Popcorn in the Pages - Episode 7: The Umbrella Academy

Currently Reading

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.

Book on Goodreads

The Review I read aloud

Series scored on a 10 point scale.

Movie on Rotten Tomatoes

Movie on IMDB

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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