, in 2022, it was announced that Disney would be remaking Eragon as a TV series, which has hopes of being more successful than the movie.

9 The Lovely Bones (2009)

Adapted from the 2002 novel by Alice Sebold

Arguably one of the darkest books ever written, The Lovely Bones focuses on a young girl, Susie Salmon, who, after being raped and murdered, watches over her family from heaven. From her place in the afterlife, Susie watches as her family struggles to come to terms with their loss and her killer looks for his next victim. The novel was an instant bestseller, receiving praise for mixing tragedy and horror with a sense of hope after loss.

Peter Jackson, who worked on the Lord of the Rings franchise, released a movie adaptation of The Lovely Bones in 2009. Saoirse Ronan and Stanley Tucci were highly praised for their performances, as Susie Salmon and George Harvey respectively. However, The Lovely Bones received a mixed response from audiences, receiving criticism for omitting the darker aspects of the story that made the novel interesting; it was only marginally successful at the box office and was generally regarded as lackluster compared to the original novel.

Stanley Tucci was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 2010 Academy Awards for his performance in The Lovely Bones.

8 Dune (1984)

Adapted from the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert

Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel, Dune, is often regarded as one of the greatest science fiction books ever written. Set in the future, in an interstellar society, 15-year-old Paul Atreides, whose family accepts the stewardship of the planet Arrakis, the only planet known to grow spice that enhances a person’s mental abilities; their acceptance results in rivalry and betrayal, forcing Paul to confront his true destiny. Dune was an instant success, receiving five sequel novels; after Herbert died in 1986, his son Brian later wrote an additional 12 stories.

Dune is notorious for being difficult to adapt into a film; the 1984 movie starring Kyle MacLachlan was released after lingering in development hell for years. The movie failed with critics and audiences, losing $12 million at the box office and being called hollow and cold compared to the novel; the director, David Lynch, has since distanced himself from the movie. The 2021 remake, starring Timotheé Chalamet as Paul Atreides, received far stronger reviews than the 1984 movie.

7 The Great Gatsby (2013)

Adapted from the 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is one of the most popular books ever written and studied. Set in the Jazz Age, it looks at the story of the millionaire Jay Gatsby, who is determined to reunite with his old lover Daisy; the story is narrated by his neighbor Nick Carraway, who gets caught up in their romance.

There have been many movie adaptations of The Great Gatsby with the 2013 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio as the mysterious millionaire. It polarized critics, with some praising the costumes and set designs for staying true to the original story, with others criticizing the movie for over-dramatizing the story. While the movie was visually stunning, many agree that it’s one of the weakest adaptions of Fitzgerald’s acclaimed novel.

6 Beautiful Creatures (2013)

Adapted from the 2009 novel by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Set in a small town in Gatlin, South Carolina, Beautiful Creatures sees a teenage boy named Ethan who is desperate to escape his small-town life. Everything changes when he meets the beautiful Lena, and after learning her secret, vows to do everything he can to protect her. The first book in the Caster Chronicles, Beautiful Creatures, proved popular and received three sequels, continuing Ethan and Lena’s story.

Beautiful Creatures was one of many young adult fantasy novels made into movies in the 2010s. However, by the time it was released, in 2013, the popularity of the YA genre had declined rapidly. The movie failed to impress audiences, with critics calling it campy, clichéd, and void of any magic. After Beautiful Creatures failed at the box office, the idea to continue filming the Caster Chronicles was eventually abandoned.

5 I Am Number Four (2011)

Adapted from the 2010 novel by Pittacius Lore

The first book in the Lorien Legacies series, I Am Number Four looks at an ongoing battle between two alien species, the Loric and the Magdalorians. The Lorics have almost been completely wiped out, with only 9 survivors escaping to Earth. After three are killed, the fourth, going by the name John, must find a way to escape being killed, while also keeping his powers hidden from his new human friends.

I Am Number Four was released as a movie in 2011, starring Alex Pettyfer and Dianna Agron. Critics were not fans of the movie, calling it a forgettable sci-fi thriller; it also failed at the box office, grossing less than $150 million. In an interview for the 10th anniversary of the movie, Alex Pettyfer stated that while he loved making I Am Number Four, the dismal financial results of the movie caused Universal to cancel the franchise altogether.

4 The Scarlet Letter (1995)

Adapted from the 1850 novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is arguably one of the greatest American books ever written. It examines the scrutiny and ostracism that unmarried mothers faced in the 19th century, through the eyes of Hester Prynne, who is punished by her community for having a child with a married man. She is forced to wear a scarlet letter on her skin and struggles to create a new life for herself and her child.

Many movies were released based on The Scarlet Letter, with the 1995 movie starring Gary Oldman and Demi Moore. The movie was universally panned, with many believing it moved too far from the original novel. It won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Remake or Sequel and many critics have cited it as one of the worst book-to-movie adaptations in history.

The Scarlet Letter received a total of 7 nominations at the 1995 Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture.

3 The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013)

Adapted from the 2007 novel by Cassandra Clare

Another young adult novel, City of Bones, was the first in The Mortal Instruments series written by Cassandra Clare. It follows a teenager, Clary Fray, who finds herself uncovering the secrets of her past, as she finds herself drawn into the world of Shadowhunters. City of Bones proved popular as a book and saw five further novels released in later years.

Starring Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower, City of Bones was released as a movie in 2013. It received a poor reception from critics, with some citing it as another boring fantasy film that would only appease true fans. The critical failure of the film and its mediocre box office draws, resulted in movie plans for the second book, City of Ashes, being scrapped; a TV series reboot, Shadowhunters, was released in 2016, which received a warmer reception from viewers.

2 The Cat in the Hat (2003)

Adapted from the 1957 novel by Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss is often regarded as one of the greatest children’s writers in history. One of his most popular stories was The Cat in the Hat, where a talking cat wearing a red-and-white striped hat, causes chaos in the home of two siblings on a rainy afternoon. The book hit instant critical and commercial success and has often been listed as one of the greatest children’s books in history.

The Cat in the Hat was released as a live-action film in 2003, starring Mike Myers and Alec Baldwin; it proved a critical and commercial disaster, bombing at the box office and receiving heavy criticism for its humor and adult themes in a children’s movie. It received 8 nominations at the 2004 Golden Raspberry Awards, winning a special award for Worst Excuse for an Actual Movie. Plans to film the sequel The Cat in the Hat Comes Back were ultimately canceled.

The critical and commercial failure of The Cat in the Hat, resulted in Dr. Seuss’ widow, Audrey Geisel, prohibiting any further live-action adaptations of her husband’s works.

1 Battlefield Earth (2000)

Adapted from the 1982 novel by L. Ron Hubbard

L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Scientology religion, released this science-fiction novel in 1982. Battlefield Earth is set in 3000 AD, where an alien species called Psychlos has invaded Earth; after a thousand years, one human, Jonnie Tyler, decides that it’s time to fight back. The book generally divided critics, but it sold well and is considered by many readers as a decent sci-fi novel.

John Travolta campaigned for years to have Battlefield Earth created into a movie; however, the final result, released in 2000, was a universal disaster, receiving scathing reviews for its plot, overuse of Dutch angles, and poor special effects. Its failure at the box office resulted in its production company, Franchise Pictures, filing for bankruptcy. The movie won every award it was nominated for at the 2001 Golden Raspberry Awards, later winning a special award for Worst Picture of the Decade. Often regarded as one of the worst movies of all time, Battlefield Earth proved to be one of the biggest successful novels that completely failed as a movie.