Text feeds text, feeds art : a discussion on adaptation in film

Abstract

With Oscar music still ringing in my ears, I sit down to write this article. At the 90th Academy Awards just passed, The Shape of Water was embraced and celebrated, giving me great joy. Every year, this celebration of film makes me think and reflect on what kind of productions are being made and shown. So-called ‘original films’ like The Shape of Water, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Lady Bird are making waves this year, but my attention is also entertained by the steady stream of adaptations: the behemoth that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe and all of its moving parts, the weird and wonderful The Disaster Artist, Call Me by Your Name… hell, even the latest iteration of Jumanji. Adaptation in film is a strange beast. Production houses favour it because of the pre-existing audience that comes with it. Fans of the original work are either thrilled to see their precious stories reimagined, or filled with heavy dread for the very same reason. Critics, professional or otherwise, share similar sentiments.