Netflix The Umbrella Academy Season 1: Four disastrous mistakes to avoid when adapting a graphic novel for the screen
With 'The Umbrella Academy' set for a 15 February, the interweb is already abuzz with rumors and theories about their favorite dysfunctional family coming to screens. But not all comic to screen adaptations have mustered the expectation of superfans.
Take for instance the mishap of the 2003 'Hulk' movie, where the too-long run-time of 138 minutes, hardly had any substance to it. Granted that the effects were not bad for the time, but all the CGI in the world cannot really disguise a poorly developed plot line.
Here are a few mistakes that should be avoided in order to make a successful graphic novel into an even more successful movie:
Not enough information; way too much information
Pleasing a fan base with their favorite on-screen adaptations can be tough, but if the story is canonical, any preemptive backlash from fans tends to reduce. Not to mention the increased catchment area with movie adaptations, as it brings in a new fanbase as well. Since graphic novels already have an existing fan base, a director must tread lightly on the subject matter or risk his career going down the drain. (Read Joel Schumacher and his 1997 'Batman and Robin'). The right balance of introducing the characters appropriately and making sure the story is developed enough for even the most oblivious of viewers, is a hard thing to achieve, but that is exactly what it takes to make a successful movie adaptation.