Now a major motion picture

My feelings are torn when it comes to movies being based on books. There is a part of me that feels that the screenwriter will never get the tone of the book right, that 2 hours of screen time is not enough time to tell the story probably, and that Hollywood needs to come up with original martial!

But on the other hand, I have been introduced to so many great books because they became films or television shows. And the story was so vivid on screen I had to read the book. The results vary, I love seeing how some one else imagined the characters and the way scene would play out. It is like stepping into the mind of a stranger. But often I feel haunted by the image created by the movie or show and I am unable to use my imagination when reading the book. This is made worst when the book cover has the actor or actress on it; staring at me; daring me to imagine someone else as the main character.

Re: Movie tie-in Book Covers

This is very similar to the post I plan to share, but I won't be giving you any spoilers!

Another example of better cover design pre-movie:

What ever happened to reading the back copy? Sure, the book cover on the left doesn't tell me exactly what the book is about, but the one on the right stifles my imagination about what two of the characters look like as well as the dynamic between them. The only way the book cover would have been successful in depicting actors is if Marky Mark (plays the father) was on it. That is my personal bias. Anything with Marky Mark trumps even the loveliest of book design.

I like seeing an image on the cover that doesn't immediately tell me what the story is all about. I especially like a cover design that incorporates an image with major significance and symbolism to the story. I won't ruin it for you if you haven't seen the movie or read the book, but I will say this is probably one of the few occasions where I saw the movie first. I wanted to go out and get the book right away because I always assume the book is better. But I really believe they were both very good, just different mediums. In fact, I was in such a rush to buy the book, I got the crappy movie cover version. Does that mean I appreciate content over cover design? Or even price over cover design? I'll have to get back to you on that one.

From Movie Posters to Book Covers

Alli, I love your examples of Nicholas Sparks' movie book covers. I never really gave it much thought, but it is insane how much alike each of them are, down to the face-caress.

I pretty much share everyone else's sentiments. I normally read the book before seeing the movie, and often find myself saying, "that actor looks NOTHING like they did in my head," so for me it's always frustrating seeing their faces sprawling across covers at the book store. Also, I agree that having the movie poster as the book cover devalues the thought and skill that may have otherwise gone into the original design. Using Lapedra's example of the cover's for The Help, I still haven't seen the movie (because I loved the book so much), but the cover that shows the chair and the tea set immediately take me back to Aibileen's kitchen where Skeeter interviewed her and so many other women. The movie poster evokes none of those feelings.

The book(s) I am actually planning to bring on Tuesday is Wicked by Gregory Maguire. It was written in 1995 but was then adapted into a Broadway musical in 2003. After the success of the musical, they decided to use the artwork from the playbill, posters, and merchandise for Gregory Maguire's book. This has always bothered me a bit because even though the book and musical have the same characters and a similar premise, the stories are vastly different. Also, the musical is very family friendly while the book is not at all PG.

Re - Movie Tie in Book Covers

Unlike most of you, I'm one of those who will watch a movie and then say, "I didn't know that was a book first!"  I know...a Sin...but as I mentioned in the first post, I'm not a book enthusiast.  I wish I was and maybe one day I will.  However, I don't like the book covers with the actors on it neither.  I think it cheapens the book and like someone else mentioned...now you only visualize the actor(s) when you read the book; instead of the luxury of your imagination.  I mean, isn't this one of the many signs of a good author...the ability to illustrate with words!

Case in point:  I did not read "The Help" but saw the movie first and fell in love with the movie.  Now,  if I decide to read the book, I'll be thinking of Viola Davis the whole way through.

Movie tie-in book covers

I echo the sentiments of all those who have posted before me -- I strongly dislike books being printed this way. I immediately thought of Nicholas Sparks and this collage of his movie tie-in book covers made me laugh. Very uniform wouldn't you say? I guess that is to be expected given the content of his work. To play devil's advocate ... in the least, maybe these covers will attract a younger reader who may not have thought to pick it up before?

Re: Movie tie-in book covers

Jamie, interesting topic for discussion. Emily, I could see your point about movie tie-in book covers marketing to tweens (case-specific). Nathan, I agree--for me, somehow, if we remove celebrities from the covers, it's not quite as "offensive." In general, the designer in me loves the former since original cover art offers some interesting imagination and symbolism, but I don't think I mind the later.

I wonder ... if we saw the movie version first, and then came around to read the novel, we may have a different opinion/perspective? I know I felt this way with Bridget Jone's Diary. I saw the movie, fell in love (er, with Mark Darcy character), so I was somewhat unhappily surprised when I came across the cover art for the book. Two large eyeballs and mouth cut out to rest atop a blank open diary wasn't exactly enticing me to buy the book ... it was rather creepy, frankly. I did buy it anyways since I wanted to compare the differences from the movie version to the original intent of the book. The "tween" in me wanted to see Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) on the cover too, just saying. :)

Re: Movie tie-in book covers

I cannot stand movie tie in covers! I never buy them. In my opinion, they make all my favorite books-turned-movies look commercialized and less special. I'm thinking of The Hunger Games, specifically. 

I had developed images of the characters LONG before Lionsgate bought the rights. I also don't like seeing the faces of the Hollywood-deemed characters on the covers because those actors/actresses often represent other movies to me. In the example of The Hunger Games, Jennifer Lawrence now reminds me of many other movies besides The Hunger Games.

I've never seen it done successfully, but I'm interested to know if anybody else has. When I think of movie tie in covers, I think of tweens.