movie adaptation

Meaning

1. 1nouncountable

   A film made from material that first existed in another form, such as a novel, play, comic or video game.

   Grammar: Countable: one movie adaptation, several movie adaptations; the source follows 'of' or 'from'.

   Patterns

   • a movie adaptation of something
   • the movie adaptation of someone's book

   The movie adaptation of the novel cut three of the main characters.

   Fans argued online about whether the movie adaptation matched the comic.

   A new movie adaptation of the play opens next month.

Word forms

Common combinations

faithful movie adaptation

It is a faithful movie adaptation that keeps even the ending.

a loose movie adaptation

The film is only a loose movie adaptation of the old fairy tale.

a movie adaptation of a novel

She prefers reading a book before seeing its movie adaptation.

announce a movie adaptation

The studio announced a movie adaptation of the bestselling series.

a disappointing movie adaptation

Critics called it a disappointing movie adaptation of a beloved story.

Synonyms and how they differ

film version

Film version is the usual British phrase and is slightly more neutral, while movie adaptation stresses the act of changing the source.

screen adaptation

Screen adaptation is broader because it can include television as well as cinema.

remake

A remake is a new film of an earlier film, not of a book or game, so it is a different relationship.

Opposites

Word family

adapt verb

to change something so it suits a new form

adaptation noun

the changed version itself

adaptor noun

someone who adapts a work, such as a screenwriter

Commonly confused: movie adaptation or adoption?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “movie adaptation”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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