Saving Shadowhunters: How About an Actual Proper Adaptation This Time Around?
Both live-action adaptations of the Shadowhunters series were questionable — but there’s an elegant way of fixing that without going for the third run of the same story.
Despite the popularity of Cassandra Clare’s book series about Shadowhunters, both attempts at adapting the series for big and small screens failed. In 2013, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones came out (and bombed), and in 2016, Shadowhunters the TV show was released (and it was below optimal on many levels, too).
Both City of Bones and Shadowhunters took one too many liberties when it came to following the source material and lost a huge chunk of the fan base for that.
The movie went off the rails completely halfway through, and the TV show started inserting the most random non-canon plot lines that no one had ever asked for.
But the book series is still out there; it still has a charming setting and a large fan base; and it still deserves a proper adaptation that respects the source material and doesn’t butcher it.
Admittedly, trying to adapt the same story for the third time in a row is a recipe for disaster — but luckily, there’s an easy and elegant workaround.
Ditching The Mortal Instruments and going for The Infernal Devices instead is the answer.
In case you don’t understand what that is, allow us to explain. The Infernal Devices is a standalone series that serves as a prequel, and it fits every requirement to make for a successful live-action adaptation. It’s set in the same world, but instead of modern New York, The Infernal Devices take place in Victorian London. Dope, right?
Much like the first series, Devices has compelling and heart-wrenching romance in the center of it — it’s actually a love triangle, too. It features a great story with many plot twists and huge stakes, and is an overall phenomenal journey for the readers… And the best part? It doesn’t have to carry the baggage of the previous adaptations!
The Infernal Devices adaptation, whether made as a TV show or as a movie franchise, won’t have to deal with either The Mortal Instruments or Shadowhunters whatsoever, allowing its creators many liberties and guilt-free consciousness. Now, tell us that this right here isn’t the perfect way to revive Clare’s beautiful world!