Netflix's newest fantasy movie The School for Good and Evil is straight out of a fairytale, literally. The movie starring Kerry Washington, Charlize Theron, Sophia Anne Caruso, and Sofia Wylie tells the story of two best friends Sophie and Agatha who are dreaming of different lives. Sophie wants to be a princess, and Agatha a witch. One night they are transported to the School for Good and Evil, where students are trained to become the heroes and villains of fairytales. The women are placed in the opposite school to the one they think they belong in - Sophie ends up in the School of Evil and Agatha in the School of Good. They soon begin to realize everything is not quite what it seems when an evil force threatens the school. The School for Good and Evil is based on a series of six books of the same name by Soman Chainani. But how different is the book to the movie? And what things have been kept the same? Regardless if you have or haven’t watched the new Netflix movie, there might have been details that you missed. So, which are those? That’s what we’re going to find out in today’s video and more. But of course, before anything else, make sure first that you subscribe to our channel and you smash that notification bell for more updates on this. Now, let’s dive in!
How does The School for Good and Evil differ from the book it was based on?
Netflix's The School for Good and Evil is based on a series of novels of the same name by Soman Chainani, with most of the film being inspired by the first book. The first book was published in 2013, with the final novel in the series One True King coming out in 2020. The School for Good and Evil's director Paul Feig has said himself that the crew picked and chose elements from the original novel to include within the movie, as to include everything would cost "a trillion dollars". They looked at including the key elements the fans were passionate about and storylines that would advance the characters. Here are some of the differences between the film vis a vis the original story:
1. No one knows who won the historic battle between the school’s two founding brothers.
Though both stories eventually showcase one single School Master, the book uncovers that before the School’s founding brothers battled to death, there were two School Masters for both the Good and Evil schools. No one really knows who won the fight, but it is assumed that the Good School Master won due to the fact that Good has continued to beat Evil in conquests throughout the years. In the movie, though, everyone assumes that the Good brother won, but this is quickly debunked at the very end of the film.
2. Enrollment to the school is more distinct in the book.
In the movie, the School for Good and Evil chooses to enroll students depending on their family lineage. You know, Cinderella’s son would clearly attend the Good school, whereas Maleficent’s daughter would be placed in the Evil school. Sophie and Agatha don’t have a fairytale background, so they are labeled Readers: students from the outside world that get selected to join the school. However, in the book, the selection process for admission is a little different.
3. Sophie’s evil powers are not provoked by her evil brother Rafal in the book.
Another key discrepancy between the book of The School for Good and Evil and the movie is the recurring visits that Evil brother Rafel makes throughout the film. In the book, Rafal doesn’t warn Agatha to stay away from her friend or urge Sophie to tap into her true powers with his forbidden Blood Magic. Instead, Sophie discovers her potential on her own, wreaking havoc and conflict without the influence of the Evil School Master.
4. In the book, the schoolmaster gives Sophie and Agatha a riddle to solve in order to change their fate.
5. The conflict at the Evers ball and Trial by Tale in the movie is the split between three events in the book.
6. The final battle between Sophie, Agatha, and the schoolmaster is completely different in the book.
7. The girls leave abruptly without a goodbye in the book.
In the book, though, after the final fight that ends in the Evil School Master’s death, Sophie and Aagatha randomly disappear into thin air. I mean, both alternate endings leave us with unanswered questions, so I guess that part checks out!
Soman Chainani was involved in the production of the film and said he understood certain parts of the book would have to be changed to put the story on screen.
How about you? What details do you think you missed in the film vis a vis the story printed in the best-selling book? Let us know in the comments below!
That’s all for today, we hope you enjoyed that video and if you did, don’t forget to hit that like and subscribe button and smash that notification bell for more episodes.
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