MovieChat Forums > Legend of the Seeker (2008) Discussion > Did the writers even read the original b...

Did the writers even read the original books?

posted 11 years ago by meowzmonkey
4 replies | jump to latest

I really don't mind a few changes to make a series fit for tv or a movie, but keep in mind you will have two types of viewers for a show. Those who haven't touched the books, and those that are fans of the books and want to see them brought to life.

Whoever wrote the first episode alone of this series completely ruined it for many fans of the books. Certain things are done within the books for a reason, and to completely ignore them destroys that credibility of things. You want to make Darken Rahl Richard's brother, ok fine, that I can accept. But having prophecy being the driving force for getting the story moving doesn't work. Richard hates prophecy and will adamantly stand against having it dictate his life. Zedd wouldn't just hand Richard the sword and then let him run off with it. If he'd ended up using it to kill someone, as unlikely as that was with his skill level, it would destroy him.

[–] Roztheevilone 11 years ago

Not sure about the writers, but Sam Raimi did and actively wooed Goodkind for the rights. Bridget (a.k.a. Kahlan in the show) mentioned that she wore her copy of WFR out from reading and reviewing it.

Knowledge Without Wisdom is Dangerous.

[–] chambersjad 11 years ago

The TV show got better and better the further it got away from the established story of the books. A "faithful" adaption (I call it "boring") shows us nothing new and can please the fans but can only serve to anger the "fanboys" who will without doubt pick apart every single little unimportant detail in difference and scream bloody murder crying "SELLOUT, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN THAT WAY, WAAAHHHHH." Meanwhile as an adaptation that is not paced or resolved at the correct pace for television, you lose almost all of the "new" audience.

Far better to do what "Seeker" did and use the existing story as a jumping off point for new content that is written as a screenplay with the structure and limitations of television in mind.

"Who built this f#(%!^g police station." -- Leon Kennedy

[–] Ceer 11 years ago

I have come to the conclusion that books that are made into films/tv shows are not made for the fans of the books. They are made to lure people into reading the books. Normal fans of the books will watch the show regardless and the obsessive fanboys will gnash their teeth and crap their pants but will still watch. The author of the books will have an increased fan-base and increased book sales. After watching the show I read the first two books. I wasn't really impressed with the style or flow of the writing. If I find the books in a dollar bin or at a library I might try to finish the series. The books had some good points but there was a lot of boring filler and tangents that could have been cut to make a more focused story.

"It's a free country" used to be a popular phrase.

[–] WhistlePig 10 years ago

No. Movies are made out of books because the only other option is remakes of other movies or other tv shows or other books. The movie industry no longer makes films. They throw money at the same old stories and make them movies. Even with a slightly different story like this, they had to force it into the same old mold.

Film is dead.