Adaptation Do's and Don'ts

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Hindsight should be used to improve the narrative, doubtless there are things in the early books Jim is kicking himself about. Characters in later books can be referenced earlier

I would for example introduce Michael and Charity briefly in Storm Front, it’s clear from Grave Peril they had been knocking around for a bit, before Grave Peril and The Toad Demon/Harry’s destroyed door is a natural Hook for that with Michael turning him down because he is dealing with a  Human Sorceror and have Harry try to contact Michael in Fool Moon, only for Charity to tell him Michael is on the other side of the world (the Loupe Garou is supposed to be from an Saints Curse, so a Knight should be able to slay one or help provide insight.). Properly set up her hate for Harry in Grave Peril, and have the young Molly introduced early and her fascination with Harry begin.

You can do more with Rudy in Fool Moon knowing what he is going to do in Battle Ground. Set up his poor trigger discipline, and denial and hatred of Harry and Murphy even then, a brief scene at the end of Rudy taking notes on Murphy and Harry.

They can reference Butters earlier even if the character is not properly introduced until Dead Beat. He was in post throughout all the early stories. It would be appropriate for Murphy to try to get the Loupe Garou bodies to Butters and avoid Brioche because the former is more competent appropriate as that novel introduces the Alphas.

There are important people to the Dresden Files who are introduced late or underplayed as characters which can be rectified in adaption.

[morriswalters]

I'll either like what they do or I won't, but I don't tell a plumber how to plumb.  The books span too much time and I am speculating that the novella form will be the basis of any show, if a show there is to be. Taking place in the Dresden Universe but not in the main story line.

[JTass]

Don't introduce a heavy-hitter (like a naagloshii) in episode frigging #1, where it should rip Harry apart.

The creature in episode 1 was referred to as a skin-walker, not specifically a naagloshi. There are several different kinds of skin-walkers in Native American lore.

Per Wikipedia:
"While perhaps the most common variety seen in horror fiction by non-Navajo people, the yee naaldlooshii is one of several varieties of skin-walkers in Navajo culture; specifically, they are a type of 'ánti'įhnii."

[g33k]

Anyone other than Gerard Butler wouldn't be appropriate for Toot. But he needs to get back in shape.

Sorry, but Toot is almost pure comic-relief until late in the series; anyone who can do a decent "straight man" & deliver comic lines with deadpan / confused delivery will do fine.  My own first pick would be (young) Jim Carrey, but I dunno if cgi-de-aging is worth it, or if Carrey the Elder is even still up to the physicality of the role.

... Christina Hendricks as Charity would be possible, but there's not a highly similar young woman running around ...

Katherine Heigl or Rebecca Romijn might be good; and the "familial looks" thing doesn't have to be too close, as a fair bit can be done in the Makeup dep't; looks can be changed a LOT via "makeover."

You know what I think the biggest challenge is going to be?  Molly.  You have to cast a pigtails-and-training-bra little girl, with the intention that they will become a sexy bombshell:  that strikes me as really VERY uncomfortably close to "grooming" (in the pedophilia sense).  I just... UGH!

[Yuillegan]

I think most have made excellent points regarding changes.

Sadly, my expectations are not high given the studio it is with and their track record. I expect it will mostly be a fun murder-mystery/monster-of-the-week type of thing. Which in the early books...it sort of is. But it would take an exceptionally good team (particularly a good show runner) to do it real justice.

Dan Erikson knows how to do a great show, but he doesn't have much experience at this sort of thing. Taika Waititi has a good sense of humour, and has done plenty of fantasy stuff, but he also likes to mix in the mundanity to contrast it - but I don't think he would be available and is probably too expensive these days. Michael Hirst (of Vikings fame) also has great potential, knows how to do great personal drama mixed with enormous world-shaking events. There are probably others I can't think of right this second.

I personally am more inclined to an animated show like The Legend of Vox Machina or Castlevania. I think that would be the most effective way to get all the mythology and magic in the show as well as the story and drama (not to mention it solves the issue of actors ageing at different rates and other tricky things).

[Mira]

I personally am more inclined to an animated show like The Legend of Vox Machina or Castlevania. I think that would be the most effective way to get all the mythology and magic in the show as well as the story and drama (not to mention it solves the issue of actors ageing at different rates and other tricky things).

Provided the animation is done well, and the voices for the characters are carefully selected.  That goes for any "monsters" if they do live action.. I am talking about the same voice different monster in ten different shows.

[Snark Knight]

Sadly, my expectations are not high given the studio it is with and their track record.

Oh, is there something solid about a studio? I thought we were just speculating Amazon because Prime has been on a bit of a SFF binge.

[Yuillegan]

Last I heard, and my information could well be out-of-date, was that FX had picked it up.

Jim's been to a few meeting since this happened with the showrunner, and he seemed confident with that person at the time.

Covid may have changed a lot though of course.

Provided the animation is done well, and the voices for the characters are carefully selected.  That goes for any "monsters" if they do live action.. I am talking about the same voice different monster in ten different shows.

I think the style in Legend of Vox Machina would be what I would want, but I understand there are many types out there. I do think LVM would be the most effective art style as it's easier to do the magic and get appropriate levels of awesome without spending too much money.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

FX were part of Fox who sold all their fiction content production (except Fox News) to Disney. That’s why What We Do In The Shadows suddenly, but agreeably popped up on Disney Plus.

The Dresden Files sitting between the MCU and the Star Wars multiverse? Yes please.

The Showrunner who could probably do it best would be Eric Kripke Supernatural, Revolution and currently The Boys, but he is busy doing an excellent job with the latter. Perhaps someone like the Director  Executive Producer on Loki? Kate Herron she isn’t returning for season 2

[Mira]

I think the style in Legend of Vox Machina would be what I would want, but I understand there are many types out there. I do think LVM would be the most effective art style as it's easier to do the magic and get appropriate levels of awesome without spending too much money.

  Actually I think it is a toss up anymore with what computers can generate as far as special effects go.  Disney has done a fantastic job with shows like The Mandalorian..  Animation is good and can be good, but I think the over all impact is lost when it is animated.  I've tried to watch some of the background animation series that they've done for Star Wars, like "The Bad Batch," and yes, they are written well, but the emotions on an animated face is no match for a live actor's face.  If they have to do fewer episodes, so be it, but I think the live action is worth it.   And yes, the special effects for the magic can be just as good.

[vincentric]

I'd want the showrunners of Lucifer. And it so happens they're just about to finish the 6th and final season on Netflix.

[seanham]

My fear with animation would be that it would lose the real-world Chicago vibe that Butcher writes so well. I really like Legend of Vox Machina and other anime series, but all the anime is set in a very fantasy-style world. The Dresden Files is set in our world. I am just not sure the setting and all the emotional stakes that go along with real people dying would transfer over the animation. In contrast, the reason why the Two Rivers Folk left their village in Wheel of Time was because of the very real threat of violence done to their friends and family, and I, as a viewer, had a very emotional reaction because I could see all the blood and gore. If that was done in animation, I am not sure how I, as an audience member, would feel.

[CrusherJen]

I'd want the showrunners of Lucifer. And it so happens they're just about to finish the 6th and final season on Netflix.

Oh hell no.

That last season broke the fandom; quite a number of people are not happy at how that show ended, feeling that the conclusion was forced rather than a natural growth of the storyline, and that the season in general forgot, ignored, and/or directly contradicted characterization and themes established through the previous five seasons. If you don't believe me, check out the subreddit. There's still disagreement on whether or not the ending was good, over six months after it aired. We don't need showrunners who alienated a huge chunk of their loyal fanbase in charge of any Dresden Files adaptation (and I'd refuse to watch with them in charge, knowing they wouldn't stick the landing.)

If you mean the original Lucifer showrunner, who left after the first two seasons, then I'd agree with you. I don't think anyone would argue that those episodes were a good, solid start of a great show.

[Arctos]

What about the showrunners from Bosch?  That one felt like an excellent mystery series, and properly did one case per season instead of a crime of the week setup. (I could also probably see Titus Welliver as Morgan, but that's a different conversation).

[seanham]

That one felt like an excellent mystery series, and properly did one case per season instead of a crime of the week setup.

I don't know anything about Bosch or the showrunners, but this brings up a good point. Do you think the adaptation (if done in TV form) should be one season per case, one case per week, or something else? Personally, I think it should be more of an arc format. The first season could be made up of books 1-3, each being 2 or 3 episodes, with later seasons being more one case per season (you can't or shouldn't do Changes or DB in only 3 episodes). The issue with this format would be showing a progression of time between arcs. In the books, we know that typically each book is 9-15 months after the last book. You could get away with this time progression easier if each case is a full season, but it would be much harder in other storytelling methods, leading to confusion among first-time viewers.