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In recent years, there has been a concentrated ramp-up on adapting books into films and TV shows, with headline news for rights sold and casting selections having become a regular part of the news cycle. It feels as if in volume, and attention, genre fiction is the big winner, but nonfiction should absolutely not be overlooked. While I think it can offer a bigger challenge, starting with the ethics of centering real people, there are so many fantastic nonfiction works that should also benefit from finding new audiences on screen.
While having the same first choice of whether to adapt into a film or a series, nonfiction works also open the door for how to present the material: Interviews? Reporting? A narrative series? A mix? Below are seven nonfiction works that show the range of adapting styles which can be streamed across different services. There’s something for foodies, fans of drama, readers of true crime, history buffs, and more! And for fans of the-making-of, I’ve added links to the creators talking about the adaptation process.
God Save Texas: A Journey into the Soul of the Lone Star State by Lawrence Wright
About the book: This is a blended nonfiction title that combines reporting, history, and memoir to tell the story of a state frequently in the news that is much more than just the headlines.
About the adaptation: The book inspired a three-part docuseries which also blends reporting, history, and memoir. Each part showcases a different director’s voice looking at the complexities of Texas. In “Hometown Prison,” Richard Linklater looks at the state of Texa’s capital punishment and prison industrial complex. In “The Price of Oil,” Alex Stapleton focuses on the Gulf Coast’s oil/gas industry and its effect on Black communities. In “La Frontera,” Iliana Sosa focuses on the border between Mexico and the US. Both the book and docuseries are about one state and its complexities, but its policies can be felt throughout the country.
Behind the making of the adaptation: Holding On to a Good Story: Making God Save Texas
Watch the trailer on YouTube.
