Picture Credit: Netflix
From Fool Me Once toStay Close, Harlan Coben has dominated your Netflix accounts and the charts for years now. But what does the author actually think of the adaptation process? And what can we expect from his highly anticipated upcoming series, Myron Bolitar?
In a recent wide-ranging interview with Brian Williams on Netflix’s little-known exclusive podcast We’re Back with Brian Williams, Coben pulled back the curtain on his massive Netflix deal, his philosophy on page-to-screen changes, and why his next big project is breaking one of his own cardinal rules.
Here at What’s on Netflix, we’ve been tracking the Myron Bolitar adaptation since it was first announced, and Coben’s latest comments give us some fantastic new insights into what’s coming. Here’s what we learned.
Coben humbly agreed that the partnership has been incredibly fruitful. “It’s been a lot of fun working with Netflix,” Coben said, adding with a smile, “It’s great to be at Netflix again.”
Coben’s Philosophy on Adaptations: “No Fidelity” to the Books
While many authors are notoriously protective of their source material, Coben revealed he takes the exact opposite approach when stepping onto a Netflix set. According to the author, the biggest pitfall in Hollywood is trying to have a “slavish devotion” to the original novel. “A book is a book and a TV series is a TV series. And the worst thing you can do as a novelist is think, ‘Oh, this is going to make a really good TV show,’ because the pleasures are extraordinarily different.”
Coben admitted that he doesn’t worry if the TV show is exactly the same as the book. In fact, if you’re noticing major plot deviations in his Netflix shows, you probably have Coben himself to thank!
“I voice plenty of objections and I’m very active in the show, but not because it doesn’t follow the book, but because it’s not good storytelling or it doesn’t work. If they make a change that doesn’t work, I’m the first to tell them. Most of the major changes on the shows have come from me.”
Quoting The Postman Always Rings Twice author James M. Cain, Coben noted that Hollywood hasn’t “done anything” to his books, because his books are still sitting right there on the shelf. “If you want the experience of the book, read the book. I want the [on-screen] experience to be slightly different.”
Picture Credit: Netflix
‘Myron Bolitar’ is Breaking Coben’s “No Season 2s” Rule
We’ve known for a while that Netflix is adapting Myron Bolitar, which Coben refers to as his most valuable property. He has written over a dozen books for the character over the last 30 years, and it’s clear this adaptation holds a special place in his heart.
But there’s a massive twist: Myron Bolitar is being designed as an ongoing series, officially breaking Coben’s golden rule for his Netflix projects. “It’s the first time we’re doing a series… where we hope will be a season two. I always say with my limited series that I don’t do season twos. I should never say never, I learned that. But I don’t plan on ever doing a season two of those. But this one is the intent that we will hopefully continue Myron Bolitar for the future.”
Coben confirmed that they are currently filming the series in New York City. While he isn’t writing the scripts himself, he’s teaming up with legendary TV writer David E. Kelley (The Lincoln Lawyer, Big Little Lies) to bring the sports agent-turned-detective to life.
Coben also took a moment to hype up the incredibly star-studded cast. We previously covered that Colin Woodell, KJ Apa, and Diane Guerrero were tapped as the leads, but Coben confirmed some additional heavy-hitters during the interview: “Netflix is filming the show in New York City, starring Colin Woodell, KJ Apa, Diane Guerrero. His parents are being played by B.B. Neuwirth and Griffin Dunne. Chloe Fineman is playing his girlfriend, just leaving SNL right now.”
Are you looking forward to Myron Bolitar? What is your favorite Harlan Coben adaptation on Netflix so far? Let us know in the comments down below!
