What’s the worst book to film/tv adaption you’ve seen?

[Soubriquet]

Mine is Miss Peregrines home for peculiar children.

In the book, Emma controls fire. She’s sassy, strong, stands up for herself and calls out peoples shit.

In the film, she is lighter than air and defers to her male costar. I was really disappointed by this film

Even worse than the one with Sally Hawkins and Rubert Penry-Jones, apparently, and something has to be pretty bad to surpass that one.

Another vote for the recent Swallows and Amazons.
Not just the absurdities of the Russian spy/seaplane plot and the fact they faked the secret harbour instead of using the real one, but they changed the children and made them incompetent and quarrelsome. Part of the enjoyment of reading the book is that they are children you would actually want to hang out with, and the reason why the parents are not neglectful in allowing them to camp on the island is that it is actually within their capabilities. By making them bicker and make stupid mistakes the whole thing stops being coherent.
The first film was successful so I don’t know why they had to mess with it - an updated version could also have been true to the book.

And Then She Found Me - book by Elinor Lipman, frothy, bright, humourous, sassy.

Film of the same name - great cast, Helen Hunt, Bette Midler, Colin Firth, Matthew Broderick - the most turgid, depressing, navel gazing heap of steaming ordure ever made.

Oh, and Union Street by the inimitable Pat Barker, filmed as Stanley and Iris with Jane Fonda and Robert de Niro. At least they had the decency to say the film was 'loosely based on'.

I suspect the producers only agreed to the Swallows and Amazons re-make if it was beefed up with more action and more tension.

‘It’s 2022. We gotta make it compete against Marvel, guys!’

Came across an interview with Peter Sellers recently, asking whether he had any regrets in life. Only one - seeing the film of The Magus!

Have to admit I'm glad I missed that one. Cannot begin to imagine how you turn that book into a film, let alone casting Michael Cane in the lead role.

I never knew Stanley and Iris was based on a book!

I enjoyed the movie because much of it was filmed in a Connecticut town that I'm quite familiar with. Quite a fuss over Fonda at that time due to her stance on the Vietnam conflict. Didn't go over well in a solidly blue-collar town 30+ years ago!

Yes, and the bankable adult leads being given a more important role. Which is another of my pet hates when they adapt children’s literature- the kids get pushed to the side.

The Dark Tower
The Stand
The 1st IT movie

A lot of Stephen King does not translate well to celluloid.

The original Swallows and Amazon film was very good, but I suspect not exciting enough for modern scriptwriters. It was really close to the book.

Hated Prince Caspian and Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Two of my favourite books ever completely ruined.

There was an awful adaptation of Watership Down on the Beeb a couple of Christmases ago that I turned off on disgust after shouting 'Strawberry was a buck not a doe' at the telly

You really should. The Hitchcock Birds is a masterpiece and completely terrifying. His Rebecca is great too. Whatever you dodon't go near the recent Armie Hammer version.

Yes and I completely sympathised with P L Travers!

I really like The Dead Zone...Christopher Walken and a wonderful Martin Sheen.

Captain Corellis Mandolin! One of my fav books utterly ruined by Nicholas Cage and other things.

Any attempt ar Day of the Triffids has been rubbish.

Are you there God? It's me, Margaret.

I LOVED that book. Took the kids to see the movie and we ended up walking out.

Also 6th Sense kid was American, which JKR wouldn't have stood for.

The Road. Exceptional book, ludicrous film.

It’s a tie for me. Both have Kiera Knightly in them.
Pride and Prejudice
Anna Karennia

Incendiary by Chris Cleave. Awful movie.

Agree with the previous poster who said Notes on a Scandal because the essence of the writing is lost. The screenplay butchered the book. Plus the bit where Juno Temple says "I'm fat as fuck Mum," is excruciating.

One Day with Anne Hatherley is truly abysmal as well.

Was just running through the Stephen King titles in my head then .... agree with you totally.
Having said that - Misery was quite a good one I thought

@itsnotabouthepasta I agree with PS I love you. I adore the book but only watched ten minutes of the film. An abomination in my view.

Film adaptations of Little Women have got worse and worse over the years.
The one with Katherine Hepburn as Jo was okay; the one with Elizabeth Taylor as Amy was a bit sickly; the one with Susan Sarandon as Marmee was bad, and the most recent Greta Gerwig one was atrocious.
Very disappointing.

spikewithout - yes that recent Persuasion was pretty bad. But I like her a lot.