Now that streaming services are the primary way people watch their movies and television, the ability to binge multiple episodes at a time has made the TV series king for some time now. With this change in approach to the way viewers get these types of stories, creators have adapted their approach to how they tell them, leading to some great movie tv adaptations.
Snowpiercer and Fargo are two such stories. While Snowpiercer sets out to reimagine the events of the movie originally based on a French graphic novel, Fargo tells different thematically-related stories, each season focusing on a plot set in a different time and place. This begs the question: What other films would do well in making the transition from feature film to television series?
The Lobster tells the story of a dystopian future where every person is required to have a romantic partner after 45 days or suffer the consequences of being turned into the animal of one’s choice. The movie can be interpreted as a critique of media’s obsession with romance. The movie follows David (Colin Farrell) during his mandatory stay in a hotel for singles as he attempts to find his partner after going through a divorce.
In a movie, there’s beauty to the limits of the format. A concept has to be introduced with characters to bounce off of it, and viewers have to become attached to those characters as they navigate their way to the story’s conclusion, all within around 2 hours’ time. As a storyteller, this leaves little time for dawdling.
The world of The Lobster, however, is one that would benefit from further exploration with the length of time a TV series has to work with. The movie has snippets of the world outside the hotel where different factions of people exist, all with their own goals, codes of conduct, and troubles to deal with. With the ability to pay more attention to details and the freedom to explore digressions available in the story, The Lobster as a TV series could really focus on the things people deal with in romantic relationships. Various pairings and dynamics can be hyper-condensed due to the speedy and forced nature of coupling up as ordained by the laws of the world, which the series would be able to flesh out more.
It would be 14 years after the debut of the truly delightful The Incredibles until it would receive a sequel. The story of a family of superheroes living in a society full of heroes and villains isn’t particularly unique, but it’s a path that might be worth exploring with a family of superheroes with a dynamic that has been proven to work.
The Incredibles sets up a world where superheroes have been outlawed because their efforts to save the day frequently result in immense amounts of expensive collateral damage. It does this all without drawing from the well of dark-and-gritty superhero movie tropes. While The Incredibles 2’s plot is about the effort to undo this legal issue, a TV series following the Parr family as they go through daily life trying to manage parenthood/adolescence and society all while trying to keep a lid on their powers would make for some interesting situations.
Strangely enough, in a movie about superheroes, one of the more enjoyable parts of both movies was the family dealing with everyday things like the kids’ graduations, raising the baby, and handling bills. What is life like for the Parr family when they have to save the world every other weekend while trying to keep a slot of time open to film Dash’s recital? What if Frozone and Mr. Incredible have to find a last-minute anniversary gift and stop a jewelry store robbery in the meantime? With all of the shows about superheroes punching each other to close space portals, perhaps this show would be a breath of fresh air.
The Coen Brothers 2013 film follows Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) through a week in his turbulent life as a folk singer/songwriter in the early 60s. There’s a tragedy to how Llewyn’s life ended up the way it has, partly as a result of the unending chaos of the world around him and partly because of his bad temper, poor decision-making skills, and surly attitude towards others in the music industry.
A TV series based on Inside Llewyn Davis could play out like a musician’s biopic without the need to tell a true story. While not all movie characters need to have their origin stories poked and prodded at until their past feels almost more relevant than their present, the movie offers snippets of information about Llewyn’s life back when he was a success, and there’s more to explore there.
At the same time, what is life for Llewyn in 10 years when musical styles change and evolve, when new voices are being heard? Does Llewyn take on a more managerial role, does he change with the times, or does he fade away even further into obscurity, maybe to finally make a comeback when he’s featured in music as a remix? There’s plenty of story to tell, not just of Llewyn, but of those around him as they all struggle with the transient nature of music and fame.
Martin Scorcese’s crime thriller The Departed is a cat-and-mouse game of two moles, one in the police and the other in the Irish mob, as the opposing forces try to outmaneuver each other, trying find any opening to strike as the body count just gets higher and higher.
The idea of a mole infiltrating the mob while another infiltrates the police opens doors for all manners of intrigue. A show based on The Departed could really help solidify the almost chess game-like nature of the dueling sides as they one-up each other, the episodic nature of the show letting viewers ruminate on each calculated move. Espionage is a popular genre for a reason.
The rubber band of tension can only get so taut, however. Thus, it would make sense for this show to either be a limited series exploring the original concept of the movie but with different characters to allow for creative freedom, or to go the Fargo route and do an anthology series, each season exploring a story involving friction between the law and some unit of organized crime, all thematically tied together with the element of subterfuge.
Moonrise Kingdom was yet another movie by Wes Anderson about a bunch of whimsical kids wise beyond their years and madly in love. It follows Sam and Suzy’s courtship against all odds on a New England island in the 60s.
A Moonrise Kingdom TV series could take place 10 years later when Sam and Suzy return to New Penzance for the first time in years. They’ve split apart over the years as they entered the real world, finding their love nothing more than childhood infatuation. Surviving the jump from childhood to adulthood is a theme that’s been explored before, but it’s a lesson that still has plenty of unique ways left to be portrayed. However, almost as is if by fate or perhaps symmetry, being based on a Wes Anderson film and all, they both visit their Moonrise Kingdom at the same time.
Meeting back up at their secret cove, they feel that spark for each other once again. Can they rekindle the feelings they once had for each other, now adults with lives of their own? Does Sam ever learn who his real parents are? Maybe in this chaotic world, it’s time for a new show that takes a smart, artistic, whimsical look at love and responsibility, not just to the world but to each other.
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