One Direction, R5, Tom Holland, Mr. Darcy and whoever else your celebrity infatuations are, have fallen victim to the world of fanfiction. Now, I don’t read fanfiction as much nowadays, - I mostly stick to fiction novels - but I’m a fangirl at heart, so I will always remember my fanfiction-obsessed days.
Don’t know what fanfiction is? Where have you been? Fanfiction is a genre of reading that entangles fictional plot lines with celebrities, fictional characters, known figures, etc. The catch with fanfiction is that the fanbase gets the chance to imagine themselves in these stories revolving around relationships with their favorite celebrities, characters, etc. When I was younger, I would say in middle school and high school, I was an avid reader of fanfiction – like it was the reading I looked forward to the most.
I mean, who wouldn’t love to read a detailed story about how themselves and their favorite celebrities/characters were in love with them or that your favorite celebrity or character was, secretly, a vampire who was in love with you? If you know, you know.
These fanfictions would get out of hand, but myself, and millions of other people were obsessed and fully dedicated to reading every single chapter. You bet I was reading 112 chapters of my favorite fanfiction while making sure I was imagining myself wearing the Tiffany blue skater skirt, black crop top, bright red low-top Converses with a black and white headband and an infinity sign necklace that was pictured at the beginning of the chapter to let you know what outfit you were supposed to wear in the scene. Writing that sentence alone brings me back to fun middle school memories.
I know I’ve mentioned how the fanfictions are detailed, but I don’t think you understand, truly, how much work and passion went into these stories. People took the time to read or watch the original stories of TV shows, movies, and research their favorite celebrity’s life to create an interactive and beautiful story that would make a certified fangirl, like me, escape reality and indulge in the world that I will, most likely, never be a part of. Like I said before, I haven’t read fanfiction in a really long time, but I do reminisce about my time being an avid reader. I remember it being really fun, and I hope other fanfiction readers can remember the fun as well.
In this article, I wanted to talk about the fanfiction to movie pipeline and how it’s amazing that the fangirls, fanguys and fanbase get to see one of the stories they used to obsess over on a full screen. This opinion piece was actually inspired by the recent release of the trailer for the movie “The Idea of You.” Yes, it’s another movie coming out based on a Harry Styles fanfiction. Don’t judge. Now, I was never a Directioner, or a Harry Styles stan, but I am very much excited to see the movie and see how all the Harry Styles stans react to it.
The thing about the fanfiction-to-movie pipeline and where I can see movies like “The Idea of You” getting some harsh criticism is the accuracy of the fanfiction to the movie. As I’ve already said, I haven’t read it, but as a reader of fanfiction and non-fanfiction, I know how important it is to stick to the story that the fanbase loves and has adored for so long.
Even if you aren’t a reader of fanfiction, think back to a book you read that had a movie, and once you watched that movie, it had a few differences that made the storyline and characters feel different. You didn’t enjoy the movie that much, did you? If you did, that’s great, but for those hardcore fans that want the pages in the book to equate to the movie, I understand exactly how you feel.
It’s about the nostalgia that an old script and storyline gives you. For the “The Idea of You” movie, a lot of people read the fanfiction when they were young teenagers who were at their peak fangirl-obsessed phase, so seeing the original story they fell in love with and obsessed over is the best thing that you could give to a fan who’s obsessed with any type of media.
Nothing was better than getting home from middle school or high school and going to your bedroom to read the most recent chapter of your favorite fanfiction on Wattpad, Tumblr or AO3. Once again, if you know, you know. Since fanfiction gives a lot of people that sense of nostalgia and good memories, then it would suck to watch the movie of a fanfiction that you have always imagined seeing on the full screen be a complete letdown.
I hope the writers and creators took in some fan input about the original fanfiction. The fanfiction I read has never and probably will never be made into a movie, unfortunately. I am still holding out hope, though. If my favorite fanfiction ever did get turned into a movie, then I would want the writers and creators of the movie to take full notes from dedicated fans who have read the fanfiction and know exactly how it needs to be executed.
Fanfiction to movie plot line aside, I love fanfiction, and I hope plenty of other people love fanfiction too. If you’ve never read fanfiction, try it out and read about the drama-filled wedding of your dreams with your favorite celebrity because you deserve it, and honestly, if you find a good one, it’s actually a really great time.
So, to all the Y/N’s, from me and your favorite celebrity or character, have a great day because you simply deserve it.
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