Will the films overshadow the books?

[Abhishek]

Ok, now that we have a great HP movies to match the books, is anyone scared that the movies will overshadow the books considering they are the more popular medium? I hope this does not end up like LOTR or GWTW where the movie defines the franchise instead of the books on which they r based.

Also I read a positive review from 'ABOUT.COM' saying that the movies are much better than the potter books at telling the story. His main reason was that the books had too much exposition. I find I cant argue with him. So do you think the movie might by any chance reveal the books flaws?

[gryffindork]

i'm sorry but i think the books are 1000000 times better than the movies!!! :D

[Picko]

The launch of a new HP book in ten times the event of the release of a new HP movie. Therefore I say with some certainty that you have absolutely nothing to worry about, the HP books will always be remembered as where the phenomenoem began :)

[rotsiepots]

No, I don't think there's any danger of that. The movies will always be inferior to the films, that much is certain. Most fans would choose the books over the films in a heartbeat, and those who don't should be ignored. :D

The movies are just glossier, pre-packaged and come with action figures.

[Prometheus]

I think the movies are heaps WORSE at telling the stories. For one thing, you hardly even know from watching the movies that the whole point of Voldemort turning up to Godrics Hollow was to kill Harry; in PS/SS you dont even see Harry asking Dumbledore why Voldemort tried to kill him.

I haven't seen Azkaban yet, but judging by the first two movies, the books are 100x better than the movies. And I think that HP's popularity lies in the books, so I don't think there is any real risk of the movies overshadowing them... the books are just too good!!!!!

[Mrs Padfoot]

And I think that HP's popularity lies in the books, so I don't think there is any real risk of the movies overshadowing them... the books are just too good!!!!!

I agree, even if there are people who only watch the films, the books will always be better. You get so much more from the books, that there just isn't time to include in the films. I'd rather pick up one of the books than watch one of the films, and I hope that I will always feel that way.

[Puffskein]

I think there's no way an HP film can be as good as the book, for a few reasons. One is that the plots of the books are so intricately structured that a film just can't fill in all the connections. Another is that the books are written to explain the thoughts and feelings of an individual character, which is much harder to do on film, obviously.

[Golden snitch 4]

NEVER ! The books are juste too good ! that is all we can say ... no more... :cool:

[Neptune]

No, never. The only thing the films can do is maybe turn a non reader into a reader.

My friend Jenny loved the first film, but still refused to read the books after I told her over and over how much better the books were. After seeing and loving the second film, she finally gave in and bought and read the books, and loves them to death. Even after last night, when I brought my father to see POA, he is finally showing some interest in reading the books. It just took him 3 films to do it.

[Claireyellen]

The books will never be outshined by the films. Everyone I know who has read and seen says the same and general concencus is that the books are 1000 times better. The exposition is one of the things I like. It makes me feel part of the Wizarding world and that it could be real.

[Bloo]

I think the books are so much better than the movies, although I do think the movies are pretty good! One thing I don't like about the movies is that they skip so many interesting scenes e.g. the Deathday Party (that would've been so cool!). The books are better than the movies because the actors don't always look like who we imagine them to be.

[Stayce]

The books are far greater than the movies. Especially this PoA situation.

[Selkie]

No, the film will never overshadow the books. They are a great companion to the books but can never fully convey the depth of story that the books can. What I think the films will do is encourage more people to read and enjoy the Harry Potter books.

[Lamby]

The books are much better than the movies. (Although the movies are good), they describe more detailed stuff that can be hlepful too you. Where as in the films, they tend to cut out alot.
Like in the 1st one, they missed out the hole of chapter 1 near-enough.
And due to cutting out you miss some important bits. Also the films are tending to make some minour mistakes.

In the long run I don't think ti will happen. I much more enjoy reading the books, as your imaganion can go wild on what it looks like. In the film it just shows you.

[Hannibal "Drax" Lecter]

I owe it all to John Williams that I got into Harry Potter in the first place. If there was no movie, there would have been no Williams score. No Williams score, no interest in the books from me.

The films are important. I hold them at equal level to Rowling's novels.

[RemusLupinFan]

The films and the books are both good, but the books are much better. In a movie, there's only so much you can show, and so it does tend to leave stuff out. In the books we can better get inside Harry's head and see what he's feeling, as opposed to just being shown his actions.

I will always love the books better than the movies, but it is still nice to see my favorite characters brought to life on the big screen.

[Cat]

People wait in giggly anticipation for each film, speculating about the actors and directors, poring over every still shot...

But that is nothing - nothing - compared to the wait for The Order of the Phoenix.

I think that everybody thought the movie franchise was overshadowing the books even then, but the reaction of the world to the fifth novel was an eye-opener. There was an almighty boom of online discussion after its release and, when push comes to shove, fans will always be more enthusiastic when it comes to talking about the books. It's not just the waiting, either - the History of Magic area of this board (the one for discussing the books we already have) has far more threads than the Muggle Studies area (for discussing the films). Take a look for yourself! I think most people have read the books far more times than they have watched the films.

In short, the books win with their hands tied.

I think the films are only 'better at telling the story' if you have no imagination.

[Hermyownniny]

I don't think they will overshadow, unless of course they become a cinematic masterpiece ala the mentioned GWTW and LOTR. But most people know that these sprung from masterpiece books, and that the books are better. Besides, JK's style writing is so captivating for any age.

[Deliah]

For me the books and the movies are 2 different things - but the movies do effect my reading of the books because I do imagine the characters and places now as they look in the movies.

[Polychrome]

The movies, good as they are, have only made it to year 3 so far, and one of the series's selling points is "What happened next?".

There's also a bigger problem with the movies. Especially in PoA, a LOT is left out for time. A LOT. The many small stories within a year format would actually lend itself better to a TV series, where you can split a story up among episodes. (The concentration on dialect would make it a bit like .hack//sign. Really "slice of lifeish". As if you were observing people constantly by hidden camera.) For example, I can read to a friend a random passage out of a book without them being too lost.

[Da_Chinkster]

I think they've got the scenery pretty much as described in the book. However some of the characters are portrayed differently in the movies and therefore when reading the books I will now see them as I did in the film. However its still great fun imagining new characters and new storylines and it will not dampen any excitement waiting for the new book!!

[Weatherby]

There will always be a few who think Harry Potter is only a film. The idiots sitting behind me last night for example. They bickered how the sorcerer's stone was never explained and how it wasn't even a big deal. [Yes, they missed the point that it wasn't the stone itself but what Voldemort would use it for.] When their friend tried to tell them it was in a book I think they were just more confused.

But why worry about these people? The Harry Potter books are vastly superior and more successful.

[jen15poms]

There is no way that the movies will ever even come close to being as good as the books! Sure, there are a few people who only watch the movies, but I think for the most part people go to the movies because they have read the books already.

[imperfect prefect]

Can anyone think of any film that has overshadowed the original book? Nothing comes to mind.

[Drusilla]

I don't think,as long as lunatics like us exist,that the movies or any other part of the Harry Potter franchise will ever overshadow what started it all-the books.I have to agree with what Cat said in her post.The movies may be the biggest single part of the franchise,but as far as storytelling goes,they're limited by their very nature.The movies are fun (the latest one is brilliant),and they're important in that they've given me faces to put to the characters in my head...but nothing will ever beat the books.Unless Alfonso Cuaron outdoes himself on one of the movies to come,and even then..I doubt it.

[ragga]

too me the books are better...i find in the books we can find out more, make up our own images, and we hear more thoughts and feelings which cannot be portrayed through the movies...

[rhtruluv]

I think the films will over shadow them b/c they are easier 2 watch than sitting there imagining what the scene would look like

[dansewell]

I think that the books will never be over-shadowed by the films as long as people like me remain loyal to them and don't want this to happen. Books are so much more magical and you imagine the characters and setting for your self. I personaly think the films (althaugh i like them) have ruined the books for me as i now have what a character ''looks like'' fixated in my mind instead of my origeonal imaginary sketch of them. Also a mesage for all you people who watch the films but not read the books (apart from WHAT THE HELL IS WITH YOU PEOPLE) is that if you dont read the books then you will never know the full story, For example Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone was 152mins (2.5hrs) and 223 pages long. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is 636 pages long and is only planed to be on for the same amount of time. So GoF is 3 times as long as PS/SS and yet is going to be on screen for the same amount of time, Please tell me how that is going to get the full story in when they missed bomb loads of vital sceens from that.

All said and done, Thanks for putting up with my BI****NG and twining.

P.S

For the people who watched the films befor seeing the light and reading the books please note that any differences are a fault of the films and its producers and not the Books. I have a verry anoying cousine who dissagrees with me.

[GryffindorGr]

The films are awesome for visuals and for those HP fans who haven't read the books. Of course they can't get ALL of the stuff from books in. It's always been like that when you convert book into filming. But wow, I wonder if that Patronus-stag conjure in the woods is a foreshadowing! Like a mirror effect....:whistle: I loved it. And the time turner, that was great. Gave me a more visual insight on how the time turner works. Cuaron's skills are very imaginative.
So of course the book will always be better because it sparks our imagination on how it will turn out. Cuaron just gave us the palatte to a window of how his creative juices presented us.

[harripottrfreek]

I don't think the movies will overshadow the books (for some people)...

I think Lord of the Rings biggest problem was that most people had never read the books because they came out way before them (the newer generations). Harry Potter the books are coming out now and the movies are following them...like a couple years later.

The books will not be overshadowed by fans of the book...most fans are upset when something is left out and go to the book...or if they aren't upset they still turn to the books and still imagine their way...

For people who don't read and just see the movie, well there was no book in their past and they don't see one in their future so I don't see it affecting the books by overshadowing there..the people weren't there before and not after...no change.

Also the movies and opening people up to the books and getting them interested...after seeing the first movie more people went and bought the books to read and I bet they can't just see three movies, read three books and then wait a year or so to get the next installment of Harry Potter and they go ahead of the movies to see what is going on and with more detail involved.

I don't think the films will ever overshadow these books.

[Jinxie Cat]

Never in a million years will the movies beat the books... I just can't see it happening! We, the fans, are always complaining about how the movies leave the really good parts out and I think that's one of the biggest reasons. Sure, watching Hogwarts and the wizarding world come to life is very nice and highly entertaining but it's nothing compared to the books.

[nofilmstudent]

I started reading the books around January 2003. I started seeing the movies because of Alan Rickman, Ive been a fan of his since 1992. After reading the books, I found they had much more depth and imagination than your typical special effects laden movie. The problem I have with the movies is the stuff that I think makes the books special is what gets left out of the movies. The pranks, supernatural beings, the humour, it's better written, and I wish JKR would become a screenwriter so she could explain it all better than the reasons(for leaving some things out) that we always get from the movie's apologists. I figure maybe by the 7th movie, some book fans might not even pay as much attention to the movies, because the film producers just don't seem to think like book readers, and the important stuff to the readers will never be important to the film makers.

[RJBradbrook]

i don't think the movies are better at telling the story because they leave so much out. besides, classic movies come out about twice a year. there hasn't been a true classic series of books since TLotR or the chronicles of Narnia. these are read and re-read thousands of times a year. movies lack the tangability that the books have, there hear one minute and gone the next. besides, no movie lives up to imagination. i always feel a little dissapointed when i watch the movies because they are not EXACTLY as i imagined them to be.

[Potter13]

While I waited in anticipation for the second two movies to come out, the movies will never top the books. Movies take away the imagination that a book has. A book allows your mind to wander and create your own world. A movie gives it to you and it is hard to deviate from what is on the screen. Movies also do not have the ability to include everything because of time. I do owe the first movie one thing, it got me reading the books and now I can not stop. Before that movie came out, I had no interest in Harry Potter.

[Potter13]

[QUOTE=nofilmstudent]I started reading the books around January 2003. I started seeing the movies because of Alan Rickman, Ive been a fan of his since 1992. QUOTE]

Have you been to the Alan Rickman / Snape Appreciation Thread v2? Its a great place for Snape/AR fans!!!! I like it.

My quote thing messed up, what happened?

[PrincessJess]

The books are loads better than the films but the films will work 1 of 2 ways.
1. They will encourage people to read the books
2. They will alienate people from the books and people will be lazy and wait for the next film instead of reading the books.

[Fool]

There are some people who feel they don't have the time to read a book. Others are just lazy, or hate to read. A movie based on a book gives the people who choose to ignore the books a chance to see the story that everyone else has praised. In some cases, the enjoyment of a movie is enough to convince them to read the book. My brother for instance has gone to see the 3 Harry Potter movies made so far, and they have now convinced him to read the books. He's currently halfway through Chamber of Secrets, and he can't stop talking about everything he missed through the films.

[idlescribbler]

To be honest, I don't really see the films standing the test of time. Actually, if I'm going to be completely honest about it, I don't see many modern films holding up say in twenty to thirty years.

On the other hand, the books will.

Primarily, I see this as coming down to one major factor: Special Effects. Look at the difference between POA and even COS. The effects are getting better and better to the point that in ten years, the first film will look dated, and given how fickle people have become about things like that, they won't enjoy it nearly as much.

With the book, however, all the effects are in the mind. IMO nothing will ever compare to the human imagination!

[dafyd]

3 million copies of OotP sold in 24 hours in the UK... come on, I can't see any movie beating that!

The Harry Potter phenomenon - because that is what it is - encompasses the books, the films, and (unfortuately) all the associated merchandising. The books make the film successful, but the films also make the books successful - at the bookshop where I work in Nottingham, we saw a huge increase in sales in PoA after the film came out - all the kids who hadn't read the book but went to see the film to get in on the hype then wanted to read the book.

I don't see that the books will ever die out... or at least I'll do my best not to let them!

[idlescribbler]

Wow, you guys really had increased sales of POA? I think we sold maybe 5 copies of the book right after the film, but that was it. But I think we're in a market that is just about saturated. All of the kids that are into Harry Potter are already into Harry Potter if that makes sense.

[dafyd]

Wow, you guys really had increased sales of POA? I think we sold maybe 5 copies of the book right after the film, but that was it. But I think we're in a market that is just about saturated. All of the kids that are into Harry Potter are already into Harry Potter if that makes sense.Well... when you consider that sales of PoA had dropped to literally zero in the past six months, it wasn't difficult to see a boost in sales!

We have been massively promoting HP over the past couple of weeks - all 5 are in our 3 for 2 promotion, mainly to get rid of our huge stockholding of OotP hardbacks before the paperback comes out, so that could have had something to do with it...

That said, I did hear several 7/8-year olds leaving the cinema saying they wanted to read the book...

I don't really think it matters, so long as kids do keep reading - no matter what!

[emerald eyes]

The movies are great but I have never once thought that they could or would overshawdow the books. The detail of the books is just amazing and it just makes one's imagination take flight.

I have to agree with what idlescribbler said above, "To be honest, I don't really see the films standing the test of time. Actually, if I'm going to be completely honest about it, I don't see many modern films holding up say in twenty to thirty years."

People will keep redoing films for better effects and such but how many books have you ever heard of being rewritten? The films and the books are not on the same level.
The books are the original and the films no matter how brilliantly done are just a "mock up" of the book. The true heart and soul of HP is in the books. And we as fans know this.

[dementorskiss]

I really don't think that the movies will over shadow the books. The only reason that the LOTR movies overshadowed the books is because no one really talked about them anymore, it had been decades since LOTR was first put on the shelf and Tolkien had died 1973 (1972- somthing like that). Loyal HP fans would never go to only watching the movies because they leave out so much there.

I think the movies actually bring in more fans. My brother, for example, was anti-Harry Potter when the first book came out but now that he's seen POA he plans on reading GOF and Ootp. I'm pretty sure that he will end up reading, at least, Prisoner too because he'll most likely get hooked on the series and want to read not only the later books but the early books too. I'm guessing that because of what I did with LOTR after I saw Fellowship.

[Jedi Potter]

Its rare for a movie to overshadow the book to me the only real examples are Ben-Hur and Gone With the Wind but in both cases the movie was like a 100 times better than the book so that really is why. In cases like LOTR and HP they movies are more companion pieces to the work, that is the way I look at them. Very good companion pieces though.

[momentary_grace]

I was lucky because I've read the books way before the movies come out. But, some of my friends only watch the movies, which I think is a pity. Yet, on the other hand, I just finished watching the entire LotR movie series, without reading a single book (I tried reading them, but I couldn't even get through The Hobbit - I know, very lame:D). I wish that I would have read the LotR books first but oh well. My loss:(.

[Elf]

Never. These books are destined to be classics. Few people that have read the books disagree that they are incredible, but there are many diverse opinions about the quality of the movies. Movies are great, but I don't think they will ever replace the power and passion of good literature.