Over the past few years, a significant rise in book to movie adaptations has dominated the film industry.
From Dune to The Hunger Games to Little Women, the 21st century has seen an inevitable rise in this adaptive form of storytelling. Despite this, the common moniker “The book was better” has never faded from discourse, even as filmmakers expand their horizons to more and more beloved classics. Some book to movie adaptations have met boundless success and praise, while others have been blacklisted by fans of the franchise — but what’s the secret to crafting an adaptation that will garner approval?
emily henry
On January 9th, 2026, People We Meet On Vacation was released on Netflix. Based on the best-selling novel by beloved author Emily Henry, this movie hit number one on the streaming service hours after its release and remains in the top ten. The film was praised by book lovers and new fans alike for its swoonworthy story and the outstanding performances by romantic leads Emily Bader and Tom Blyth. Blyth, who gained popularity over his portrayal of a young President Snow in The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, has opened up about the difficulty of playing beloved book characters on the screen. Despite his own personal reservations, fans are satisfied with the film as an adaptation which raises the question: why aren’t all book to movie adaptations met with this level of praise?
As an avid reader myself, I initially wasn’t planning on reading the novel before the movie release of People We Meet on Vacation. This disinterest was mostly due to my lack of time but also my knowledge of how these movies operate – changes get made and fans get upset. It happened to be my mom, a huge fan of Henry and the book itself, who convinced me to pick up the novel and I did not regret it. Not only is the book People We Meet on Vacation a riveting, charming read but its film adaptation is an amazing watch. While not a perfect copy of the novel at hand, the movie is instead a living adaptation – any changes made feel true to the characters and the story itself.
In this vein, People We Meet on Vacation has succeeded at what one many other movies of its kind failed at. Essentially, book to movie adaptations often feel awkward, rushed, or confusing due to the effort it takes to cut down a 400 page novel into a two hour movie. Some audiobooks can stretch over seventy hours, meaning that crucial details and plotlines are often cast aside. Additionally, book to movie adaptations can fail miserably if the director’s vision is too far from the actual source material. Famous examples of this phenomenon include Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Giver, The Mortal Instruments, and Divergent’s Allegiant. While all of these films flopped for a myriad of reasons, common criticisms of them include drastic changes in storyline, aging up young characters, and shifting from important themes to emphasize a greater “wow factor” for audiences. Some of these movies have been so infuriating that authors have felt the need to comment; Rick Riordan infamously attacked the adaptation of his popular Percy Jackson series, calling this his “life’s work going through a meat grinder”. Overall, book adaptations have let fans down so many times that they lose faith.
People We Meet on Vacation was not one of these cases. As soon as the movie dropped, the internet exploded with praise and a longing for more. With Henry’s other books in talks for movie deals, many fans have begun to “fan-cast” their favorite stars into dream adaptations of their favorite Henry novels. Favorites among these casts include Paul Mescal, Ayo Edebiri, Logan Lerman, and Saoirise Ronan. Lerman, who infamously played the main character in the failed Percy Jackson movies, said he was flattered by fan suggestions as a fan himself of Henry’s books. “We’ll see what happens,” he commented with a sly smile during a Buzzfeed interview. While many of the actors recommended for Henry’s are keeping their lips sealed about the possibility of adaptations, others seem to be more keen on putting their hat in the ring. Hudson Williams, star of HBOMax’s hit Heated Rivalry, appears to have made many connections with Henry on social media; he is currently following the rumoured director for her next adaptation and she follows several of his co-stars. While there is no confirmation of his involvement in a future project, Henry’s willingness to work with and cast newer stars is promising of her success with future adaptations. One of the most prominent praises of People We Meet on Vacation was the team’s choice to cast fresher faces. Emily Bader as Poppy stole the hearts of so many fans, and inspired many of them to consider other younger stars that they would love to see thrive in adaptations. If Henry and her team keep this in mind going into the production of Happy Place and other adaptations, she may unlock the key to a near perfect book-to-movie adaptation – keeping the fans happy. Book fans engage with the material of their favorite stories for so long that they form very specific connections to the characters and the stories; if even a fraction of fans’ vision could make it into the movie, it could lead to a more satisfying result as a whole.
Emily Henry is no stranger to the reader community, and her connection to her fans have proved steadfast over the years. Going into the premiere, Henry admitted that she was very stressed about creating a final product that the fans would love and was relieved when she saw that it finally could be. “[The readers]… are your biggest support system and you really need to keep them at the forefront of your mind the whole way,” she told People. This dedication to her fans has proved successful thus far, and it will be exciting to see her – and other authors as well – keep this in mind for the future.