In early 2026, Wuthering Heights has viewers in a hot debate over whether it’s a good or bad adaptation of Emily Brönte’s classic novel.
While the steamy Jacob Elordi costume drama may be debated over its quality, there are other adaptations of famous books that are far worse.
Watch With Us has put together a list of the worst major movie adaptations of books ever made.
We also ranked them based on IMDb score, just to twist the knife a little more.
Our list includes the disastrous 2020 Artemis Fowl and the almost forgotten The Golden Compass.
1. ‘Artemis Fowl’ (2020)
12-year-old genius and criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl (Ferdia Shaw) finds himself in an epic, supernatural battle when his father, Artemis Fowl Sr. (Colin Farrell), suddenly goes missing while aboard his boat. Artemis receives a call from a shadowy figure claiming that his father is being held captive, and Artemis has three days to recover an “Aculos,” which his father has stolen. Facing a powerful underground civilization of fairies, Artemis teams up with his butler (Nonso Anozie), a dwarf (Josh Gad) and a fairy (Lara McDonnell) to rescue his father.
Artemis Fowl is based on the popular YA novels of the same name, and its bombing so hard at the time of release can be chalked up in part to COVID-19 delays and an unceremonious digital debut on Disney+. But the shoddy release is probably the less important issue with Artemis Fowl, the chief one being that it’s a terrible adaptation. Poor effects, poor casting, a terrible narrative and no real sense of magic leave this classic children’s book forgettable and dull.
2. ‘Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief’ (2010)
Deeply beloved by its fanbase, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief was maybe the first instance of a very passionate fan dissatisfaction with a YA adaptation — so much so that they’ve tried it again, and now pass with flying colors. The plot follows teenager Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman), who discovers that he’s actually the son of the Greek god Poseidon (Kevin McKidd). Percy travels to Camp Half-Blood, a secret sanctuary and training camp for demigod children. Only just learning to harness his divine gifts, he becomes intimately involved in a squabble on Olympus that threatens Earth.
Disliked by fans, critics, the author of the Percy Jackson series and even its own director, Chris Columbus, The Lightning Thief is a major misfire on basically every level. Unlike Columbus’ previous efforts adapting YA with the first two Harry Potter movies, The Lightning Thief is rendered boilerplate, unambitious and empty. It takes itself way more seriously than the books do, and even aside from its many source material deviations, it’s just an uninspired, special effects slog.
3. ‘The Golden Compass’ (2007)
Like Percy Jackson & the Olympians, The Golden Compass has received a new life as a much more successful TV series titled His Dark Materials. The Golden Compass is adapted from Northern Passage, the first book in the His Dark Materials trilogy, and follows Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards), a young girl who lives in an alternate universe where human souls manifest as lifelong animal companions. But children in this world are being kidnapped by a group called the Gobblers, and when Lyra’s friend is taken, she sets out to save him.
The Golden Compass deviates significantly from Northern Passage (including a controversial change to defang the story’s anti-religious themes), and yet it also succumbs to that frequent sin in adaptations where it tries to cram way too much in far too little time. The result is chaotic, uneven and poorly paced. While it does succeed in featuring some sumptuous visuals and production design, it’s ultimately too unfinished feeling to succeed as an adaptation or a good film.
4. ‘The Giver’ (2014)
In a black-and-white world of contentment and uniformity, a young man named Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) learns that he is to become the next Receiver of Memory: the only person able to see in color, who holds all memories of the past before a massive calamity forever changed it. As he trains alongside his predecessor, now referred to as the Giver (Jeff Bridges), Jonas learns about the world he didn’t know, full of life, love, laughter and wondrous emotion. But he also learns of the secrets that the powerful Elders in his community have kept hidden. Armed with the knowledge of his history, Jonas makes plans to escape this colorless world.
Most teenagers read The Giver in high school, and it’s become a staple novel for many people’s adolescence. It’s such a shame, then, that The Giver movie turns a powerful story of human connection, freedom and individuality into a conventional, action-oriented YA adventure story. The book is far more nuanced and cerebral, and the film instead becomes a standard, unmemorable dystopian sci-fi fare. Aesthetic verve and solid performances unfortunately can’t save this weak adaptation.
5. ‘World War Z’ (2013)
Former U.N. investigator Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt), his wife Karin (Mireille Enos) and their two daughters are stuck in standstill traffic when they realize that the cause of the gridlock isn’t rubbernecking: it’s a zombie outbreak. The city suddenly erupts into pandemonium, as a virus turns innocent people into feral beasts. Gerry and his family are rescued by the UN deputy secretary-general (Fana Mokoena) and take refuge on a Navy vessel, but face eviction unless Gerry helps them find the source of the infection. With the onset of a new pandemic threatening to upend society and destroy humanity, Gerry reluctantly agrees to assist the efforts.
World War Z was a massive commercial success and did generally well among critics, but it’s still seen as a lesser adaptation due to its treatment of the original graphic novel. Having endured a troubled production, the film ends up feeling less unique than its source material, stripping away more complex geopolitical and social satire in favor of being a standard Hollywood zombie action film. While the movie may succeed as an entertaining action-horror, it just feels like more of the same slop. Even the author, Max Brooks, has said the only thing his novel shares with the movie is the title.
