The 6 Most Controversial Literary Adaptations Of The Last 5 Years
Before movies, books were one of the best sources of exploring a world and building a narrative, as characters like Sherlock Holmes and Dracula changed the world. When it comes to movies, adaptations are the main source of inspiration, bringing these stories to life for better or worse.
With The Odyssey (2026) being a recent adaptation stirring controversy over casting and accuracy, it shines a light on other stories released that have had a similar impact on audiences. The last five years have been an interesting time for adaptations, and whether or not you agree with the direction, here’s a list of the most controversial ones. You can find them on Hulu, Prime Video, and more!
Wuthering Heights (2026) is the most recent adaptation of Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel. However, the film garnered a lot of criticism before hitting theaters, with the most prominent being the casting of Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, a typically non-white role in the novel.
But that’s not all; there was even more controversy surrounding the film, from the casting of Margot Robbie as Catherine, who was considered too old for the role, to the more sensual direction of the film. Abandoning the themes of the book, it had also been stated that this film was focusing more on the teenage romanticism young readers got when they read the book, which undermined the core values of the story.
Based on Jane Austen’s iconic novel of the same name, Persuasion (2022) is a historical romance praised for maintaining Austen’s unique style. Why we love Jane Austen’s work is why we love the 1800s English aesthetic and the slow-burn passionate romances from that time. However, Persuasion proved to be the most shocking update to these ideas yet.
The main issue with the film is its overreliance on modernization. What we are left with are characters speaking about topics and words that wouldn’t have existed during that time. More than that, the main character actively breaks the fourth wall, destroying the immersion entirely.
It Ends With Us (2024) adapts Colleen Hoover’s story about love and abuse and the struggles that one person must overcome to find herself. As a film, the adaptation wasn’t the source of controversy so much as the behind-the-scenes drama between director and co-star Justin Baldoni and lead actress Blake Lively.
From claims of sexual harassment to consistent slander on both sides, the drama between the two became the talk of the entertainment world. What resulted was an out-of-court conclusion we may never get the full picture on, but their feud absolutely overshadowed a film that could’ve highlighted the problems so many women face when it comes to domestic violence.
Bridgerton (2020) has thrived for four seasons, adapting Julia Quinn's Regency-era-set romance series. However, Season 4, which focused on the novel An Offer From a Gentleman, became a source of major controversy, with one example being utterly disrespectful.
The main controversy stemmed from the review bombing of Yerin Ha’s casting as Sophie Baek, Benedict’s love interest. Not only did this casting fall in line with the progressive ideas in the show, but it’s also completely cruel to target a person solely for their race. Another example was how the conclusion undermined the otherwise progressive world of Bridgerton and hurt the overall theme of the class debate.
Disney live-action remakes are already a source of controversy as they rarely say anything more than what the original animation did. Pinocchio (2022) struggles both with this and the subtraction of what made the original special. The lessons Pinocchio learned aren’t properly explored, and many criticized the CGI for not being as good as other films.
The most massive controversy came with the casting of Cynthia Erivo as the Fairy Godmother, leading to many racist comments and claims of ‘woke’ casting. Not only does this undermine the fact that Erivo was likely cast because she’s an amazing singer, but it’s also another disgusting example of how cruel people can be for no reason.
Bringing to life Anne Rice’s amazing novel series, Interview with the Vampire (2022) has done well in capturing the tones of the story and also injecting something new, albeit with some criticism. As mentioned before, the same issues arise with this show as Louis’ character, now played by Black actor Jacob Anderson, came under unnecessary scrutiny.
On top of that, other controversies came more from book fans as they weren’t happy with the shift in setting and century for the show, as well as the portrayal of Louis’ relationship with Lestat. Ultimately, Interview with the Vampire still stands out but continues to prove that a modern age of adaptations will always have a degree of controversy.
