The broadcast of “Abyss” continues this evening on France 2. Adapted from the best-selling novel by Frank Schätzing, what does the writer think of the adaptation of his work dating from 2004 on the small screen?
The ocean revolution continues this Monday, June 12, 2023 on France 2… The channel continues to broadcast the Abyss event series, from 9:10 p.m. Here, after years of pollution and climate change, a mysterious force from the depths is using sea creatures to declare war on humanity.
Frank Schärzing’s criticisms
As society collapses, a team of scientists must discover the true nature of the attacks and the enigmatic creature that initiates them before it’s too late… Scary and catastrophic, the scenario of this project with in particular Cécile de France is the adaptation of the international bestseller of the same name, written by Frank Schätzing.
Besides, what did the author think of the transposition of his work on the small screen? Interviewed by our German media colleagues Zeit, this one does not seem very convinced by this new version… despite some (timid) positive points: the aesthetics, the music, the sound environment and the special effects. It’s already that !
A lack of updating
However, Frank Schätzing regrets certain important aspects of Der Scwharm (original name of his work) TV version… For him, the biggest weakness of fiction is to lack topicality. He believes that since 2004 (the year of the publication of his novel), many things have changed.
For example, he didn’t understand why climate activist groups (such as Fridays For Future) weren’t added to the storylines. He also denounces the absence of social networks in history. In relation to this, he believes that events told in the series would have taken place differently today…
Finally, Frank Schätzing considers that the screenwriters of Abyss (which in truth has not been filmed all over the world) should have moved further away from his book, in order to modernize the story, to place it more in the ecological emergency we are experiencing. A maneuver that would have allowed the series to gain in intensity?