History Main / HardToAdaptWork

* Most complaints about the [[Film/TheLastAirbender live-action film adaptation]] of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' revolved around how the show's concept only really works in animation because it is so fantasy-based, forcing the film to largely resort to CoconutSuperpowers, with the moments of power usage that involved CGI often being prone to SpecialEffectFailure.

* There's been difficulty with adaptations of ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'' and ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}''. [[Anime/DevilMayCryTheAnimatedSeries Both got adapted]] [[Anime/BayonettaBloodyFate into animes]] but despite geuinely great animation, neither were as highly acclaimed as the games they were adapted from. The number one issue is that the protagonists Dante and Bayonetta are meant to be effortlessly cool with the difficult HackAndSlash gameplay actively making the player strive to be as awesome as the characters are in cutscenes and in-story. However, when the gameplay is taken out of the picture it's quite hard for Dante and Bayonetta to not come off as just boring [[InvincibleHero Invincible Heroes]] a lot of the time. ''Devil May Cry: The Animated Series'' also took a more downbeat and SliceOfLife tone, with the crazy all-out action that the games were known for being limited likely for budgetary reasons, something that disappointed a portion of fans. Since then, ''WesternAnimation/Castlevania2017'' producer Adi Shankar announced in 2022 that they will be making a Netflix animated adaptation of ''Devil May Cry'' and promised that it would be faithful as possible.

* Creator/CirqueDuSoleil has successfully recorded many of its shows (which usually feature {{Excuse Plot}}s at best) for the TV/video market, but attempts to adapt them -- or at least their acts -- into narrative media have by and large failed. The [=IMAX=] UsefulNotes/ThreeDMovie ShortFilm ''Journey of Man'' worked due to its deliberately episodic "stages of life" plot, brief length, and the shows being excerpted having similar aesthetics to each other. By comparison, the dramatic film built around ''Theatre/{{Alegria}}'' was too dark for children and too odd for adults, the VarietyShow / ThematicSeries hybrid ''Solstrom'' came off as a hard-to-market QuirkyWork for non-fans and a butchering of the original shows for fans, and ''Film/CirqueDuSoleilWorldsAway'''s loose stringing of vignettes lifted directly from actual Las Vegas shows upon an original [[TheEveryman Everywoman's]] quest resulted in an aimless story and odd tonal shifts due to the shows' clashing visual and aural aesthetics.

* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' only had the [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1 first]] [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2 two]] games representing the brand in the States when the ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'' and ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'' debuted, with Sonic, Tails, and Dr. Robotnik being the only recurring game characters. Also not helping is that the localization process excised what story info the [[http://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_(16-bit)/Manuals Japanese manuals]] originally had. [[Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020 The 2020 movie]] showed very little of Sonic's homeworld and opted for a HumanFocusedAdaptation starring Sonic escaping to Earth, to favorable results.

* ''Film/{{Battleship}}'' was based on [[TabletopGame/{{Battleship}} a board game]] with no plot beyond just two players trying to locate and sink each other's ships, which sounded like an absurd idea to most people. Creator/{{Universal}} and Creator/{{Hasbro}} tried to spice it up by adding some sci-fi elements to the story, but that only made it look like every other blockbuster movie at the time. Ultimately, it ended up flopping ([[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff in the U.S., at least]]), and [[StillbornFranchise any plans for a sequel were sunk]].

* ''Film/{{Battleship}}'' was based on a board game with no plot, which sounded like an absurd idea to most people. Creator/{{Universal}} and Creator/{{Hasbro}} tried to spice it up by adding some sci-fi elements to the story, but that only made it look like every other blockbuster movie at the time. Ultimately, it ended up flopping ([[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff in the U.S., at least]]), and [[StillbornFranchise any plans for a sequel were sunk]].

* WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd imagines what a video game based on ''Film/TheBreakfastClub'' would be like, using pixelated pictures of the movie to parody old games that did the same. Also, it would be made by Capcom.
-->'''Nerd''': Level 1, you're sitting in detention. Level 2, you're sitting in detention. Level 3, you're sneaking around the school. Write the letter. The end.

* The art style and writing style of ''Manga/GoodnightPunpun'' leads most fans to think it can't be adapted into an anime or live-action work.

** The first route, ''Fate'', takes the time to put all its cards on the table for the player's sake, and demonstrates how the central conflict is intended to play out. This makes it pretty straightforward to adapt since all the exposition is already there-- in fact the first anime adaption came just two years after release, with the only major deviation being [[BleachedUnderpants the removal of the porn scenes]]. That said, it is also generally considered the blandest of the three routes, because it explores Shirou's character the least and more or less goes how you'd expect it to go[[note]]While the story does have some dramatic twists, all the important ones are so thoroughly in ItWasHisSled territory that even [[VideoGame/FateGrandOrder later entries in the same franchise]] poke fun at the idea that anyone would be shocked by them[[/note]], which is likely why it tends to fare poorly in adaptations after that initial one. Even that first adaptation [[PragmaticAdaptation threw in scenes or references from the other two routes]] in order to better pace the run-time and give characters OutOfFocus in ''Fate'' more character.

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' has an InUniverse case of this, in a flashback plot where Homer and Marge are crew members on a film Krusty the Clown is directing based on his favorite sci-fi novel ''The Sands of Space''[[note]](a thinly veiled reference to ''Literature/{{Dune}}'', with a few aspects from ''Film/{{Zardoz}} and ''Film/{{Krull}}'')[[/note]] which was stated to be impossible to adapt, with Krusty intent to make it as accurate to the book as possible.

* ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' rather unsurprisingly has proved to be a challenge to be adapted into live action, as seen by both ''Series/PrettyGuardianSailorMoon'' and ''Theatre/SeraMyu''. While both adaptations are quite enjoyable in their own ways with plenty the NarmCharm, the effort to try replicate the iconic [[TransformationSequence transformation sequences]] and general beautiful art and animation of the manga and anime, particularly in ''Pretty Guardian'''s case is [[SpecialEffectsFailure arduous]]. There’s just no getting around the fact the Sailor Senshi and the rest of the characters were designed to be as stylised as possible in both appearance and actions and attempting to bring them to life with only a modest budget, even when written by the original mangaka Takeuchi, is a recipe for trouble. Even more minor things like the billowing of the Senshi’s hair and skirts, which can be effortlessly done in animation is lost in live action thanks to wardrobe and effects constraints.

* Part of the problem with adapting the ''VideoGame/{{BioShock}}'' games is that they very deliberately take great advantage of being {{Immersive Sim}} and tell large amounts of their greater story through audio logs, diary entries, and visual setpieces and interactable objects. As such, ''Literature/BioShockRapture'' attempts to tell a linear narrative chronicling Rapture's fall which at times feels more like worldbuilding and FlavorText than a story on its own, and since it obviously can't have Jack as the POV character the "protagonist" of the book is Bill [=McDonagh=], whose entire story is told through three audio logs and some environmental storytelling in-game, leading to quite a bit of AdaptationExpansion.

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' has an InUniverse case of this, in a flashback plot where Homer and Marge are crew members on a film Krusty the Clown is directing based on his favorite sci-fi novel ''The Sands of Space''[[note]](a thinly veiled reference to ''Literature/{{Dune}}, with a few aspects from ''Film/{{Zardoz}} and ''Film/{{Krull}}'')[[/note]] which was stated to be impossible to adapt, with Krusty intent to make it as accurate to the book as possible.

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' has an InUniverse case of this, as the plot was about Homer and Marge having in the past played characters in a movie Krusty the Clown was making based off of his favorite Sci-Fi book, which was stated to be impossible to adapt, with Krusty out to make it as accurate to the book as possible.

** Many fans regard the show as next-to-impossible to adapt into a movie. Much of this stems from the 1963-1989 series' nature as a serialized show, already featuring drawn-out plots that match or even surpass the length of most feature films, making the idea of a movie redundant. Additionally, the series' dense lore and tangled continuity would make it difficult to make a movie that appeals to neophytes, as so much stuff would need to be introduced at once. Only three ''Doctor Who'' movies were ever made -- the [[Film/DrWhoAndTheDaleks first]] [[Film/DaleksInvasionEarth2150AD two]] were adaptations of [[Recap/DoctorWhoS1E2TheDaleks already-aired]] [[Recap/DoctorWhoS2E2TheDalekInvasionOfEarth serials]] set in an independent continuity, while the [[Recap/DoctorWhoTVMTheTVMovie third]] was poorly-received by fans thanks to [[UncertainAudience being indecisive]] about whether it wanted to appeal [[OldGuardVsNewBlood to longtime fans or newcomers]].

** Many fans regard the show as next-to-impossible to adapt into a movie. Much of this stems from the 1963-1989 series' nature as a serialized show, already featuring drawn-out plots that match or even surpass the length of most feature films, making the idea of a movie redundant. Additionally, the series' dense lore and tangled continuity would make it difficult to make a movie that appeals to neophytes, as so much stuff would need to be introduced at once. Only three ''Doctor Who'' movies were ever made -- the [[Film/DrWhoAndTheDaleks first]] [[Film/DaleksInvasionEarth2150AD two]] were adaptations of [[Recap/DoctorWhoS1E2TheDaleks already-aired]] [[Recap/DoctorWhoS2E2TheDalekInvasionOfEarth serials]] set in an independent continuity, while the [[Recap/DoctorWhoTVMTheTVMovie third]] was poorly-received by fans thanks to being indecisive about whether it wanted to appeal to longtime fans or newcomers.

* While most of ''Theatre/LittleShopOfHorrors'' wasn't difficult to adapt for the [[Film/LittleShopOfHorrors 1986 film adaptation]], the ending proved to be a case of this. Originally, the film was supposed to retain the stage musical's ending where [[spoiler:Audrey and Seymour are killed and Audrey II begins its spectacular conquest of Earth to the tune of the song "Don't Feed the Plants".]] However, the DownerEnding proved to be a disaster with test audiences and the creators were forced to create a FocusGroupEnding [[spoiler:where the Audrey and Seymour live and Audrey II is defeated.]] Director Creator/FrankOz later realized that the differences between theatre and film were the reason why the original ending was received so poorly.

* The idea of a ''Franchise/{{Barbie}}'' live-action film was touted around since The80s, and went through a ton of writer, director, cast and studio changes, mainly due to the factors of ''Barbie'' being synonymous with the GirlShowGhetto, the overall idealistic and bright tone of the franchise risking SweetnessAversion, and most prior storylines such as the ''WesternAnimation/{{Barbie}}'' animations and ''WebAnimation/BarbieVlog'' revolving around either straightforward FairyTale adaptations [[RecycledWithAGimmick just with Barbie]], or a SliceOfLife with trivially low stakes. It was ultimately the association of Creator/GretaGerwig, Creator/NoahBaumbach, Creator/MargotRobbie, Creator/RyanGosling and Creator/WarnerBros that cracked the code and produced a financial and critical success out of the toy line in [[Film/Barbie2023 2023]].

* While ''VideoGame/EternalFighterZero'''s other source visual novels, ''VisualNovel/{{Air}}'', ''VisualNovel/{{Kanon}}'', and ''VisualNovel/OneKagayakuKisetsuE'' all have anime adaptations, ''MOON'' does not. The reason being that ''MOON'' has a plot of a HGame and is so dark, disgusting, and graphic that no studio will ever risk making an anime adaptation without [[{{Bowdlerise}} cutting out much of the content]] and therefore making the story incomprehensible.

* The idea of a ''Franchise/{{Barbie}}'' live-action film was touted around since The80s, and went through a ton of writer, director, cast and studio changes. It's ultimately the association of Creator/GretaGerwig, Creator/NoahBaumbach, Creator/MargotRobbie, Creator/RyanGosling and Creator/WarnerBros that cracked the code and produced a financial and critical success out of the toy line in [[Film/Barbie2023 2023]].

* While the anime adaptations of VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry were fairly succesful and led to a full-blown CashCowFranchise, the same can not be said for that of its successor, VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry. The story is massive, features dozens of characters, and heavy post-modernism elements. The anime suffered from being a CompressedAdaptation, with key scenes either being heavily abridged or omitted entirely. This led to the mystery being unsolvable due to important clues not appearing. For comparison, the manga had over 40 volumes while the stage-play has stuck to adapting one episode per 3-hour show.
* While ''VideoGame/EternalFighterZero'''s other source visual novels, ''VisualNovel/{{Air}}'', ''VisualNovel/{{Kanon}}'', and ''VisualNovel/OneKagayakuKisetsuE'' all have anime adaptations, ''MOON'' does not. The reason being that ''MOON'' has a plot of a hentai and is so dark, disgusting, and graphic that no studio will ever risk making an anime adaptation.

* Most complaints about the [[Film/TheLastAirbender live-action film adaptation]] of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' revolved around how the show's concept only really works in animation because it is so fantasy-based, forcing the film to resort to CoconutSuperpowers.

* As Creator/RogerEbert noted in his evisceration of [[Film/TheLastAirbender its live-action film adaptation]], ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' is a show that only really works in animation because it is so fantasy-based, forcing the film to resort to CoconutSuperpowers and often causing SpecialEffectsFailure.

* Efforts to adapt ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' into a LiveActionAdaptation have been met with DevelopmentHell. Much like ''Dragon Ball'' or ''Evangelion'', the series is extremely expansive and full of incredible spectacle regarding its beautiful mechs making it immensely hard to do justice in live action without a massive budget and creative scope. However, after the success of ''Film/PacificRim'' "this can't be adapted" attitude towards the ''Gundam'' series has soften among fans and relatively more optimism towards announcements that Creator/LegendaryPictures and Creator/{{Netflix}} would take a stab at adapting the series. It's also extremely difficult to translate the franchise into a video game, as the Guntank not being able to rotate its torso, the Nu Gundam's Fin Funnels not being able to be recharged, and the Unicorn Gundam's NT-D lasting for 5 minutes[[labelnote:*]]Too long for most action games[[/labelnote]] all make the Gundam clunky to control in a video game medium.

* While it is very possible to build video games around most of the cast from ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'', the same cannot be said for [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Discord]], whose incredibly godlike powers of ShapeShifting and [[RealithWarper reality warping]] that go far beyond the power of most of the other powerful magic users in the setting make him very difficult to feature in a video game. On the one hand, featuring him in a video game as a player character or antagonist would require somehow managing to make the game challenging, yet still winnable, despite his blatant StoryBreakerPower; yet [[AdaptationalWimp lowering his power level]] or [[BroughtDownToNormal even taking his powers away]] (the latter of which has actually happened in the show more than once) to create a manageable challenge defeats the whole purpose of involving TheOmnipotent on either side. Case in point: In ''VideoGame/MegaPony'', all he does as the FinalBoss is pilot a Wily Machine and throw shot-deflecting fireballs.

* While it is very possible to build video games around most of the cast from ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'', the same cannot be said for [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Discord]], whose incredibly godlike powers of ShapeShifting and [[RealithWarper reality warping]] that go far beyond the power of most of the other powerful magic users in the setting make him very difficult to feature in a video game. On the one hand, featuring him in a video game as a player character or antagonist would require somehow managing to make the game challenging, yet still winnable, despite his blatant StoryBreakerPower; yet [[AdaptationalWimp lowering his power level]] or [[BroughtDownToNormal even taking his powers away]] (the latter of which has actually happened in the show more than once) to create a manageable challenge defeats the whole purpose of involving TheOmnipotent on either side.