Harry Potter films continue to cast a spell on the nation
The J.K. Rowling series is the best book to film adaptations of all time, according to research from Samsung Electronics UK.
Griffindor wins: Harry Potter voted as the best book to film adaptation of all time with a third of Brits stating it’s the best adaption out there
Twilight’s lost its twinkle: a fifth of voters selected the Twilight films as the worst book to film adaptations
Romance Reigns: Romantic classic, Gone With The Wind (45%) still seen as the most romantic book turned film
Bridget Jones To Return: Mad About The Boy (20%) is the book film fans most want to see on the big screen
David Fincher’s Gone Girl, based on the 2012 bestselling novel by Gillian Flynn out in cinemas today is the latest in a long list of book to film adaptations. To mark this much anticipated launch, Samsung Electronics UK has polled the nation to see which film adaptations have sparkled on screen and which have left viewers cold with J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series coming out as the nation’s favourite book to screen adaptation of all time.
The study found that a third (33%) of film buffs chose the Harry Potter series over popular films including The Shawshank Redemption (29%), The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (24%), Schindler’s List (21%) and Gone With The Wind (18%).
The nation’s top 10 best book to film adaptations:
Harry Potter Series – 33%
The Shawshank Redemption - 29%
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy – 24%
Schindler’s List – 21%
Gone With The Wind – 18%
Silence of the Lambs – 17%
Charlie & The Chocolate Factory – 14%
To Kill a Mockingbird – 12%
Bridget Jones’s Diary – 11%
Pride & Prejudice – 10%
However, Robert Patterson and Kirsten Stewart’s take as Bella Swan and Edward Cullen in Stephanie Meyers Twilight saga didn’t fare so well, with a fifth (20%) of the nation voting it as the worst book to film adaptation. In its company was The Da Vinci Code (14%), Harry Potter Series (9%), Memoirs of a Geisha (7%) and Tim Burton’s, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (7%).
Guy Kinnell, Head of TV & AV at Samsung Electronics UK and Ireland commented, “Turning a favourite novel into a film often causes great debate amongst fans. From the family favourite, Harry Potter to the less popular adaptation of The Da Vinci Code, no matter how it divides us, there’s something about seeing words from a page being brought to life on the big screen whether that’s at home or at the cinema.’’
The results also further unveiled:
Family Favourites
Harry Potter continued to dominate with 50% of voters also believing it was the best children novel to be adapted to film, followed by the 1971 version of Charlie & the Chocolate Factory (28%) and Judy Garland’s, Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (28%).
Romance Is Not Dead
Margaret Mitchell’s Pulitzer-winning 1936 classic, Gone With the Wind first hit movie theatres in 1939 and despite the years, it is still seen as the best romantic novel adapted to film of all time. According to 45% of voters, the Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh starred film beat modern movies, Bridget Jones’s Diary (36%) and The English Patient (21%).
Stephen King Supreme
30% of people also thought Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman take on Andy Dufresne and Ellis ‘Red’ Redding in The Shawshank Redemption was the best period novel adapted to the big screen nudging out Gone With The Wind (29%) and Schindler’s List (25%).
Bridget Jones To Return?
Whilst, Renee Zellweger might just get another shot as Bridget, with 20% of movie enthusiasts wanting to see the 2013 novel, Mad About the Boy brought to the big screen. A further 17% wanted contemporary horror writer’s Stephen King’s, The Dark Tower and JD Salinger’s, The Catcher in the Rye (14%) also adapted to film too.
For more information on Samsung’s range of Televisions and Home Entertainment Systems, visit samsung.com/uk.