The 84% Rotten Tomatoes Fantasy Show Hollywood Should Learn From
It’s no secret that the past few decades have proved that fantasy stories work much better as TV shows, not movies, and this iconic HBO series proves this. One of the pitfalls of fantasy films is that they don’t have enough time and space to dig into the world-building and character development that’s so vital to the success of any speculative fiction narrative.
This is a fantasy TV show with a legendary final scene and a sweeping narrative that will draw you in from the beginning with its high stakes and gorgeous visuals. However, there’s a lot more to recommend about the show than spectacle alone. The HBO series His Dark Materials brilliantly adapts its source material, bringing its characters to life with ease, making it the perfect show to watch today.
His Dark Materials Is A Better Fantasy Adaptation Than Most Hollywood Movies
Starring Dafne Keen as Lyra, the protagonist of the brilliant fantasy book trilogy by Philip Pullman, His Dark Materials is unique within the fantasy genre because the show was able to adapt every novel in the series for the screen. Just three seasons long, His Dark Materials does more with its compact runtime than many long-running shows and epic movies do.
By taking some liberties with the books, His Dark Materials gives each character plenty of time to evolve and makes the more complex aspects of the fictional world accessible. There are low-budget fantasy shows better than movies of the genre, and while His Dark Materials had plenty of resources thanks to HBO, it could’ve outshone many films with its writing and performances alone.
Why His Dark Materials Was Much Better Than The Golden Compass Movie
Ruth Wilson as Mrs Coulter in HBO’s His Dark Materials
Despite the critical and audience acclaim garnered by the show, the His Dark Materials franchise wasn’t always a success on screen. In 2007, a film adaptation of the first book, The Golden Compass, was largely met with a negative reception, as it didn’t capture the heart and soul of the novel, and had to cut many important scenes for time.
Though it isn’t unwatchable, The Golden Compass doesn’t hold a candle to the depth and complexity achieved in His Dark Materials. Additionally, the film attempted to appeal to wider audiences and mold itself into a more traditional narrative. The film was crafted to make as much money as possible. While TV shows want to appeal to viewers as well, the economic pressures are different, especially for fantasy.
Title
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
His Dark Materials (2019–2022)
84%
82%
What Other Fantasy Adaptations Can Learn From His Dark Materials
Lyra sitting on bench in His Dark Materials season 3 finale
Today, many fantasy TV shows with lots of potential are cut short before they have the chance to finish their stories. This is disappointing, as so many of these fantasy shows are better than movies and deserve the opportunity to fulfill their promise the way His Dark Materials did. Learning from the HBO series’ success could benefit fantasy series and films.
His Dark Materials doesn’t rush its storytelling, while simultaneously digging into the action and adventure that are an inherent part of the narrative. Though a fantasy movie will never have the same amount of time to flesh out the world as a show, the way His Dark Materials seamlessly delivers exposition and lets the audience interpret the world on their own terms could easily be copied.
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