It could be argued that behind Nicholas Sparks, there is no one better at having their novels adapted to the big screen than John Green – the latest of which adaptations comes in a form not like the author’s previous projects.
The upcoming Hulu adaptation of John Green’s first novel, “Looking for Alaska”, is in pre-production and due to start filming this summer. The project will be a limited television series, the first of Green’s adaptations to not be a feature-length film.
Green’s debut novel hit the shelves nearly 13 years ago, and multiple Green movies have been released since then: “Paper Towns” and “The Fault in Our Stars.” So why the hold up on this project, in particular?
Josh Swartz, producer and writer of the upcoming series, first encountered the novel upon release and even adapted a screenplay back in 2005. “Josh cared about the book before almost anyone else had even read it,” Green commented via Reddit. “It has been a very long 13 years trying to figure out how/whether to adapt ‘Looking For Alaska,’…and I am really excited.”
Green’s social media presence and popularity as an influencer has helped attract several readers and consumers to his projects, but his talent for writing and telling compelling stories in the Young Adult/Romance genre have helped his novels stand out and succeed.
Although Green is not the first to have his stories adapted for film or television, his consistency in successful adaptations have made his successes comparable to that of Nicholas Sparks. 12 of Sparks’ 20 plus novels have been adapted for the screen, and every one of his novels have been Bestsellers. From “The Notebook” to “Dear John”, nothing says consistency in quality and success as well as Sparks’ track record in the adaptation arena.
“Looking for Alaska” is sure to do well as its readers have long awaited its adaptation, and the limited series format will draw in a more long-term fan base than if it were to be a singular film.
The other two solo novels Green has published that have yet to be adapted for the screen are, “An Abundance of Katherines” and his most recent book, “Turtles All the Way Down.” I think it is safe to expect adaptations of these remaining two novels, as well as any future publishings to come from the world-renowned author.
Is he the next Nicholas Sparks? No. He is John Green, his work stands for himself, and we look forward to all of his future projects and novels to come.