12 Terrible Movies That Completely Butchered The Original Books And Left Us Crying in Disappointment

We've all been there. We've read a book that we absolutely loved, recommended it to everyone we know, and then eagerly awaited the movie adaptation.
And then... we were left utterly devastated. The film was a complete and utter disaster that left us wondering why on earth anyone would even attempt to adapt the book. It's like the filmmakers took everything you loved about the book and threw it out the window. The characters were unrecognizable, the plot was completely different, and even the setting seemed off. You sat there, watching the movie with a growing sense of horror. It became clear that they had botched the original story. The worst part is that you had such high hopes. But instead, you were left with a hollow, lifeless shell.
As book lovers, we'll never stop hoping for that perfect adaptation that does justice, but to protect you from the thorough disappointment, stay away from these 12 most atrocious movie adaptations of all time.

#1 Where'd You Go, Bernadette (2019)

Source: Wilson Webb / Annapurna Pictures

"Where did you go, Bernadette?" was a risky choice to turn into a movie because the book is written in letters and emails. Despite having a great director and the amazing Cate Blanchett to play Bernadette, the movie didn't do well in the box office.

#2 The Giver (2014)

Source: David Bloomer / The Weinstein Company

"The Giver" is a popular book in middle-school English classes, so it seemed like a good idea to make a movie adaptation. However, even with famous actors like Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep, the movie was forgettable and didn't do well in theaters. Perhaps the production team didn't like reading this book at school?

#3 The Dark Tower (2017)

Source: Ilze Kitshoff / CTMG, Inc.

"The Dark Tower" is a complex book series by Stephen King, so turning it into a movie was a difficult task. Unfortunately, the movie failed to impress audiences and only made a modest amount at the box office. This could be due to the challenge of trying to fit a lot of content into a short movie.

#4 Ender’s Game (2013)

Source: Richard Foreman

"Ender's Game" is a beloved sci-fi novel, but the movie adaptation didn't do well at all. Only die-hard fans of the book seemed interested in seeing it, and even these fans seemed to dislike the movie after watching. Despite having Harrison Ford in the cast and a huge budget, the movie barely made a profit.

#5 The Postman (1997)

Source: Getty Images

Kevin Costner had a rough time in the mid-'90s, first with the disaster that was "Waterworld," and then with his own adaptation of the post-apocalyptic novel "The Postman." Despite costing a whopping $80 million to make, the movie was a financial flop, earning only $20 million. Ouch!

#6 The Lovely Bones (2009)

Source: Paramount Pictures

"The Lovely Bones" was a popular book despite its dark subject matter. With Peter Jackson, the director of the "Lord of the Rings" movies, at the helm and an Oscar-nominated performance from Stanley Tucci, the movie should have been a hit. However, it didn't quite live up to the book's popularity and was only a marginal success at the box office.

#7 Paper Towns (2015)

Source: Michael Tackett / 20th Century Fox

After the success of "The Fault in Our Stars," Hollywood took a chance on another John Green book, "Paper Towns." Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to expectations and was generally considered forgettable, despite making a profit due to its low budget.

#8 The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013)

Source: Getty Images

With the popularity of dystopian YA books being turned into movies like "The Hunger Games," many other YA book series were being turned into potential movie franchises. The six-book series "Mortal Instruments" was also given the same treatment, but unfortunately, the first movie "City of Bones" was not received well and plans for a sequel were scrapped.

#9 Gulliver’s Travels (2010)

Source: 20th Century Fox

As a classic work of literature, "Gulliver's Travels" has been adapted a few times, but the one with Jack Black was a huge disappointment. The critics hated it, and it only managed to debut at number eight in the box office. To make matters worse, Black was even nominated for a Razzie award for his performance, but he lost to Ashton Kutcher.

#10 The Cat in the Hat (2003)

Source: IMDb

Despite being a beloved Dr. Seuss book that everyone knows, "The Cat in the Hat" movie turned out to be a complete disaster. Mike Myers looked absolutely terrifying as the titular character, and there were rumors that he only took the role as a consolation prize for not being able to make a movie based on his "SNL" character, Dieter.
Even though the movie was only 82 minutes long, it barely made a profit and was a total flop.

#11 The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)

Source: IMDb

Even Tom Hanks and Bruce Willis couldn't save this flop. Based on a Tom Wolfe novel and directed by Brian De Palma, "The Bonfire of the Vanities" was a financial disaster, making only a fraction of its $47 million budget.

#12 The Scarlet Letter (1995)

Source: IMDb

When adapting a classic like "The Scarlet Letter," it's important to stay true to the source material. Unfortunately, the filmmakers went in a different direction, turning it into a steamy thriller starring Demi Moore and Gary Oldman. The movie was a critical and commercial failure, even receiving seven Razzie nominations.
Seriously, for the sake of your soul, don’t waste your time on these movies!