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I would love to see a true-to-the-book adaptation of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

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The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson had been adapted to various mediums countless times, especially since it's a public domain property. However, to my knowledge, it's never really been done in a way that's faithful to the novella, particularly in the fact that Henry Jekyll is not actually the main character.

Originally, the story followed Gabriel John Utterson, Jekyll's friend who becomes concerned about his association with Edward Hyde, especially when he finds out that Hyde has been added to Jekyll's will. It's very much a mystery, and it's not until the end that the reader finds out the twist: Jekyll and Hyde are the same person.

Understandably, most adaptations deviate from the storyline, since everyone on the planet already knows the twist. They usually follow Jekyll from the beginning, and treat his transformations into Hyde as kind of a werewolf story. Some of these are quite good, but I would really love to see a movie where the novella is faithfully adapted.

It would be strange at first, making a mystery out of something that everyone already knows about, but I think with the right tone and atmosphere, a great Gothic Victorian movie could be made of it. What do you folks think?

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Ehh… I think that’s the problem. Everyone already knows the twist. The only thing I think it should do differently than so many adaptations (League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Mummy) is they’re not two different personalities. They are still in fact the same person. Hyde isn’t real. It’s still Jekyll. Personally I’d like to see a modern adaptation of it. Like the recent Invisible Man. But if they did make it like that I’d still watch it

u/lroy4116 avatar

Maybe if him being Hyde wasn’t the main focus of the movie. You would have to assume everyone knows he switches and play off his addiction to the serum/downward spiral

u/ExerciseClassAtTheY avatar

Feel free to make one. I think the reason it hasn't been done is mostly because it wouldn't translate well, but movies are pretty cheap to make now.

"Hey man I hear you're hanging out with some weird guy, he sounds like a bad fellow." Then doing innocuous things for most of the movie until you're surprised by a reveal everyone already knows going in.