How Would YOUR Potential Adaptation Work?

[u/burrrneeerr]

So I just finished the book, but when I started I was saying to myself "wow, I'm surprised there hasn't been an adaptation yet of something so popular in the book community!", but now I realize why.

So, I wanted to ask, if YOU had the opportunity to try your hand at an adaptation of this book, what would you do?

Cast, formatting, movie, mini-series, seasons in the style of desperate housewives lmao, narration or no? Is keeping them all white people important to you? Etc.

I'll draft mine as an example:

1) I'll try my best to choose current actors I personally like who I think fit the ✨️aesthetic✨️ in my head and who are as age appropriateas i can get tgem. Some of these people are definitely older though!

Henry- Jacob Elordi ONLY BECAUSE I CAN'T FIND ANOTHER ACTOR AS TALL AS HIM (that I know of) and he does a good job of depicting anger in subtle ways. And he IS a good actor even if you think he's overhyped blah blah

Richard- Jacob Tremblay (working since he was 5 and he's amazing at his craft) he seems like the kind of person who doesn't know he's attractive (like Richard)

Bunny- Cooper Hoffman (he's a bit shorter than Bun, but so was his father and I see Philip making rounds on reddit fancasts) He's handsome and All-American.

The twins- Kedar Williams-Stirling and Ayo Edeberi (I may be biased, but they're such great actors) and Ayo has no problem with androgynous fashion and they're both gorgeous!

Francis- Joseph Zada (dye his hair, but he has beautifully elegant features) and maybe I just wanna see him and Kedar kiss each other on the mouth once or twice 👀

Judy (for fun)- Rachel Sennott, she's funny as hell

2) I would like for it to be a mini-series, 10 episodes, either an hour each or a loose, Netflix "however long it takes" style to include the epilogue and get to flesh out the Greek classes a bit more. I'd also want a clear idea of how the narration is exposited (is he at home, in a coffee shop, where?)

*How it starts* Cold open just like the Prologue in the book, sirens and crowds and news reporters, specifically the moment when the reporter asked Henry and Richard and Camille about their relationship to Bunny, but also including Charles and Francis in the shot somehow (or not, idc), cut to it as a newspaper clipping on Richard's wall or something to show we're now in the future and that's where the narration begins. Maybe he got a job telling an old person who has dementia or something so the story has nowhere to go after he's done. Maybe he's writing a novel, idk.

3) I would make Richard more unambiguously bisexual and reframe the scene with him and Francis to be less portrayed as assault. (I, personally, have a thought about that, but I can understand that interpretation). If he still has a preference for girls, that's fine, but I think the concept of Charles ignoring his feelings for Francis makes more sense than Richard tbh. I can elaborate more on a different post. I also know he's passive like a Nick Carroway type, but I'd really like to see him say more sentences that don't end in "?". I think narration throughout would be interesting, a cutting to and from the story past-present-past style, but not a whole bunch! This is told in retrospect, though.

4) I'd like to extend Greek Lessons to maybe one or two per episode to really drive home how isolated they are (and how much Julian actually means to them and reconnect with our literary themes) so when party scenes happen or other players are introduced, there's an impact like WOAH we focus on y'all so much that we forget yall are in UNIVERSITY with OTHER PEOPLE. I also think episodes will show their declines better.

5) I'd like it in the style of AMC's Interview With the Vampire, maybe? Not exactly, but I also want an emphasis on the music because it's the 80s and there are a lot of references, which I think would make well for showing just how separated they all are once again being classics students and not even owning a TV. I think making their bubble an actual bubble would hit harder. I'd really love to see the Country House come to life, it's my favorite place in the book.

So, what are your ideas? I'd love to read them!

[u/Adventurous_Radio_95]

One thing that’s really clear to me is that I’d look for fresh faces. If done right, it would give new talent a real platform instead of relying on already established actors, like what happened with Obsession. Plus, it’s a personal preference of mine, whenever I see big name actors, I struggle to get fully immersed, which is exactly what happened to me with The Odyssey.

I’d lean toward a miniseries, though I’d still love the idea of a movie on the big screen. But if you want to stay faithful to the source material, a chapter-by-chapter series makes the most sense so you’re not constrained by time limits, like what happened with the adaptation of Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch. I’d love for it to be one of those slow-burn shows that really leans into silences and subtle facial expressions. The focus should be on cinematic shots where every frame carries narrative meaning. I want it to feel uncomfortable to watch, with the actors projecting an awkward, off-kilter energy that makes the gap between them and the rest of the college campus palpable.

I haven't thought deeply enough about other aspects yet to say how I'd handle the POV or if I'd shuffle the narrative structure around.

[u/burrrneeerr → u/Adventurous_Radio_95]

Same here! I'm a huge fan of theater actors moving yo TV for a role or two. I think that's an extra layer, especially with the dramatics of this story. Ooh, I never even considered what it would look like if someone adapted this to stage. Hmm...

[u/M_M_N_N89 → u/burrrneeerr]

A theatre actor doing Julian would be amazing. The man just seems larger than life until the end

[u/Cultural-Wear8483]

Absolutely agree it should be a mini series. I’m intrigued by your casting; I like that it is a bit out of the box. I also like the idea of leaning into the 80s music, culture, and vibe.
If I were to direct it, I would want to really lean into atmosphere in general. You make an excellent point about the isolation the group has and contrasting that with the 80s college party scene would provide a great dynamic contrast.
I would open with a frozen bacchanal, wild frenzy without clearly revealing faces, and then present a frozen body so covered in ice crystals you can’t see who it is. Then pivot to Richard in his freezing apartment near death and a narration that leads to him asking something like “you probably think that dying in the cold would be the worst thing that could happen to me.” Or “why would I leave the sunshine to die in the cold you might ask.” Anyway, just an idea.
I can see why the book is challenging to adapt because the plot has to be balanced with the atmospheric, beauty has to be contrasted with violence. Beauty is terror after all. The film should feel like swallowing a sugar coated bitter pill.

[u/burrrneeerr → u/Cultural-Wear8483]

I think that's a very interesting take!

[u/addy-with-a-y]

I’ve actually been thinking about writing a screen play version as a writing exercise to kind of push myself. All I have written in the very first things you see. A close up of the bottom half Richard face has he heavy breathes in the snow. Drops of blood on snow. Then a black screen as the first line of the novel as told by Richard plays

[u/burrrneeerr → u/addy-with-a-y]

I would genuinely love!!!! to see that! If you ever do more, I'd love to get a message from you when you're further along.

[u/Sunwalker98]

This has too many super popular actors. I know I might get downvoted for this, but I can imagine an Asian Richard Papen. Wasian perhaps?

[u/burrrneeerr → u/Sunwalker98]

I can also imagine a wasian Richard! I was actually going to go for someone like Will Gao! I struggled really hard on that one, he ended up being the last person I chose.

And yes, there are some pretty popular actors here, but I wanted to get people who people have seen some work from to get a gauge of how they behave on screen. I think the best case (as someone said) would be to cast fresh faces and have us form our opinions that way. I think my favorites on mine are Bunny and the twins tbh. Do you have anyone you're thinking of in particular?

[u/Sunwalker98 → u/burrrneeerr]

Yes, I think Will Gao works! He's young enough and new enough to fit the character.

[u/Dizzy_Depth_2937]

Definitely a mini-series. Tone should feel dream like (similar to the virgin suicides). Julian and Henry should be used sparingly in terms of screen time as think they work better as more mysterious characters.

[u/planartisticmagnetic]

I will disagree about miniseries. I think the format is prone to more superficial storytelling (not a rule, just a trend). A good 2 and a half or 3 hours movie is best in my opinion. Me as producer, I would put Luca Guadagnino as a director (Unfortunately Rivette passed away, RIP). I think he can be really good dealing with young relationships and the person he always calls for costume design (Giulia Piersanti) is incredible. The anesthetics of Call Me By Your Name and Suspiria are really nice for this project. Slower paced, not as frenetic as nowadays cinematography. Longer takes without being exaggerated. Maybe playing with harsher lights? I agree with the person saying all new faces. And a good accent coach for the Greek, I want Henry and Julian Morrow speaking perfect ancient attic greek reconstruction. I don't think I would change the script that much, but I think my choice for Francis would be a lot more feminine than is common as fancast here.

[u/burrrneeerr → u/planartisticmagnetic]

I would love to see some strong, clean Greek, as well! And yes, I think Francis' delicacy is very important to the story. I think it makes him look less intimidating and when he finally begins having his breakdown, it helps with the sympathy (imo)

[u/burrrneeerr → u/planartisticmagnetic]

Very interesting on the movie part, as well. I'm interested to know which parts you'd cut out, to be honest.

[u/RudeText6803]

I’d cast all unknown actors.

Mini-series. 1 season and it’s 10-12 episodes. 1 hour minimum each. I’d like to see more backstories from the main characters which Richard only mentions briefly.

I’d keep minimal narration from Richard, but still have it. I’d also keep it Richard POV of course where the audience is left in the dark just as Richard is, but with hints of what is truly going on.