MovieChat Forums > The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) Discussion > Reasons for the difference between film ...

Reasons for the difference between film and graphic novel

posted 9 years ago by princessnemi-451-604593
5 replies | jump to latest

I actually read the graphic novels before I saw the film. I knew there were going to be differences, there always is. So I went in to see the movie not wanting to compare it to the graphic novel.

I found I quite like both, for different reasons and in different ways, so I've no desire to 'bash' either of them. But I am endlessly curious as to why they decided to make such drastic changes to how characters were in the graphic novel. Did they give a reason for it? Or was it simply decided by the screen writers that they liked the setting but wanted to do their own thing with it from the start?

[–] Oddark123 9 years ago

While we can Monday morning quarterback a lot of it. I think the real elephant in that room is they started it before the first comic story was done.

Now that we have to reflect on the way the comic and movie are perceived today in a world that has other productions doing things that people that liked one more than the other, only adds more fuel to the fire.

It would have been interesting had they of had a choice knowing more how Moore would take it, if they would have made it more like the comic. In today's climate though, I'm going to a be a bit surprised if the remake goes back to the comic to any serious degree. Barring of course they get a very "I love Alan Moore stuff" director.

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[–] Silentwisdomofpsycho 9 years ago

Given the reaction over a movie releases not that long ago..... I think you are right on the climate.

But then again this if FOX, they might be able to get one movie made sticking to the Moore story. But I can't imagine too many people are going to like it now in the current day. Not with some of other developments they've had in the last few years.

[–] Nikulturny 9 years ago

Tom Sawyer would have been added to make the movie more attractive to the American audience.

Mina Harker was probably turned into a vampire to make her more of an action-oriented character; and a strong, capable normal woman wouldn't be attractive to the frat-boy audience.

They probably dropped Fu Manchu as a villain to avoid cluttering the film by having two antagonists, and to avoid alienating the Chinese audience - quite a significant consideration these days.

"There is no more human race. There is only.. the Master race!"

[–] lawrenceconwayvulcan 9 years ago

From what I understand there were legal issues concerning Fu Manchu. This meant the character was dropped from the film version.

[–] Oddark123 9 years ago

The other guy is correct. Fu Manchu is not entirely in the public domain, they would need rights from Rohmer's estate and/or the current film rights holder (if there is one). I believe this is one character that's a bit mixed up between countries/books/trademarks. But I do distinctly recall mention that there was trouble securing the rights to him for this movie.

On a lat note, some of the wording in this post is rather troubling though.

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