5 YA Novels Which Need A Second Chance

19th July 2017

By George Chrysostomou.

Hollywood loves adaptations. Working from much loved and respected source material is sure to bring in a legion of pre-existing fans and brand new ones. It should undoubtedly be a success; just transfer the story and characters that millions of readers already love. So, film and TV companies continue to drain the well of every possible franchise; whether they are relying on a new cinematic video game, the ever popular region of comics, or as of the recent trend, Young Adult novels.

The catalyst for this was the success of J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World, capturing the hearts and minds of adults and children alike, with the heroic story of the boy who lived. Since then, studios have continued to copy and paste the template hoping for similar results but to varying degrees of success. In fact, even the notoriously misplaced two-parter, seen in the likes of the Twilight Saga and the Hunger Games, came from the Warner Brothers’ Potter Franchise. Of course there are some adaptations that have experienced similar successes: The Maze Runner, the recently rebooted Series of Unfortunate Events and those mentioned above. But, over the year there have been missteps which have caused beloved worlds and characters to fall into obscurity to the viewing population.

Therefore, here are 5 Young Adult franchises that deserve a second chance on the big or small screen.

Alex Rider

Anthony Horowitz’s answer to James Bond, the Alex Rider series combined action, adventure, humour and even some sci-fi elements (a whole cloning saga). The young spy’s journey spans 11 thrilling novels, with a 12^th to be released in the coming year. Alex’s adventures have been sold millions of times around the world with an ever-growing fan-base across the globe; especially in his home nation of Britain. For many, 2006’s Stormbreaker was a major disappointment.

Making very little profit both in Britain and across the pond and being panned critically, the big screen debut of Alex Pettyfer’s Rider was deemed a failure and all future sequels were scrapped. Although featuring well known British acting beasts such Billy Nighy, the true failings of the film can likely be found in both marketing and the script itself, with Horowitz claiming that it did not translate well to the big screen. Regardless, the thrilling spy series deserves a second chance at glory and this may be found sooner rather than later. ITV have started work on a TV series for the franchise; a good fit for the teen spy moving forward.

Inkheart

The Inkheart trilogy is a combination of imaginative fantasy and entertaining drama which captivated children and young adults alike, winning multiple awards for its quality narrative. Originally released in German, Cornelia Funke’s translated Tintenwelt, created a story which shone a fiery light upon the joys of literature and the adventure of reading. With the power to transport literary characters into the real world by reading from their books, father and daughter stand together in their battle against The Shadow. In 2008 the first of the 3 books was released as an enjoyable but flawed film by New Line Cinema, starring Brendan Fraser.

Becoming a box office flop, the big screen version lacked the charm of the popular paperback series. With vast amounts of potential for a TV series, the world of Inkheart, dripping with love for the realm of literature, deserves a second chance to capture a new generation of readers. With successes like ABC’s Once Upon a Time, there is an audience in waiting for Funke’s parallel universe where books come to life.

Eragon

The first of four books in the Inheritance Cycle, American author Christopher Paolini crafted Alagaësia, a fictional world featuring a boy and his dragon fighting to overthrow and evil King. A well received series by fans, although sometimes criticised by reviewers, the series is overall an enjoyable story which would be perfect for a summer blockbuster. Unfortunately, the 2006 attempt at launching the cinematic franchise was met with displeasure from audiences and critics alike. Perhaps one of the biggest failures on this list, the film has fallen into obscurity now, even with big name actors like Jeremy Irons and John Malkovich attached.

Fans have pushed the failing film away, claiming it is a far cry from the spirit of the book series. A second attempt with the improved CGI of today and a better understanding of modern audiences’ desire for fantasy, may be an option for 20^th Century FOX and Davis Entertainment. The Star Wars meets Lord of the Rings novel may be the story that our screens are waiting for.

Enders Game

Based loosely on Orson Scott Card’s 1985 novel of the same name, Ender’s Game hit the cinemas relevantly recently in 2013. Described by the author himself as a ‘damn good film,’ Ender’s Game was overall viewed positively by critics and audiences although they claimed it lacked some of the thought provoking commentary made in its paper form. Ender’s Game much like the other entries on this list did flop however, making it into Variety’s ‘Biggest Flops of 2013.’ This creates a tricky situation for the current state of the franchise.

Asa Butterfield’s Wiggan, deserves in my opinion a sequel, not a reboot. With Harrison Ford attached to the series and a decent first entry, I believe that the place where the film left us, is the perfect way to pick up the series once more. Voyaging into deep space, with Star Trek vibes, continuing the saga with a direct sequel would provide audiences another chance to latch onto the franchise and appreciate it’ unique story telling. With perhaps the possibility of developing Ender’s Shadow and the ever growing sci-fi market, to me this series deserves a second, big screen chance.

Percy Jackson

The series I, along with many other thousands of kids grew up reading, deserves justice on the small screen. A narrative branching multiple novels and series and a wider world created with Rick Riordan with crossover appeal, the Olympian series and perhaps its wider Egyptian and Norse counterparts, is bursting with potential. Following the demigod son of Poseidon and the prophecy that will shape the world as he knows it, Riordan’s world building is a fantastic and innovative thing, focusing upon the Deities version of Hogwarts, Camp Half Blood and its inhabitants journeys. Percy Jackson and The Lightening Thief was financially successful but critically mixed, with the novels story being heavily changed for the screenplay adaptation.

Nonetheless a sequel was created which deviated even more from the novels sequel, The Sea of Monsters. With the future of the series in despair following a convoluted plot which shoehorned in many elements from the whole series, Percy Jackson is in need of a reboot. I believe Netflix is the perfect place for this. With the format and budget needed to successfully adapt these novels, Netflix provides a platform to craft a narrative arch that a films format could not produce. With the option to adapt further Riordan works and have a Defender’s-esque crossover, I believe that out of every option on this list, the Percy Jackson franchise is the most deserving of a second chance.

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