Popcorn in the Pages - Episode 7: The Umbrella Academy
Welcome, readers. We are so excited to continue this new content from the creators of Currently Reading Podcast! This spin-off podcast series will tackle book to screen adaptations in a spoiler-FILLED format. Be sure you’ve read the book and watched the film version before listening to the episode, because we don’t shy away from strong opinions OR from all the spoilers, unlike our regular episodes.
Show notes for this series will not be time-stamped, but will still include links to Bookshop dot org or Amazon for any books or resources referenced in the episode. These are affiliate links, so they kick back a small percentage to us if you buy through them, and help support the work we do on Currently Reading.
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The Umbrella Academy by Gerard Way and Gabrielle Ba
2:29 - Previews
Book Name and release date. Sales info and awards.
The Umbrella Academy - Vol 1: Apocalypse Suite by Gerard Way
Movie name and release date. Box office and awards.
The Umbrella Academy on Netflix
10:16 - The Cutting Room
Pivotal Book scenes and how they translated to the screen
Pregnancy/birth scenes
Vanya turning into the White Violin
Transition into superheroism
Vanya getting upset enough to play with the orchestra
Changes from Book to Movie
Time of birth of the kids
Five’s disappearance and reappearance
Fleshing out of characters
Diversity of the cast
Hazel and Cha-Cha are moved up from later volumes
Saving of Earth at the end
Left out of the adaptation
Carnival Fire and Dr. Terminal
Why Ben is dead
Why Diego is called the Kraken
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
Wolfsong by TJ Klune
Added to the movie
Hazel and Cha-Cha
Detective Patch
Leonard Peabody/Harold Jenkins
The Handler
The Day that Wasn’t/The Day that Was
Klaus’ journey into the past (Vietnam)
Suspicion around Hargreeves’ death
The sibling relationship
General Thoughts
Cinematography
Elliot Page being credited correctly
Dr. Terminal and Eiffel Tower being included
Bad guys can’t shoot good guys: Stormtrooper Effect
Bowling alleys are slippery
Actors can’t play violin
Problematic elements
Nothing of note
Casting and mis-casting
Visual representation of characters
Reginald Hargreeves: Colm Feore → Jeff Goldblum
Number 1/Luther: Tom Hopper → Alan Richson
Number 2/Diego: David Cataneda → Josh Cigara
Number 3/Allison: Emme Raver-Lampman → Zoe Kravitz
Number 4/Klaus: Robert Sheehan → Nicholas Holt
Number 5/Five: Aiden Gallagher → Mike from Stranger Things
Number 6/Ben: Justin H Min → Simu Liu
Number 7/Vanya: Elliot Page → Emme Rossum, but really no one
Pogo: Adam Godley
44:06 - Award Season
Worst and best parts of the adaptation.
The adaptation is so dark in the filming of it
All the things
Soundtrack
Sense of humor
Worst and best actors.
Leonard Peabody
Agnes, the Waitress
Klaus
Worst and best book characters.
Diego
Hargreeves
Vanya
53:33 - Book/Flick Energy
Book scored on a 5 star scale.
Series scored on a 10 point scale.
58:09 - A Leftover Popcorn Kernel
Would you use your superpowers on your kids?
How do you think the world will end?
1:02:29 - End Credits
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Available on Paramount +
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