Happy February everyone! In the spirit of the month of love, our theme this month is focused on the romance genre. Let's hear from some of our members!
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Question posted on Feb 4, 2023:
Young-adult and romance books are easier to turn into other media like movies because they are inherently more popular. Do you believe this is true or not?
*note, all answers are slightly modified for grammar and structure*
Winning answer by WrenMorgan:
This question depends on what is meant by "easier". If we're talking about which genres are more likely to be adapted into other media, then I would say that is determined by three factors: a) how popular is it, b) how costly is it to adapt, and c) potential reach. It's all about return on investment.
Romance looks like an obvious winner because it is a popular genre (bigger in-built audience = more money) and it would be relatively inexpensive to adapt compared to e.g. CGI-heavy fantasy. But lots of fantasy, especially YA fantasy, is adapted into film/TV because it's so popular that it's worth the investment. Plus YA would typically be given a family-friendly rating which gives it a wider potential audience, which might not be true for romance. If we look at the most popular genres outside of YA/romance, then graphic novels, fantasy, and mystery/thrillers are all up there, and I think we see plenty of representation of all those in other media.
1st runner-up (tied) by Siberiathewriter:
YA and romance books may be more likely to turn into movies because of their popularity = potential to make money once they are already well known. However I think "easy" to turn into other media in terms of an overall sense varies.
It can be tough to turn a romance (e.g. Twilight) into a film because there's so many introspective thoughts and tension between only two characters, and it doesn't translate the same into a strictly third-person form. That can lead to disappointed fans and a bad perception of the original book. YA on the other hand can be great for movies, because it often appeals more to a variety of ages, there's something for the whole family, and the actors are young and attractive.
1st runner-up (tied) by DrizzleTheWolf:
There are many other genres of movies that are arguably more popular than romance, for example, action/adventure movies. Avatar is on top of that list, and I could tell you that without google.
As for books, I would say Fantasy tops these charts.If we're using "popular" in the sense that they're more common, then I'd definitely agree that there are a lot more romance/YA books than there are of most other genres. And, because of their more simplistic nature—and I don't mean that in a bad way—they are indeed easier to adapt into other kinds of media such as movies. Just think about it, which is easier and cheaper to film? Two human beings in natural settings, or elves and dragons flying around in otherworldly CGI scenes?
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And that's all! Thank you to everyone who participated in this round's discussion questions, and congratulations to the winners! Feel free to leave any additional thoughts in the comments.
See you next round, debaters!
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