4 Book Endings That Netflix Changed Completely - And If They Worked

Published Oct 7, 2026, 1:33 PM EDT Abby Shewmaker is a journalist covering books, art, entertainment, and culture. She studied Communications and History at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and is a Contributing Writer at FLAUNT Magazine. Book-to-screen adaptations seem to be more popular than ever, and nowhere is that more clear than on Netflix. Several of the streaming platform's biggest hits—from Bridgerton to Heartstopper to Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein—adapt fan-favorite and classic books to the small screen. Taking on these source materials is a daunting task, however. The existing fanbase that almost guarantees a success also guarantees a lot of people have the potential to be upset about changes made to the source material. Even very direct adaptations can face criticism - wherther that is The Love Hypothesis cutting out Adam's long-standing crush on Olive, or East of Eden covering the full sweep of the Steinbeck novel, but making major changes to the villain of the piece. Changing the ending is often the most contentious, though, as this can often distort the core meaning of a book. However, when done well, adaptations that are unique to their source material also possess the potential to expand the world, ask new questions, and bring more people into the worlds these beloved books created. The Perfect Couple (2024), based on The Perfect Couple (2018) by Elin Hildebrand 2024's star-studded Netflix series The Perfect Couple with Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Dakota Fanning, and Meghann Fahy, brought Elin Hildebrand's eponymous 2018 novel to the small screen. The soapy mystery drama is a relatively faithful adaptation of Hildebrand's book, with one key change in the ending: Abby's motive for Merritt's murder. In the original book and the adaptation, Abby (portrayed by Dakota Fanning in the series) is responsible for Merritt's (Meghann Fahy) death. In the book, after discovering her husband's affair with Featherleigh Dale (reimagined as Isabel Nallet in the Netflix series), Abby drugs a glass of water with a sleeping pill intended for Featherleigh. Merritt drinks the water instead, and accidentally drowns in the ocean searching for a ring Tag had given her. Greer (Nicole Kidman) puts the pieces together regarding Abby's involvement and ultimately chooses to protect her daughter-in-law, allowing Abby to evade punishment. In the Netflix adaptation, Merritt's death is no accident. Abby targets Merritt because she is carrying Tag's (Liev Schreiber) child, and thus delaying her sons' access to their trust funds. She intentionally drugs Merritt and lures her into the ocean, where she holds her down under the water, killing her. Abby’s arrest marks a sharp departure from the novel’s ending, and while the changes may have disappointed some readers, they allowed the series to deliver a final twist even fans of the book couldn’t anticipate. The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020), based on The Turn of the Screw (1898) by Henry James The Haunting of Bly Manor, 2020's wildly popular second installment of Mike Flanagan's Haunting anthology series starring Victoria Pedretti on Netflix, adapts the story of Henry James's 1898 gothic horror novella The Turn of the Screw. While The Haunting of Bly Manor follows the same premise as the original book—a young governess takes orphaned children, Miles and Flora, under her care at the remote Bly Manor in the English countryside—the series' ending, as well as many of the details throughout the series, deviate significantly from the source material. The Haunting of Bly Manor expands much of James's original story, most notably giving the governess a name, Dani, and changing her love interest from a brief, unrequited infatuation with her wealthy employer at the Bly estate in the novella to falling in love with Jamie, the estate's groundskeeper who she would later marry. These changes change Dani's motivations, and, as a result, the ending of the Netflix adaptation. By the ending of The Turn of the Screw, the unnamed governess confronts Miles about the ghost of Peter Quint, only for Miles to die in her arms. Whether the governess or supernatural forces caused Miles's death is left unclear, leaving an ambiguous ending for readers of the original novella. In The Haunting of Bly Manor, both children survive, and Dani breaks the manor's curse by inviting the ghost of the Lady of the Lake (Viola) to take host of her body. She spends several happy years with Jamie, before succumbing to Viola's influence and drowning herself at Bly Manor, becoming a new, benevolent Lady of the Lake. Once Flora grows up, Jamie tells Dani's story at her wedding, carrying on the story and spirit of her lost lover. The Haunting of Bly Manor's revisions to The Turn of the Screw transformed an enigmatic horror novella into a layered gothic romance, marking a shift in genre and storytelling style. Though not an entirely faithful adaptation of Henry James's work, gives its central tragedy new emotional weight, with Dani’s sacrifice saving the children and her love for Jamie enduring beyond her death. All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) based on All Quiet on the Western Front (1929) by Erich Maria Remarque Netflix's 2022 adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque's 1929 anti-war novel All Quiet on the Western Front was one of the most popular and critically acclaimed films of the year, garnering widespread praise and winning four Academy Awards, including Best International Feature Film and Best Cinematography. All Quiet on the Western Front has been adapted twice before, with each version taking on a different tone and structure. The Netflix film, directed by Edward Berger, changes and reframes the novel's ending, specifically the circumstances regarding Paul's death, which offers an entirely new interpretation of Remarque's anti-war message. In the original ending of All Quiet on the Western Front, Paul dies suddenly on an otherwise uneventful day in October 1918, before the end of the war. His death is abrupt and only described vaguely through a third-person announcement of his death. Army reports on the day he died say that all is quiet on the Western Front, hammering Remarque's message of dehumanization, and the little significance the army gives to an individual soldier's death. The 2022 adaptation takes a much more dramatic and literal approach to Paul's death. In the final moments of the war in November 1918, General Friedrichs orders another assault before the ceasefire, sending his soldiers into battle 15 minutes before the scheduled end of the war. Paul is bayoneted in the back moments before the fighting stops, and dies as the war comes to an end. Paul's near-survival makes for a much more poignant and dramatic ending, and conveys Remarque's message differently by emphasizing the little regard army generals had for their soldiers' lives. In changing the novel's original ending, Berger's film presents a new take on a long-beloved classic, and offers new insight on the ethics of war in the 20th century, as well as in the contemporary era. Bird Box (2018), based on Bird Box (2014) by Josh Malerman Bird Box broke streaming records soon after it landed on Netflix in December 2018, becoming the most-watched film on the streaming platform less than a month after its release. Based on the 2014 Josh Malerman novel of the same name, the Netflix film adaptation altered the ending for the big screen, softening the novel's gruesome final revelation. In the novel and the film, Mallory and her children finally reach the sanctuary, a former school for the blind, which serves as a safe after a treacherous river journey. In the film, the sanctuary offers a final reprieve from the dangers Mallory and her children had only narrowly escaped, and promises an opportunity to start anew. It's a relieving ending after a treacherous journey. Malerman's original ending is far bleaker. When Mallory reaches the sanctuary in the novel, she has one final, harrowing realization: that several of the sanctuary's residents had intentionally blinded themselves in an act of self-protection. Despite Rick's reassurance that her children will be safe there, Mallory fears her children will have to give up their sight to stay alive. This disturbing element is left out of the Netflix adaptation, which makes for a more resolute, uncomplicated ending to Bird Box than originally imagined.