My Slightly Unhinged Take on Book Adaptation Casting

Every day it feels like I’m seeing a new book to screen adaptation announced and once upon a time I would have been excited but now… it’s trepidation. 

I think the number one thing that ruins any adaptation is the casting and it’s not always about what the cast looks like, they can be off from the books description but there are things, like age and height, build and skin colour that is just non-negotiable for me. And if the vibe or the personality is off then I’m not down.

I thought the casting for Off Campus was bad, I mean I’m sure that Belmont guy is nice but he is not who I pictured as Garrett, not only aesthetically but the whole vibe he brought to the role was way too intense and serious, this is not the humorous cocky guy I spent time reading about and I’m not a fan of the casting of the rest of the hockey guys either for similar reasons. I shared my thoughts extensively back in May.

Then the announcement of the cast for The Things We Never Got Over dropped last week and for real… wtf happened… ?? These guys are just too young… unless they bulk up and maybe add some scruff I just can’t see it.

Like, truly these guys are supposed to be in their mid to late 30s, have experienced some pretty harrowing shit and they look like models! Ugh it was just so disappointing. 

Of course there are some that have got the casting almost spot on… Hello the Love Hypothesis… I don’t think I could have been more happy with who is playing Olive and Adam. I mean just look at them 😍 

I’m so excited to watch this movie, the trailer and little snippets have already given me all the feels. They’ve captured the awkwardness and the chemistry perfectly without the actors necessarily looking like the carbon copies of their book descriptions. 

I’m struggling to think of any other recent adaptation where I’ve liked the cast so it’s making me very nervous for future releases, in particular Fourth Wing. I can only pray that they get this right because I will not be watching if it’s diabolical.

In all seriousness, the casting of these adaptations really can make or break them and I know I’m not the only one who feels this way because I see similar complaints in the bookish community. 

Do you need actors to look like the characters in your head, or is getting the vibe right more important?