The Best Page to Screen Adaptations in 2023

When our favorite fandoms are adapted to a new medium, the nail biting commences. Will it live up to its previous versions? Is that even possible? But sometimes, an adaptation hits it out of the ball park, adding new dimensions to the stories we already love.

Below, let’s look at some of the best film and television adaptations from books, manga, comics, and more that came out in 2023. Did your favorite make the list?

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One Piece

This inspiring, silly, practically perfect pirate adventure series took everyone by storm. Following the shenanigans of Captain Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat crew, the One Piece live-action adaptation is based off a manga of the same name. While it had to truncate a lot of the plot — the anime is over 1,000 episodes, if that helps you with the scope — it still tells a fantastic story of friendship, family, and fame. Now we’re all just waiting for season 2 to release.

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Good Omens

The Good Omens television series is inspired by a fantasy book by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. However, season 2 expands upon previously unreleased visions for an unwritten sequel. Part of that unexplored territory is the heartwarming yet entirely gut-wrenching romance between the angel and demon protagonists Aziraphale and Crowley. Season 2 ended with a total cliffhanger. However, there’s no need to worry, because season 3 is officially on the way.

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The Witcher

The Witcher was first a fantasy book series, then a video game. Now it’s a multi-season live-action extravaganza. It revolves around the exploits of Geralt of Rivia, Yennefer of Vengerberg, Jaskier, and Princess Ciri. Partially a story of found family and mostly one of monster hunting and magic, The Witcher has also been experimenting of late with some political intrigue plots. It’s dark, dramatic, and the perfect winter watch by the fireside.

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Bodies

Bodies is based on a fascinating and somewhat bizarre (said affectionately) 8-issue DC Comics miniseries. However, the show itself is almost completely different from the source material. Netflix’s Bodies unwraps a murder scene in four separate years, some spread out across centuries. The four detectives must solve the case while missing crucial clues that only someone in the past, present, or future has. It’s a delightful brain teaser of a series that will keep you thinking for days after you’ve watched it all.

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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is widely considered one of the best Marvel movies of all time. With so much Spider-Man comic content to draw from, of course, it could only outdo itself from there. And it did with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Pitting Miles Morales and his allies against the formidable Spider-Man 2099, Across the Spider-Verse is a vibrant and breathtaking ride across the Multiverse from start to finish.

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Heaven Official’s Blessing

Don’t give up the ghost. Cherish him instead by watching the dark fantasy animated show Heaven Official’s Blessing. First it was a web novel, then a published book series, then a donghua. TGCF — an abbreviation of the Mandarin title Tiān Guān Cì Fú — is currently in the middle of its second season. It follows Crown Prince Xie Lian, a downtrodden god with no worshippers who meets a great Ghost King called Hua Cheng. While sparks fly, the two of them also have to navigate treacherous humans and immortals.

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The Fall of the House of Usher

October’s favorite series was The Fall of the House of Usher. This family drama mixes in all the horror and haunt of Edgar Allen Poe, telling the story of one family member’s gruesome death per episode. If you’re familiar with the Poe stories, you might think they’re predictable. But Usher throws in just enough jump scares and modern elements to keep things fresh. Fair warning, though — you’ll never look at a brick wall the same way again.

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What were your favorite 2023 page to screen adaptations? Share your picks at side.show/geekgroup or in the Sideshow Social Network, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!