10 Book Characters Who Were Changed a Little Bit in Their Film Adaptations

When a book is adapted to the big screen, we can’t help but wonder what the movie will look like at the end, and most importantly, how much will it change? However, sometimes you might be in for a big surprise.

At Bright Side, we want to introduce you to 10 characters that changed a little bit in their film versions, from their appearance to their personality.

1. Tris Prior from Divergent

The protagonist of the Divergent saga should have her characteristic gray eyes. Moreover, most of the actors in this production were very different from the characters described in the books. Also, Tris lacked more strength and independence because she depended too much on Four, and it was not like that in the novels.

2. Annabeth Chase from Percy Jackson & the Olympians

Annabeth Chase was the daughter of the Greek goddess Athena in the Percy Jackson saga. In the books, she was described as a blonde girl, with gray eyes, and an intense and analytical gaze, besides being extremely intelligent and a determined warrior, which went against the stereotypes associated with that hair color.

3. Jack Reacher

Tom Cruise played this character twice. However, he was not as suitable for the role, since according to fans, Jack Reacher needed another actor who was more imposing without losing the elegance of someone like James Bond. With the expectation of knowing who could play the enigmatic military investigator, a list of actors more suited for this role emerged and among them was Henry Cavill.

4. Bella Swan from Twilight

The protagonist of this saga should have been paler, with a round face, and straight hair with reddish highlights compared to Kristen Stewart’s waves. Surprisingly, actress Emily Browning was author Stephenie Meyer’s top choice for that role.

5. Jordan Baker from The Great Gatsby

This character from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel is one of the most beloved for her personality. In this film, she is more sarcastic compared to the 1974 version. However, in the 2013 film, Jordan takes a back seat, and we don’t know much about her or about her closeness to Nick, the narrator both in the film production and in the book.

6. Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

The genius chocolatier Willy Wonka had only 2 adaptations on the big screen. Still, Johnny Depp played a very different character from the one in the ’70s movie. According to the novel, Wonka was physically more similar to Gene Wilder’s version of the ’70s classic. However, Depp’s work became iconic for its eccentricity.

7. Edward Cullen from Twilight

The main vampire from the Twilight saga should have had auburn hair instead of brown. On top of that, the color of his eyes was constantly changing, something that wasn’t very evident in the movies. Before he became a vampire, he had green eyes, and when he transformed, they changed from gold to black (and at one time they were even red).

8. Tiger Lily from Peter Pan

Peter Pan is one of the most beautiful children’s stories, which we remember for its different adaptations, like the Disney movie. However, in Pan (2015) there was a rather controversial detail regarding the ethnic group of the natives from Neverland, especially with Tiger Lily, played by Rooney Mara. As in Disney’s version, in the original work, the natives of the island were very similar to the Native Americans, so the choice for Mara to play this role was not very accurate.

9. Ginny Weasley from Harry Potter

Unfortunately, Ginny did not have the same weight in the movies as she did in the books, since she was reduced to a love interest for Harry. She was described as intelligent, energetic, and eloquent, something we didn’t see much of in the films. Also, like a good Weasley, she should have been much more redheaded and freckled, just like her brothers.

10. Nick Fury from Marvel

Originally, Nick Fury was white, but in the comics from early 2011 he went through a radical change following the success of Samuel L. Jackson’s performance as the model. After that, not only did the actor continue to play the role, but in all subsequent comics and animated series, this character was based on his appearance and acting performance.

What other book characters do you know that were adapted to the screen in a radically different way?