The Linkage Between Movies and Dramas is Hard to Describe
In recent years, there has been a noticeable trend of movies and dramas crossing over and influencing each other. This phenomenon has given rise to the concept of “moving dramas to movies and movies to dramas”. One of the latest examples of this trend is the romantic fantasy film “Twinkle, Twinkle, Twinkle Star”, which was created by the original crew of the hit drama series of the same name.
“Twinkle, Twinkle, Twinkle Star” first caught the attention of audiences as a dark horse drama at the beginning of 2022. The phrase “Zhang Wansen, it’s snowing” became popular on social media platforms, further raising the drama’s profile. The drama received rave reviews and was hailed as the “dark horse” following the success of another popular drama, “The Beginning”. The story revolves around Lin Beixing, played by Zhang Jianing, who travels back in time to high school after accidentally deleting text messages on her old mobile phone. She discovers that time travel is connected to Zhang Wansen, played by Qu Chuxiao, and decides to save him, leading to a captivating story of redemption and growth.
The drama version of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Twinkle Star” became a huge hit among audiences due to its ingenious plot, bittersweet secret love story, and compelling performances by the actors. Zhang Wansen’s character, in particular, became known as the “ceiling of secret love”. The open ending of the drama left fans speculating and anticipating the movie adaptation.
The movie version of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Twinkle Star” was officially launched last year, shortly after the drama version aired. The movie started shooting a year later, with all the main creators from the drama version returning. The movie diverges from the drama version in terms of content, as it focuses on the perspective of the male protagonist, Zhang Wansen. The story follows Zhang Wansen’s plan to confess his love to Lin Beixing after the college entrance examination, but a tragic accident derails his plans. Zhang Wansen unexpectedly gets a chance to restart the summer and is determined to protect Lin Beixing and fulfill their regrets. This fresh storyline aligns with the viewers’ expectations.
“Twinkle, Twinkle, Twinkle Star” is not an isolated case of dramas turning into movies. The highly acclaimed drama series “Hurricane” is rumored to be filming a movie adaptation. The producer, Qin Ge, confirmed that as long as audiences expect it, there will definitely be a second season of “Hurricane” with a movie version in the works. Other popular dramas such as “I Don’t Want to Be Friends with You” and “Sweeping Black Storm” are also being developed into movie versions.
The year has also seen the release of drama-to-movie adaptations that have garnered attention from viewers. “Love Is Delicious” is one such example, with the movie version releasing on April 15. The movie was created by the original crew of the drama version and features the same cast. “Want to See You”, another drama-changed work, was released at the end of last year. The movie version assembled the original crew and was meticulously crafted to meet the expectations of the characters and the story.
While there is no shortage of drama-changing works, achieving a good reputation and word-of-mouth is challenging. Many drama-to-movie adaptations have struggled to match the success and popularity of their original dramas. For example, “Tomb Raiders Notes” received mixed reviews, with some criticizing the characters and special effects, while others found it entertaining. “Three Lives Three Worlds Ten Miles of Peach Blossom” faced heavy criticism for its incomprehensible plot and subpar acting. The drama-changed work “Want to See You” also received complaints about the logic of the plot and character design.
In contrast to the adaptation of popular dramas into movies, the adaptation of movies into TV dramas has seen less success and praise. The number of successful movie-to-drama adaptations is significantly lower, and the reception is often lukewarm. There have been a few exceptions where movie-to-drama adaptations have been well-received, but overall, the success rate is not as high.
The relationship between movies and dramas is complex and difficult to define. While there have been successful adaptations, there are also challenges in replicating the quality and appeal of the original works. Audiences continue to anticipate new adaptations and hope that they will stay true to the essence of the source material while bringing something fresh to the table.