"I want them to feel nostalgic of their first love," Anna Todd on the big screen adaption of 'After'
Josephine Langford and Hero Fiennes Tiffin starrer 'After' hit theatres earlier this month and has already become quite the fan favorite. The film, that revolves around the all-consuming relationship between sweet girl Tessa Young and bad boy Hardin Scott, is actually based on a book series written by author Anna Todd. And get this - it was originally a fan fiction series that she wrote on Wattpad inspired by none other than former One Direction star Harry Styles.
The first part of the five book series was read 544 million times on the platform. Todd then landed a publishing deal with Simon & Schuster and the 'After' series of novels was published in 2014. They also went on to become a New York Times bestseller.
The film, however, is a far cry from the books in many ways. For starters, Harry is called Hardin and unlike Harry's character in the books, Hardin is a much softer character. Then, of course, the rest of the Directioners are missing from the film - the books had Harry, Liam, Zayn, Louis, and Niall as character names and Liam was actually the protagonist's Tessa's BFF. However, Todd isn't too bothered by the changes. Infact, she's actually proud of the film.
"Learning how to tell the same story through a different medium was the best part for me, aside from the friends I’ve made. It was like a puzzle and it was really fascinating for me creatively to learn so much in such a short time," she told MEA WorldWide.
"I loved being able to be so involved with the process. It’s difficult to put so many creative directions into one movie but I feel like we’ve done that and I’m proud of the result."
The film and the books have received criticism from many who have felt that not only does 'After' glorify toxic relationships but it also promotes it. Anna refused to comment on the controversy but she did tell us what she wanted you to take away from the film.
"Honestly, I want the audience to be entertained. I want them to feel nostalgic of their first love, or look forward to it. Even with the heartbreak."
As for her next project, she's currently working on something super secret along with a new book. "I’m working on so much that I can’t tell anyone yet- but I can tell you that I’m almost finished with the sequel to my latest book, 'The Brightest Stars'. More to come," she said with a mysterious smile.
Until then, check out her favorite book right now, which is another Wattpad success called 'A Room for My Pretend Love' Mei Xia.