Anytime a young adult (or YA) fiction book becomes blatantly popular among young readers, there is a high chance it will be turned into a movie. Sometimes, it will even be turned into a franchise. The movie’s success is almost predetermined, and this is not uncommon.
YA movies are extremely lucrative, with loyal fans visiting theaters numerous times to see their favorite characters come to life. While Harry Potter may have prompted the book-to-screen era, it was Twilight that allowed YA novels to suddenly come to the limelight and take over movie screens. Twilight made nearly $70 million in its opening weekend alone. The series caused a massive frenzy; ultimately leading to a slew of other YA adaptations to follow suit. That brought about the birth of The Hunger Games, and Divergent, just as some examples.
While these movies have die-hard fans, it does not stop critics from expressing their honest opinions. Even with all of the commotion around Twilight, it only garnered a 49 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. To some critics, performances in these films are lackluster. In some cases, they are just plain embarrassing. So embarrassing, it is probably best to forget about them altogether. Although fans may be able to turn a blind eye, it is hard for average viewers to see anything other than train wreck performances come out of these popular adaptations. On paper, these characters are complex, on screen they are laughable.
Here are 20 Characters YA Adaptations Want Everyone To Forget.
20. Kristen Stewart - Bella Swan
Despite being loved by many young teens at the time of its premiere, it is no doubt critics were harsh on Twilight, more specifically, Kristen Stewart. If people had a hard time with Bella’s character in the book, the movie adaptation did not make it any better.
Bella Swan seemed to be Kristen Stewart in her natural habitat: awkward and deadpan. Although it worked for quirky Bella in the novel, on screen it was off-putting. It even landed her the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress. All things considered, Twilight made Kristen Stewart a household name, along with her costars. However, that still does not stop anyone who watches the YA adaptation from cringing at the sight of Bella’s blank stare.
19. Shailene Woodley - Tris
It seemed like 2014 was going to be a big year for Shailene Woodley. After all, she was slated to star in two much-anticipated YA adaptations. While not a dry eye was left in the theater after watching The Fault in Our Stars, critics were not as pleased with her performance in Divergent. Woodley played Tris, a 16-year-old who lives in a dystopian world where its citizens were separated into four distinct factions.
After finding out she is divergent, a mix of all four factions, Tris needs to hide her plight from the world for fear of being discovered. She then chooses to leave her “stiff” roots of Abegnation behind and joins Dauntless, the fearless faction. Critics, however, thought her performance was just that: stiff; having a hard time differentiating between her innocent former self and her nnewfoundDauntless persona.
18. Johnny Depp - Grindelwald
It’s no doubt that Johnny Depp is a decorated actor. However, after controversy around his past arose, it tainted his role as Grindelwald in the Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
The actor reprised his role in the newly released sequel Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald much to the dismay of critics and fans everywhere. Needless to say, people were underwhelmed by his performance in the new movie. The Independent.ie described his performance as “impossible to take seriously, and leaves a gaping hole that a menace on the scale of Ralph Fiennes’s Voldemort should have occupied.” It also asks if Depp has “forgotten how to act.”
17. Harrison Ford - Colonel Graff
To most, the movie adaptation Ender’s Game was a far cry from the book and an overall disappointment. Many thought the movie was far too rushed to be understandable.
What was more surprising, was how unenthusiastic veteran actor Harrison Ford portrayed Colonel Graff. Critics felt Ford did not add any specific dimension to the character and could have easily been passed off to any other actor. Empire wrote of Ford’s performance, “It probably takes an actor as charismatic as Ford to get away with it, which he does, barely.” His stagnant performance made for a forgettable role, which could have had great potential.
16. Robert Pattinson - Edward Cullen
Not only do viewers want to forget about Robert Pattinson’s time in Twilight, but Pattinson himself also wants to forget. He is arguably one of the toughest critics on the franchise and is the most outspoken cast member when it comes to the movies.
The actor has been seen many times poking fun at his role as the brooding, overly-pale vamp, and critics of the movie do just the same. In a review of the popular teen film, Slate stated, “Pattinson, a British actor chosen for his sculpted face and gazellelike physique, doesn’t seem to have been given much direction beyond ‘melt the camera with your eyes.’” It also goes on to say that Edward, as portrayed by Pattinson is “no one you’d want to risk your immortal soul for, his worthiness doesn’t really matter.” Much to the dismay of “Twi-hards” everywhere. His role as Edward was definitely not one of his finer performances, and Pattinson will probably be the first to admit that.
15. Logan Lerman - Percy Jackson
Here is just one YA adaptation that went to the franchise graveyard. Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief had all the makings to be the next Harry Potter: a huge fanbase, hot actors, and a decent plot. It tried to, even coming out with the sequel, but did not end up taking off.
Critics at The Washington Post lend its flop all to the film’s casting. “As played by Logan Lerman, Percy is a pretty boy with good hair but no discernable interior life,” it said of Lerman’s performance. “The special effects have more going on behind their eyes.” Unfortunately, many also pointed out that the movie failed to stay true to the plot of the novel, which ended up leading the franchise to its demise after the second film.
14. Nicole Kidman - Mrs. Coulter
When The Golden Compass hit theaters in 2007, it was not without controversy. Groups like the Catholic League for Religious and Spiritual Rights were displeased with the movie; calling it anti-Christian and pro-atheist.
Here, viewers got the chance to see Nicole Kidman play the villain, Mrs. Coulter, whose desire is to take children for laboratory experiments. From what audiences could ascertain, even Kidman’s acting chops failed to bring the mundane script to life. Overall, audiences were not satisfied with her portrayal. If viewers were not too busy focusing on the CGI, they were focused on the script that did not manage to bring out the good parts of the novel.
13. Zoey Deutch - Rose Hathaway
In 2014, Vampire Academy became just another drop in the fantasy YA adaption bucket. This time the story centered around a school for, you guessed it, vampires. It stars Zoey Deutch as Rosemarie Hathaway, who is half human and half vampire.
Critics equated the film to a mash-up of Mean Girls and Twilight, and it received a mere 17 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Entertainment Weekly said Deutch’s “snark is worse than her bite.” It is also probable that the film’s script was poorly written and, overall, cheesy.
12. Jim Carrey - Count Olaf
The A Series of Unfortunate Events novels were a huge hit among young readers everywhere. So, naturally, the movie adaptation would have to be popular, especially with a cast that included Meryl Streep and Jim Carrey. However, this turned out not to be true. With a gross USA total of nearly $119 million and a budget of roughly $140 million, the film didn’t end up doing so well.
Jim Carrey is widely known for his improvisational skills, but many critics thought it did not work out in his favor in this instance. A 2004 review on Reel Film Reviews called Carrey’s performance distracting and “there’s no denying that his over-the-top antics become awfully tiresome almost immediately.” Not only was Carrey’s character choice confusing, but many critics found the choice to clump the first three books together into one film made it too rushed.
11. Brenton Thwaites - Jonas
Coming out 21 years after the source novel was published, The Giver did not live up to its expectations. Even though it had a star-studded cast on its side to hopefully skyrocket the movie to popularity, it ultimately worked to no avail.
A then 24-year-old Brenton Thwaites was tasked with playing Jonas, a boy six years his junior that is about to receive his profession assignment in a black and white dystopia where no emotion exists. Critics were admittedly underwhelmed by his performance, citing poor chemistry with his love interest. However, Thwaites wasn’t the only star who received flack for his acting. Castmates Katie Holmes, Jeff Bridges, and Alexander Skarsgard were referred to as “zombie-humans” by Paste Magazine.
ALDEN EHRENREICH - ETHAN WATE
The only shining light in the reviews for 2013’s Beautiful Creatures was that it wasn’t Twilight, but, that is where the praises stop. The film, meant to be a series, ended up in the adaptation morgue after one installment.
Before he was a young Han Solo, Alden Ehrenreich played Ethan Wate, a high school student whose life gets turned upside down after he meets Lena Duchannes, a witch from out of town. The two fall in love, but their on-screen chemistry did not wow the critics. In a review for the Huffington Post, Jackie K. Cooper quipped, “Ethan and Lena are better friends than lovers.” Although it indeed wasn’t Twilight, critics still had a hard time looking past the similarities between the two franchises, which ultimately lead to its downfall.
CARA DELEVINGNE - MARGO
Coming fresh off of the success boat from his first movie adaption, The Fault in Our Stars, author John Green probably thought he would hit another home run with Paper Towns. However, he just missed the mark.
In the novel, the character of Margo is a mysterious, rebellious sort. So, critics were confused with the casting of Cara Delevingne, and thought she would be better off sticking her day job. “Delevingne communicates nothing to suggest the sway she holds over her lovesick admirer,” the Austin Chronicle wrote. “She’s an enigmatic blank page, a paper actress in a paper movie.” Bad reviews aside, it did not stop Delevingne from pursuing other movie roles. For this one, however, it was a no from critics.
SAOIRSE RONAN - MELANIE STRYDER
Hoping to ride on the curtails of Twilight’s success, Stephanie Meyer’s novel The Host hit theaters in 2013 and starred Saoirse Ronan as Melanie Stryder.
Through no fault of her own, it seems Ronan was doomed from the start. “Trapped in what seems like an unplayable role, she not only creates two separate and distinct personalities for Melanie and Wanderer,” wrote Variety, “but injects the entire film with a much-needed level of plausible reality.” Ronan should not take all of the blame for wanting to forget about this movie. Critics widely commented on the ridiculous script and non-dimensional characters.
7. Michael Gambon - Dumbledore
Although Richard Harris only portrayed Dumbledore for two of the Harry Potter films, fans had already grown accustomed to his calm demeanor and gentle tone. After his passing, the role was handed down to Michael Gambon, and fans were not amused.
HP fans were quick to notice a stark difference between the two Dumbledore actors. Gambon abandoned the joyful characteristics that Harris had laid out in the first two films and traded it for a more stern character. Many fans of the Wizarding World believed that Gambon’s version of Dumbledore strayed further from the books than Harris’. Not to mention, fans were particularly displeased that Gambon appeared in five films and had never read the books. Gambon admitted to the Telegraph, “All you have got is the script so I think it’s safer just to follow that – well that’s my excuse for not reading the book.”
6. Alex Pettyfer - Four
Receiving only a 38 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, it is clear that casting hot, young actors did not work in 2011’s I Am Number Four. The film is based on the novel of the same name, and is the first in a series of seven books called the Lorien Legacies. Sadly, it seems audiences will never see the final six books adapted on to the big screen.
Critics could not see past Alex Pettyfer’s poor performance and abs (and not in a good way). Stephen Whitty of NJ.com said of the actor, “Alex Pettyfer — a child actor turned model turned self-satisfied hunk — isn’t much except blond hair and good cheekbones as our hero.” Viewers of the film all came to relatively the same conclusion, his character lacked depth and originality, much like the whole premise of the movie.
STANLEY TUCCI - CAESAR FLICKERMAN
While The Hunger Games is arguably the most successful franchise to come out of the YA genre, it, by all means, does not mean it is perfect. Even with many veterans of the showbiz industry featured in the cast, it is safe to say the young actors outshine them.
Stanley Tucci’s performance as flamboyant TV host Caesar Flickerman throughout the movies was off-putting and uncomfortable at times. For a serious actor, this role was anything but. Though it was a minor part, it was still hard to watch. If Tucci had turned if off a little bit throughout the films, the role still would have been successful. Elizabeth Banks managed to do so in portraying Effie Trinket.
4. Taylor Swift - Rosemary
For those who think Taylor Swift can do anything, think again. It turns out not even a cameo from Swifty herself could have saved The Giver. To many, the choice of casting the pop star as Rosemary seemed random.
The cast was indeed impressive, but just because there are big names like Taylor Swift doesn’t ensure a slam dunk movie. Overall, audiences were disappointed at the beloved book to movie adaptation. Some critics even called the performances “uneven.”
3. Lily Collins - Clary Fray
With a handful of titles to her name before starring in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, Lily Collins had an opportunity to make a name for herself after playing the film’s main character, Clary Fray.
While some critics believed, Collins tried to the best of her ability to make the most of her character, some thought she fell short. Fans of the series argued her character was written as weak, and the adaptation did not stay true to the book. The movie did not result in a franchise and was all but forgotten, much to the dismay of fans everywhere. However, it did get picked up as a TV show, which fans seem to be fond of.
2. Jamie Campbell Bower - Jace Wayland
It seems two YA adaptations were not enough for British actor Jamie Campbell Bower. Viewers may have recognized him as Caius in the Twilight Saga franchise and as young Grindelwald in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. Bower decided to try his hand in the YA world again as Jace Wayland in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.
Much like his costar Lily Collins, fans and critics alike were not particularly impressed with his performance. “Regardless of how many tattoos and how many variants of a black leather outfit they put him in,” wrote The Movie Report “Jamie Campbell Bower is much too soft and delicately ‘pretty boy’ of a presence to believably pull off what is supposed to be the badass machismo of Jace.” The result of this movie was similar to what “Shadowhunters” call humans — mundane.
1. Emma Thompson - Mrs. Lincoln
Yet another great actor falls victim to the dreaded YA adaptation. Emma Thompson has a slew of classic titles under her belt. Which is why critics were left confused as to why she would place herself in a movie like Beautiful Creatures.
In the film, Thompson plays Mrs. Lincoln, the mother of Ethan’s friend Link. Although writing was not on her side, her performance did not make the role any better. “Standing in sharp contrast to the limp teen leads, Thompson writhes her way through movie, throttling the audience with CAMP,” wrote Complex. “Yes, this is UNHINGED on a level YOU CANNOT FATHOM. KNEEL BEFORE EMMA AS SHE BLUDGEONS YOU WITH HAM.” It seems the melodrama did not work in Thomspon’s favor, but with the movie only gaining a 46 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, not much could have saved it.
Which of these characters are you trying to forget? Let us know in the comments!
