In which we set a record for list length and tell you about the nine screen adaptations that had awesome scripts.
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#22: Because… High School (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)
#30: Do Bananas Float? (Life of Pi)
#34: The Merry Old Land of Manipulation (The Wizard of Oz)
In which our Adaptation hosts start off our year on a dystopian kick, alongside twistedly ever afters and experimental childhoods.
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Divergent description in What Are We Reading? December 2013
Heroes of Olympus description in What Are We Reading? October 2013
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#7: Seneca Crane’s Beard Invalidates Your Opinion
What better way to start out 2014 than by listing the adapted films that we are most looking forward to seeing on the big screen? And believe you me, there were a lot to choose from!
Honorable Mentions:
The Legend of Hercules
X-Men: Days of Future Past
The LEGO Movie
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Jersey Boys
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
The Hobbit Part 3
Into the Woods
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Related podcast episodes:
The hosts have their fair share of laughing fits while discussing the new Starkid musical Twisted, a retelling of Disney’s Aladdin… among other tales. With elements from Wicked, One Thousand and One Nights, and some real life Disney/Pixar happenings, this was the perfect story for Team Starkid to tell and might just be our favorite musical yet.
The hosts think that even ‘loosely adapted’ is being a little too generous with Frozen, Disney’s version of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen. But they are able to find a few elements of similarity as well as a multitude of reasons to love the film, including the sister-driven plot, the love story red herring and of course, the reindeer duet.
Our first vlog in which our Adaptation hosts present our top choices for books that we would love to see in movie-form. We think the big screen is ready for Jack the Ripper ghosts, cryogenic time travel, and Sith backstory. If some smart movie-maker bigshot happens to listen to the wisdom imparted here, take heed!
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HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Eon by Alison Goodman
The Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanaghan
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde
New York trilogy by Paul Aster
The Adaptation team rehashes their favorite and least favorite storylines from Once Upon a Time season two, discussing what stories are (or should be) crossing the line, how this season compares to the first and what tales we can’t wait to see more of next season.
EDIT: We now have an episode on OUAT season 3!
I was scrolling through Tumblr today when I came across this pretty little screenshot of the IMDB page for Stephen Sondheim and Rob Marshall’s upcoming adaptation of Into the Woods.
Yep, that’s right! The page has exploded with new castings! And I don’t even know where to start! First of all, we’re clearly seeing another star-studded cast as in Mamma Mia and Les Miserables. It’s the price we have to pay for seeing Broadway on the big screen as a Hollywood production. The real question on everyone’s minds, though: The acting talent is clearly here, but can they sing? Or are we in for another Russell “And I am Javert” Crowe fiasco?
Well, James Corden at least has already been tested on the musical stage, with a Tony under his belt. So his casting as the Baker is one less thing to worry about. And according to her IMDB page, newly cast Baker’s wife Emily Blunt was briefly featured in ex-boyfriend Michael Bublé’s song “Me and Mrs. Jones” from his album “Call Me Irresponsible”. And if her bio page can be believed, is known as a “strong alto singer”. Johnny Depp of course had his day as Sweeny Todd, but what about Chris Pine? Or Jake Gyllenhaal? As far as we know, they have never hit a musical note…at least not professionally. And I know that I can’t be the only one with slight concerns.
But you know what? I’m still hoping for a positive attitude. I can’t bear to do otherwise. Because if Disney messes up Sondheim, I think I’m going to cry. Or turn back to Bernadette Peters for some serious Broadway therapy.
Comments? Commiseration? Concerns? Comfort? Post below.
To read our previous article about Into the Woods, click here.
Note: The artwork/poster associated with this article is not the official image for Into the Woods the movie. Adaptation was given permission to use this fan-made piece by its artist, Nathan, whose work can be found on his Tumblr page.
Jess, Jenn and Kendyl get together to discuss Bryan Singer’s film Jack the Giant Slayer, which is definitely worth watching. Though unsure about Isabella’s character, they agree that the film blends Jack and the Beanstalk and Jack the Giant Killer well, while adding some new mythology to the mix.
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With so many twisted fairy tales appearing on television and the big screen, Disney will be returning to one of the earliest fairy tale adaptations with a feature film version of Stephen Sondheim’s Tony Award-winning musical, Into the Woods. Still in the early stages of planning, Broadway World reported that Disney will be due to start filming in October. Most exciting of all, Meryl Streep has confirmed her role as the Witch in this show – one of the most bad-ass, psychologically complex characters you will find in any reimagined fairy tale! Continue reading
The team discusses the Grimm Brothers’ Hansel and Gretel and the recent Tommy Wirkola film Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters. While being semi-divided, they all agree that the Grimm’s were random and the movie was entertaining, if a little under-developed.
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The official countdown to Once Upon a Time Season 2 can now begin! ABC has announced its fall premiere dates, so we now know that our favorite fairy tale spin-off is returning on September 30 for its sophomore season. And Season 2 not only promises a newly magical Storybrooke, but also several new male cast members alongside the strong heroines we’ve already seen. Continue reading
Once upon a time there was a magical festival, where people could gather and celebrate their love of TV shows, movies and series. This annual event allows fans to meet royalty and hear them prophesize the future.
What is this festival, you ask?
ComicCon: imparting joy to every fangirl and fanboy since 1970. And fans of ABC’s Once Upon a Time should be particularly joyous, as the related panel unleashed a slew of enticing tidbits about the upcoming second season.
In the last few weeks, we have posted quite a few updates about our favorite fairy tale show: we’ve heard about casting for Mulan and Sleeping Beauty, ties with the show Lost, and even been graced with Regina’s origin story—and a sneak peek of a certain hooked villain. So what possible news could come out at ComicCon’s Once Upon a Time panel?
Answer? A whole heck of a lot. Allow me to recap:
First off, I think we all need to give a rousing round of applause for this absolutely amazing video, advertising the Singlebrooke Dating Service. I laughed; I chuckled, and then finished it off with a nice round of chortles.
Secondly, the producers and actors of Once Upon a Time gave us quite a few revelations to look forward to, such as:
1.) The identity of Henry’s father,
2.) Who the heck Dr. Whale actually is (in the fairy tales),
3.) Whatever happened to Baelfire
AND
4.) Who Henry’s father is.
Oh wait, did I just repeat myself? Maybe that’s because I am completely stoked about what this information might mean for the plotline of Season 2. And the rumors are already flying: is it Baelfire? Or a character yet to be introduced? Will he be villainous, as Emma has already intimated? Or is he another eager member of Operation Cobra?
UPDATE (07/14): Watch the OUAT Comic Con panel on YouTube, Part 1 and Part 2
Apparently, these are all questions for us to discover in season two, as the only ones already in the loop are the producers and Emma Swan herself. But what do you think? Give us your guesses below!
Since the finale of the first season of ABC’s hit show Once Upon a Time, a multitude of rumors have been flying around as to what the future holds for our favorite fairy tale characters. Some of these questions were addressed in a recent TVGuide interview with executive producers Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis. The producers talked about such topics as the significance of the curse breaking, the role that magic will play and how it will affect the relationship between Emma and Mary in the highly anticipated second season.
However, the real twist in this interview was not an answer to questions about the future, but rather the revelation of a detail from a past episode that had gone largely unnoticed—the true tie between Regina and Rumpelstilskin. When asked about the possible return of Barbara Hershey, the actress who played Regina’s mother, Kitsis stated:
In the episode “Stable Boy,” she talked about how she was the miller’s daughter and she had to do a lot to keep Regina. If I remember correctly, the miller’s daughter was given to a prince because she could spin straw into gold. Therefore, she owed Rumpelstiltskin a baby. The question is, is that baby Regina? … When you get that Regina is the baby that’s promised to Rumpel, then you’re like, what did Cora do to get out of a deal with a man who usually kills people?
Gasp. Jaw drop. Reread. Repeat.
That was my exact reaction when reading this Q&A, along with the incessant, deafening thought of “HOW ON EARTH DID I MISS THAT?”
Yeah, I admit it. The whole Regina/Rumpelstilskin backstory passed completely over my head. I was amazed, shocked and absolutely thrilled about this new information—or is it old information? It adds a whole new dimension to the plotline, and though I’m slightly disappointed that I missed it the first time around, I can’t deny that the subtlety of how it was originally presented was masterful.
So now I’m even more excited to see what the producers of Once Upon a Time have up their sleeves. And if this news didn’t shock you into the same excitement I feel, maybe this tidbit will: the very first promo for OUAT’s second season has been released! Just short of a minute and a half, this video is short, intense and sure to keep you hooked!
Tell us in the comments if you had already caught the Rumpelstiltskin and Regina connection and what you think of the new promo!
There’s no doubt that fairy tales are getting modern twists nowadays—particularly in the form of the heroines. From TV shows (Once Upon a Time), to books (Cinder, The Stepsister Scheme), to movies (Snow White and the Huntsman), the heroines who were once so familiarly—and annoyingly—docile have been completely revamped. They have shown us that Snow White can kick butt just as thoroughly as Prince Charming.
Simply put, being a “fairy tale princess” doesn’t mean what it used to.
The visual novel Cinders reportedly puts the changing heroine archetype to the test—no easy feat, considering the popularity of the story. In my experience, Cinderella is probably the most retold tale of them all. Sure, we’ve seen an influx of Snow White this past year, what with the two new movies that have come out just in the last few months. But in general? Cinderella seems to be the popular tale to tell—and I think I’ve seen every possible take on her character. She was docile in the 1950 Disney version, feisty in Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted, and even a mixture of both in The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines—not to mention slightly OCD.
However, what sounds particularly interesting about this newest take on the Cinderella tale is that the player is given the choice to make the character into what they want her to be. Created by indie developer MoaCube, this ‘game’ turns the often-told Cinderella story into a virtual version of a Choose Your Own Adventure book, giving all of us fairy tale fans the opportunity to write the story our own way. Whether you want to follow the original fairy tale or you prefer to stage an intense Cinderella-rebellion, this game offers options for everyone and anyone.
And after you’ve written your ‘happily ever after’, you could reboot your own character and explore the path(s) left untraveled. The options seem endless, and I can’t wait to test them all!
As for you, what would you choose? Leave your thoughts below!
Update: Check out this awesome promo video for the game!
It’s common knowledge that ABC’s Once Upon a Time has been brought to us from the producers of Lost. And while some may delightedly bemoan the fact, knowing that the collaborative powers of Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis bring sleeplessness and anxiety with every complex plot twist and cliffhanger ending, there have also been some definite perks. Continue reading
So barely an hour after we posted about Jamie Chung’s casting as Mulan in Season 2 of Once Upon a Time, we have another juicy little nugget of news for our rabid readers. A Hollywood Reporter article reports that Sarah Bolger, whose casting credits include The Tudors, The Spiderwick Chronicles, and a starring role in ABC’s pilot of Gilded Lilys, will be joining OUAT as the quintessential narcoleptic princess, Sleeping Beauty. Continue reading
Remember a couple weeks ago when I posted that I – like every other Once Upon a Time fan out there – couldn’t wait for season 2 to start? Well, after today’s news update, that goes double!
So, let’s get down to business… Continue reading
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