One of the greatest things about living in a world filled with different forms of media to be consumed is that there is no shortage of TV shows to watch. Browsing through the many streaming services out there right now gives us instant access to some of the most interesting shows that we might otherwise have overlooked. Whichever genre suits you best, there are bound to be many TV shows available that will pop up at once. TV shows have also become quite cinematic over the past 20 years or so, providing viewers with engaging stories that are not only well written but shot with such precision and dedication that TV shows sometimes look better than movies now.
The TV show format is universally loved because it allows viewers time to get to know the characters and really immerse themselves in the world they are learning about. Whether episodes of the show are released on a weekly basis on regular TV or aired all at once on a streaming service, the episodic format of the storytelling allows us time to understand everything that unfolds and understand the drivers behind each character’s decision-making process. This isn’t a slight against the film industry, because there are a great many amazing films that have given us some of the greatest stories ever, but sometimes the episodic format is simply the best way to tell a particular story.
In fact, there are some movies that have been made that most likely would have done better if they were made for television. Movies typically run between 90 and 120 minutes in length, with exceptions made over the years. Unless you’re an avid movie fan, movies over 120 minutes long tend to turn off general audiences because anything over two hours runs the risk of losing people’s interest. Think about how many times a friend has said they don’t want to watch a movie because of its running time. There’s nothing wrong with feature films, but if a studio wants a movie to appeal to a wide audience, a movie longer than two hours may not be the way to go. This is why some movies are better suited to the small screen. Dividing the story into episodes or chapters keeps viewers engaged and eager to know what happens next. With that in mind, here are nine movies that were meant to be TV shows.
9 Divergent (2014)
If you were reading YA books in the early 2010s, you most likely read Veronica Roth’s dystopian adventure, “Divergent.” The book and movie revolve around a 16-year-old girl named Tris (Shailene Woodley) who is born into the Abnegation Faction, one of the five factions created by society to divide people based on their personalities. Teens from each faction take a placement test when they turn 16 to determine which faction they really fit in, and are then asked to choose whichever faction they think they belong to. Tris’ results are inconclusive, and she describes them as mixed, but is told to never tell anyone, even after she ultimately chooses the Dauntless faction.
While the movie tried its best to stick to Westworld-The esque world established by Ruth in her book series, the film was poorly received by critics, and subsequent installments in the franchise weren’t well received by fans of the book either. In fact, the fourth movie was canceled and plans to turn the last movie into a series were abandoned. if forked Originally made for TV, perhaps on a platform like Netflix, world building was more fleshed out and fans had more time to understand the intricacies of each faction and what they meant to society.
8 The Fifth Element (1997)
located in the twenty-third century, The fifth element It takes place in a futuristic world threatened by evil. Every five thousand years, the Fifth Element returns to Earth to protect mankind with stones from the four elements; Fire, water, wind and earth. However, the ship transporting the Fifth Element to Earth is destroyed, so scientists use DNA from the remains of the Fifth Element to create Leeloo (Milla Jovovich). She escapes from the laboratory where she was created, and ends up meeting Corbin Dallas (Bruce Willis) with whom she must complete her mission.
Luc Besson’s sci-fi adventure was well received by critics and audiences alike, and the movie was an amazing sight to watch. Given the complex world the story is set in and the number of bizarre characters the film introduced us to, it could be interesting to watch the story unfold over the course of eight weeks or so in limited series form.
7 The Ring (2002)
the ring It is often referred to as one of the most prolific horror films of the early 2000s. The idea of ​​showing up on a VHS only to discover a disturbing video of a young girl who was not alive, and then no longer alive seven days after watching the tape is terrifying. The movie was so well received by horror fans that a remake/sequel was released in 2017, although this movie wasn’t nearly as good as the original.
Since it takes seven days for Samara’s curse to finally take someone’s life, it creates an ideal format for limited series. Imagine this story being made on a platform like HBO. It would be absolutely terrifying, and the script would probably be great. Just as the movie focuses on a mother trying to save herself and her son, a TV show could follow the same concept and focus on one person trying to break the cycle of terror in Samara.
6 The Maze Runner (2014)
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
YA book-to-movie adaptations seem to have ruled the film industry in the late 2000s and early 2000s. One of the many entries in this subgenre was Rick Riordan’s Maze Runner series. maze runner It centers around a boy named Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) who wakes up in an elevator with no memory of his past. He finds himself in a completely closed environment with about 30 other teens. The boys have been stuck there for three years, creating their own food and water collection systems. When a comatose girl arrives with a strange message, the group splits into those who want to risk their lives to escape, and those who want to hang on to what they have.
The book series is incredibly engaging, and the story unfolds over the course of three books. The film was decently received by critics, with a score of 65% on Rotten Tomatoes, but with the dystopian society created by YA books, it could have worked better as a TV show. Given that there are three books, he is making a three-season TV series with each season dedicated to each book. Plus, it would have allowed more screen time for the robotic monster, The Grievers.
5 V for Vendetta (2005)
Books and graphic novels are among the most popular forms of entertainment that can be adapted to the screen. Both forms of entertainment allow for endless creative possibilities when it comes to translating those stories into feature films. Marvel Studios has been doing this for 15 years now, although it could be argued that some of these films would be a better fit for the show.
V for revenge It is one of Alan Moore’s most famous graphic novels, and it’s no secret that Hollywood has been drawn to his work for years, despite Moore’s reservations about using his work in film and television. The film explores the perils of being under an authoritarian government. The film is a fan favorite and has done well critically, but more of the story and world could have been explored in limited series form. More time with the characters, building the bond between Evey and V, and a deeper focus on life under fascist rule would have been helpful in getting the attention of people who wouldn’t ordinarily consume comic book media.
4 Jupiter Ascendant (2015)
With the Wachowskis behind the camera and writing the script, Jupiter Ascendant It would have been another great movie from the sister directing duo. However, the movie was a box office failure and a serious nightmare. Suffering from poor pacing and over-the-top action sequences that pull you out of the story, the movie leaves no room for exploration of the vast universe in which it is set.
The film follows a woman named Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) who endures bad break after bad break until a genetically engineered ex-military hunter named Ken Wise (Channing Tatum) tells her that her genetic signature marks her as next in line to become the heir to an intergalactic nobility and must fight to protect Earth from… Old industry. The premise alone is massive enough to determine that this would have been better suited to a TV format where characters can be fleshed out and world built. This is a complex world that sees corporations owning planets and consuming their resources. The TV format would have allowed more time to explore this large universe and learn more about each planet.
3 Beautiful Creatures (2013)
Going back to the YA book-to-movie adaptations, we have it Beautiful creaturesBased on the book by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stoll. The story is about a teenage boy named Ethan Watt (Alden Ehrenreich) who is desperate to leave his small southern town and live his own life until he meets a girl named Lena in his dreams. When a new girl enrolls in his high school, he knows it’s the girl who has invaded his dreams. She reveals to him that she is a witch, and on her sixteenth birthday, she will be taken over by either the forces of light or darkness. The only way Light can claim her is if she doesn’t fall in love with Ethan.
The movie bombed both critics and audiences, probably because it was filled with too many characters and a magical family backstory that she didn’t have enough time to properly explore. After the success of franchises like Harry Potter and The Twilight Saga, a lot of studios and filmmakers wanted to join in on the success. Again, this is a story that would have been better spread out over at least one season of the TV show.
2 Inception (2010)
Christopher Nolan beginning It has a star-studded cast and an incredibly interesting plot that keeps you thinking about the events that took place long after you’ve finished watching it. It goes all in a dream heist to plant an idea in the mind of a CEO, complete with intricacies from Cope’s (Leonardo DiCaprio) past. The ending of the film is satisfying at the same time as the disappointing ending of the film. It’s confusing, eye-opening, and may take some people more than watching to really absorb what happened.
The many rabbit holes the story goes down and the many complex storylines involved is precisely why Inception makes such a great TV show. The ways in which Cobb and his group enter dreams and construct the worlds in which dreams exist would make for a compelling show with endless possibilities for its development into a multi-season story.
1 Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
the star Wars The universe has expanded exponentially over the past 46 years since the first film came out, so it was no surprise that Disney wanted to continue growing the universe with a story centered around fan-favorite cowboy Han Solo. Solo: A Star Wars Story is a prequel story detailing his life before Luke Skywalker and Leia and how he met Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian.
due to success star Wars Shows like The Mandalorian, it seems surprising that Disney would choose to go the movie route with a Han Solo origin story. The film did not allow the story an opportunity to develop its own characters and scenarios, leaving the film feeling rushed and plot lines forgotten. It’s already been proven that many Star Wars stories work better in a popular TV format where many characters, planets, and life forms can be explained further.
