What Netflix's 'Sweet Tooth' Changed From The Comics
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Netflix is a beast when it comes to dropping major projects, and they continue to thrill audiences with their offerings. Whether it's an original project, turning something old into a hit, or adapting material, the streaming giant can't seem to miss.
In 2021, Netflix adapted Sweet Tooth, a brilliant comic by Jeff Lemire. They made some changes from the pages, and the work has been brilliant, which has eased the minds of Sandman fans who are getting their long-awaited adaptation later this year.
Let's take a look at some of the biggest changes that Netflix made to Sweet Tooth.
'Sweet Tooth' Is A Success On Netflix
June 2021 marked the beginning of Sweet Tooth on Netflix, and the series garnered fantastic reviews upon its release.
Focusing on "a boy who is half human and half deer survives in a post-apocalyptic world with other hybrids," per IMDb, Sweet Tooth was a terrific addition to Netflix's line-up, and it had a lot of hype behind it prior to its release.
The series has Robert Downey Jr. and his wife, Susan, on board as executive producers, and they saw early on that the source material would be fantastic.
"We heard there was this great graphic novel series. And it just had this incredible emotional breadth of the storytelling," Downey said.
Reading the source material was not a requirement for the show, but those that did were pleasantly surprised at how good of a job the show did with the material. It was penned by an exceptional storyteller, after all.
It Was Based On A Jeff Lemire Comic
The Sweet Tooth comics were penned by the brilliant Jeff Lemire, and it seemed like a natural pick to be developed into a project one day.
Lemire had trepidation about who was adapting his beloved comic, but thankfully, he linked up with the right people.
"I think anytime you put yourself out there, the way that I try to do with my work, there's always an initial trepidation about who's going to adapt. And what their take on it will be. But to be honest, I had conversations with Jim Mickel, the showrunner, from a very early stage. When he was just thinking about adapting, we had some long conversations. You can get a pretty good read on people pretty quickly, and I kind of knew that Jim was a kindred spirit. A lot of the themes he's interested in, the stories he likes to tell and just him as a human being, he seemed like the right person. Any concerns I had pretty quickly eased," Lemire told SyFy.
All in all, the first season of the show was a success, and it has already been approved for a second season.
As we stated, fans of the source material enjoyed the show, but there were some major changes that were made along the way.
The Major Differences Between The Show And Comic?
So, what are some of the biggest changes that Netflix made to Jeff Lemire's original Sweet Tooth story?
Well, the tone of the comics and even its characters are much darker, as the show offers something lighter and a bit more palatable for casual audiences.
There are also scenes that were invented just for the show, as well as moments that differ from how they were depicted in the pages.
"Scenes at Aimee’s Preserve and at Dr. Singh’s Stepford-ian community are invented entirely for the show. The Preserve is mentioned in the comic, but it’s never confirmed to exist (and likely does not, given the comic’s relentlessly dark tone). The first time Gus and readers meet Wendy and Dr. Singh is at the Last Men facility where Gus finds himself in the final episode of the season. Also new to the TV series are Gus and Big Man’s side quest through an outdoor sporting goods store, and the entire Animal Army’s arc," Den of Geek notes.
Lemire would touch on why the changes were made.
"And I feel to do it just like I did it in the comic might feel like we're seeing the same thing we've seen in a dozen other shows. The visual language of the apocalypse would feel kind of familiar and kind of boring, you know? So I think Jim was smart in leaning into the the idea of nature returning in that aspect of this world, and kind of creating a post-apocalyptic future that was a little different than what you normally see. I think that's good," he said.
Season two of Sweet Tooth will be out in due time, so catch up on season one while you can.
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