Harry Potter, Dune, and Lord of the Rings, are all examples of books that have been adapted to the big screen.
So you would think fans of the books would enjoy the movies.
Yeah maybe but not one fan type.
The zealot.
This type of fan is too close to the books to enjoy any deviation at all.
The original plot is treated as sacred text and they will not part with a single word of it.
When the filmmakers leave out plot lines or adapt the story to suit a shorter timeline the zealot groans. They storm out of the cinema and declare:
‘That’s not how it happened in the book!’
They are oblivious to the cool new angles the filmmakers provide on the story, they don’t care that the director couldn’t do a 6 hour cut and they aren’t sympathetic about budget constraints.
The zealot would happily have watched a 14 hour cut if it was true to the book.
I think it would be admirable for the filmmakers to target this audience type but ultimately it will end in disappointment.
Thomas Duggan 