It Was A Book First

It Was A Book First
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It Was A Book First is a weekly podcast about new book-to-screen adaptations. Hosted by culture reporters and former colleagues Sophie Vershbow and Rudi Greenberg, IWABF dissects the TV and film adaptations everyone is talking about, what you'll be reading and watching next, and the business behind what actually makes it off the page.

  1. 17h ago

    'Practical Magic 2' Is a Cursed Adaptation of 'The Book of Magic'

    This week, Sophie and Rudi discuss "Practical Magic 2,” the sequel to the witchy 1998 book-to-screen adaptation “Practical Magic,” starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. The new film is an adaptation of writer Alice Hoffman’s “The Book of Magic,” the fourth and final book in her “Practical Magic” series. Bullock and Kidman reprise their roles as the cursed Owens sisters, as do Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing, who play their aunts. The new sequel was directed by Susanne Bier and finds actors Joey King, Maisie Williams and Lee Pace joining the ensemble cast. This film catches us up with the Owens family of witches as they try to break a centuries-old curse. Before talking about curses and spells, Sophie recaps her trip to Italy and the book she read that she can’t stop thinking about, which we’ll be covering on the podcast this fall (00:01:51). Then she discusses a new profile she wrote on novelist Emily St. John Mandel for Elle, which you can read here (00:04:20). Rudi shares a few recent movie recommendations: one new (Joe Swanberg’s “The Sun Never Sets”) and one old (1960’s “Shoot the Piano Player”). (00:07:58) He briefly gushes over seeing Robyn in concert (00:11:01) before they chat about the Emmy Awards and how adaptations fared (not good) (00:13:50), as well as his thoughts on Apple TV’s “Widow’s Bay” (00:18:40). Then they get into "Practical Magic” and “Practical Magic 2,” starting with their history with the original film (00:21:18), the background behind Hoffman’s books and Sophie’s personal connection to the author (00:24:38). Then Rudi shares some details on the making of the first film (00:28:31) and they discuss why it has endured as a cozy fall cult classic (00:35:00). Sophie reveals some major differences between “The Book of Magic” and “Practical Magic 2” (00:40:00) before they walk through the shaggy plot (00:46:30) and share their thoughts on the new film which they both found to be boring, baffling and bad to look at. Finally, Sophie shares her Sophie’s Choice pick for which she liked better: reading “The Book of Magic” or watching “Practical Magic 2.” (01:10:30) Next week, we’re looking ahead to the rest of the year with a special episode previewing the adaptations we’re most anticipating reading, watching and covering on the podcast this fall. It Was A Book First is the podcast about new book-to-screen adaptations. Subscribe now to get new episodes delivered weekly on Wednesdays. Follow us on Instagram: @itwasabookfirstpod TikTok: @itwasabookfirst YouTube: @itwasabookfirstpodcast Email: itwasabookfirst@gmail.com Hosts and producers: Sophie Vershbow and Rudi Greenberg Editing: Rudi Greenberg Social media: Sophie Vershbow Music: Cliff Blum and John Connelly; music production: Kevin Pons Logo: Trisha Louise Prieto Website: Kevin Pfab

  2. Sep 9

    'Coyote vs. Acme' Is Looney Tunes for People Who Read The New Yorker

    This week, Sophie and Rudi discuss a movie that almost didn’t exist: “Coyote vs. Acme,” a hybrid live action and cartoon Looney Tunes reboot that’s based on Ian Frazier’s 1990 New Yorker piece of the same name. The movie centers on Wile E. Coyote suing the ACME corporation for faulty products that hindered his work hunting the Roadrunner. Will Forte ("Saturday Night Live") and Lana Condor ("To All the Boys I've Loved Before") star as Wile’s lawyers, who face off against ACME’s head lawyer, played by John Cena ("Peacemaker"). Before getting into the film, Rudi and Sophie share two recent watches they’d recommend: the new Gen Z British rom-com “Finding Emily” and Hulu’s new crime thriller series “Furious,” starring Emmy Rossum (02:04). Then, Sophie gives some background on Frazier’s article (07:00), they both share their history with cartoons and the Looney Tunes, and they discuss their interview with "Coyote vs. Acme" screenwriter Samy Burch from a few episodes ago (10:00). Rudi explains why the film had such a long road to release (14:20) — from Warner Bros. deleting the movie for a tax write-off to Ketchup Entertainment ultimately rescuing it — before they chat about the plot and why they found it to be a charming, joke-packed, and oddly moving story (20:03). Rudi highlights the creative use of cameos from iconic Looney Tunes characters (32:00), they recount some of their favorite bits from the film and Sophie makes her choice for which she enjoyed more: reading the New Yorker article or watching the film (40:50). Before wrapping up, the podcast briefly becomes It Was An Article First as Sophie and Rudi discuss some of their favorite (and most surprising) article-to-screen adaptations (42:29). Next week, we’re discussing “Practical Magic 2,” the sequel to the 1998 cult classic film starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as the witchy Owens sisters. Based on Alice Hoffman’s “The Book of Magic,” this lega-sequel reunites Bullock and Kidman nearly 30 years after the original film. It Was A Book First is the podcast about new book-to-screen adaptations. Subscribe now to get new episodes delivered weekly on Wednesdays. Follow us on Instagram: @itwasabookfirstpod TikTok: @itwasabookfirst YouTube: @itwasabookfirstpodcast Email: itwasabookfirst@gmail.com Hosts and producers: Sophie Vershbow and Rudi Greenberg Editing: Rudi Greenberg Social media: Sophie Vershbow Music: Cliff Blum and John Connelly; music production: Kevin Pons Logo: Trisha Louise Prieto Website: Kevin Pfab

  3. Sep 2

    Even the Stars of 'The Dog Stars' Can't Save Ridley Scott's Adaptation

    This week, Sophie and Rudi discuss “The Dog Stars,” director Ridley Scott’s adaptation of Peter Heller’s 2012 novel of the same name. Set in a post-apocalyptic future ravaged by a flu pandemic that wiped out most of humanity, the film stars Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin and Guy Pearce as survivors navigating this bleak reality. Before getting into the film, Sophie and Rudi discuss two modern slasher films they each recently watched: 2022’s “Influencer,” directed by Kurtis David Harder, and Jane Schoenbrun’s new movie “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma,” which stars Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson (00:01:43). Then they talk about “The Dog Stars” (00:05:03), starting with background on the book and its author Heller (00:06:31) before discussing the film’s development (00:09:30) and taking a look back at the 88-year-old Scott’s prolific output since his 2015 adaptation of Andy Weir’s “The Martian.” From there, Sophie and Rudi get into the film’s plot (00:14:56), which centers on Elordi’s grief-stricken former mechanic Hig, and why they found the movie to be an unsuccessful and at times baffling adaptation. As they discuss the plot, Sophie details some of the major differences and inventions of screenwriter Mark L. Smith, including what’s different with the dog Jasper (00:19:38), the action set-pieces (00:26:04) and the wild third-act detour to Grand Junction (00:39:58). They also discuss why Elordi and Qualley — two of Hollywood’s biggest young stars — were miscast as Hig and Cima (00:45:56). Finally, Sophie reveals her Sophie’s Choice pick for which she liked better: reading “The Dog Stars" or watching the movie (01:02:08). Next week: it was an article first. We’re discussing “Coyote vs. Acme,” a hybrid live action and cartoon Looney Tunes revival that’s based on Ian Frazier’s 1990 New Yorker humor piece of the same name and stars Will Forte, John Cena and Lana Condor. It Was A Book First is the podcast about new book-to-screen adaptations. Subscribe now to get new episodes delivered weekly on Wednesdays. Follow us on Instagram: @itwasabookfirstpod TikTok: @itwasabookfirst YouTube: @itwasabookfirstpodcast Email: itwasabookfirst@gmail.com Hosts and producers: Sophie Vershbow and Rudi Greenberg Editing: Rudi Greenberg Social media: Sophie Vershbow Music: Cliff Blum and John Connelly; music production: Kevin Pons Logo: Trisha Louise Prieto Website: Kevin Pfab

  4. Aug 26

    'Tony' Rewrites Anthony Bourdain's 'Kitchen Confidential' (with Tim Carman)

    This week, Washington Post food reporter Tim Carman joins Sophie and Rudi to discuss “Tony,” A24’s loose adaptation of Anthony Bourdain’s breakout 2000 memoir “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly.” The film, directed and co-written by Canadian filmmaker Matt Johnson (“Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie”), stars Dominic Sessa (“The Holdovers”) as a young Bourdain — before he became the beloved writer, chef and TV host. Antonio Banderas, comedian Stavros Halikias, Emilia Jones (“Coda”) and Leo Woodall (“The White Lotus”) co-star in the coming-of-age story. “Tony” is based on about 50 pages of “Kitchen Confidential” (along with an episode of Bourdain’s CNN series “Parts Unknown”) and depicts a 1975 summer Bourdain spent working in a kitchen as a dishwasher while living in Provincetown, Mass. Before getting into the film, Sophie and Rudi discuss meeting up in New York City (00:01:25) and Rudi shares some cinematic experiences from his trip, including a screening of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s new adaptation of Honobu Yonezawa’s 2021 novel “The Samurai and the Prisoner” (00:05:21). Then Sophie and Rudi detail their history with Bourdain (00:07:41) and Provincetown before Sophie shares some context on “Kitchen Confidential” (00:14:37) and Rudi gets into the development of the film, including how Johnson’s 2023 film “Blackberry” led to “Tony” (00:17:57). They then discuss the film at length, starting with how the film serves as origin story for how Tony became Anthony Bourdain (00:22:48) before detailing the major plot points (00:30:11), the voyeuristic cinematography (00:43:48) and Jay McCarrol’s score (00:45:19). Washington Post food reporter Tim Carman, who appeared in an episode of “No Reservations” in 2009 and knew Bourdain professionally, then joins the show to discuss a recent article he wrote about the film (00:50:34). Tim shares what the film misses about Bourdain’s life and legacy (00:53:34) and what he thinks of people mythologizing Bourdain in the years since his death in 2018 (01:07:37). Finally, Tim shares a recommendation for another chef’s tale he’d like to see get adapted for the screen (01:09:55). Next week, we’re discussing Ridley Scott’s new adaptation of Peter Heller’s 2012 novel “The Dog Stars,” which stars Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, and Guy Pearce. It Was A Book First is the podcast about new book-to-screen adaptations. Subscribe now to get new episodes delivered weekly on Wednesdays. Follow us on Instagram: @itwasabookfirstpod TikTok: @itwasabookfirst YouTube: @itwasabookfirstpodcast Email: itwasabookfirst@gmail.com Hosts and producers: Sophie Vershbow and Rudi Greenberg Guest: Tim Carman Editing: Rudi Greenberg Social media: Sophie Vershbow Music: Cliff Blum and John Connelly; music production: Kevin Pons Logo: Trisha Louise Prieto Website: Kevin Pfab

  5. Aug 19

    How Hollywood Costume Designer Whitney Anne Adams Styles Book Adaptations

    This week, costume designer Whitney Anne Adams joins Sophie and Rudi to discuss how she approaches book-to-screen adaptations. Whitney, who hosts the “Tales From a Costume Designer” podcast, worked on Baz Luhrman’s 2013 adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel “The Great Gatsby” as well as “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat,” a 2024 film based on Edward Kelsey Moore’s 2013 novel. Before their chat, Sophie shares some recent beach read recommendations (00:01:18) and Rudi discusses two new movies that treat sex and romance very differently: Greg Arakki’s “I Want Your Sex” and Will Gluck’s “One Night Only” (00:07:01). Those films inspire a brief discussion about the current state of rom-coms in theaters and on streaming (00:15:13). Then Whitney joins the show to discuss how costume designers bring books to life on screen (00:22:00). Whitney details what it was like to work on a big-budget production like “The Great Gatsby” (00:25:24), including making a spreadsheet of every visual reference in the book and screenplay, designing a period piece for a modern audience, getting to attend the table read with stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire, and playing a small part in helping create an enduring Leo meme (00:41:45). Then they discuss the smaller scale production of “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat” (00:46:23), which required creating looks across different decades. Whitney also shares what it was like to work on “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,” a video game adaptation sequel with a rabid fan base. (00:58:05). Finally, she shares a recommendation for a book she’d like to see get adapted for the screen — so she can design the costumes (01:05:50). Next week we’re discussing “Tony,” director Matt Johnson’s Anthony Bourdain biopic for A24 that stars Dominic Sessa and adapts a portion of the beloved chef and TV host’s 2000 memoir “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly.” It Was A Book First is the podcast about new book-to-screen adaptations. Subscribe now to get new episodes delivered weekly on Wednesdays. Follow us on Instagram: @itwasabookfirstpod TikTok: @itwasabookfirst YouTube: @itwasabookfirstpodcast Email: itwasabookfirst@gmail.com Hosts and producers: Sophie Vershbow and Rudi Greenberg Guest: Whitney Anne Adams Editing: Rudi Greenberg Social media: Sophie Vershbow Music: Cliff Blum and John Connelly; music production: Kevin Pons Logo: Trisha Louise Prieto Website: Kevin Pfab

  6. Aug 12

    Oscar-Nominated Writer Samy Burch on Adapting Lost 19th Century Novella 'Late Fame'

    This week, screenwriter Samy Burch joins Sophie and Rudi to discuss her new film “Late Fame,” based on Austrian novelist Arthur Schnitzler’s 1895 novella of the same name. Directed by Kent Jones, the movie stars Willem Dafoe as a postal worker whose book of poetry from the 1970s gets rediscovered and hailed as a masterpiece by a group of young admirers called the Enthusiasm Society. The New York-set film, out in limited release now from Magnolia Pictures, features a strong supporting cast that includes Greta Lee and Edmund Donovan. Before talking about the film in a (mostly) spoiler-free chat, Sophie details the long, winding history that kept “Late Fame” unpublished until it was rediscovered and published in Germany in 2014 (00:53). Then Rudi walks through the plot, which updates the novella’s 1895 Vienna, Austria, setting for modern day New York (03:05). They praise Dafoe’s delicate leading performance (06:12), as well as the perfect casting of Donovan (8:20) before detailing why it’s a vibes-based New York indie with sharp writing (9:02). Then Sammy Burch, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her screenplay for the Todd Haynes film “May December” in 2024, joins the show to discuss what it was like to adapt a book for the first time and why she was drawn to “Late Fame” (16:13). She shares an anecdote about the kismet-like casting of Dafoe (20:49), why “Eyes Wide Shut” informed her adaptation process (26:58), and how her time at New York University informed the Enthusiasm Society (29:48). Then they discuss the other adaptation Burch has coming to theaters this month: the long-delayed hybrid live action and animation Looney Tunes movie “Coyote vs. Acme” (35:51). Finally, she shares a recommendation for a book she’d like to see get adapted for the screen (42:05). Next week, we’re discussing how a costume designer approaches book-to-screen adaptations with Whitney Anne Adams, who worked on Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” and hosts the “Tales From A Costume Designer” podcast. It Was A Book First is the podcast about new book-to-screen adaptations. Subscribe now to get new episodes delivered weekly on Wednesdays. Follow us on Instagram: @itwasabookfirstpod TikTok: @itwasabookfirst YouTube: @itwasabookfirstpodcast Email: itwasabookfirst@gmail.com Hosts and producers: Sophie Vershbow and Rudi Greenberg Guest: Samy Burch Editing: Rudi Greenberg Social media: Sophie Vershbow Music: Cliff Blum and John Connelly; music production: Kevin Pons Logo: Trisha Louise Prieto Website: Kevin Pfab

  7. Aug 5

    We Watched Apple TV's 'Cape Fear' So You Don’t Have To (with Vulture's Roxana Hadadi)

    This week, Vulture TV Critic Roxana Hadadi joins Rudi and Sophie to discuss Apple TV’s “Cape Fear,” a streaming adaptation of John D. MacDonald’s 1957 novel “The Executioners” that’s also based on a pair of “Cape Fear” films from 1962 and 1991. After introducing Roxana (00:01:11), Sophie shares some background on the novel (00:06:42); Rudi gives an overview of the 1962 film, which was directed by J. Lee Thompson and starred Gregory Peck as the lawyer Sam Bowden and Robert Mitchum as the vengeful ex-con Max Cady (00:11:37); and Roxana details Martin Scorsese’s 1991 adaptation that starred Robert De Niro and Nick Nolte in the lead roles (00:14:33). Then they unpack Apple TV’s “Cape Fear,” a series created by Nick Antosca that stars Javier Bardem, Amy Adams, and Patrick Wilson (00:23:17). They detail why they all agree that this was an unsuccessful adaptation; the way the series could have used the modern setting to its advantage (00:27:31); why it often misses the point of the source materials (00:32:09); and how every generation gets its own version of “Cape Fear” (00:47:58). Rudi debuts a new segment called Rudi’s Rankings, where he ranks his favorite Max Cady performances (00:57:00) and briefly discusses “The Simpsons” parody “Cape Feare” (01:02:40) before Sophie reveals her Sophie’s Choice pick for which she liked better: the book or the TV show (01:06:18). For more on Apple TV’s “Cape Fear,” read Roxana’s excellent mid-season Vulture piece on the show and her review of the entire season. Next week, we’re interviewing Oscar-nominated screenwriter Samy Burch (“May December”) about her new film “Late Fame,” starring Willem DaFoe and Greta Lee, in a (mostly) spoiler-free discussion. It Was A Book First is the podcast about new book-to-screen adaptations. Subscribe now to get new episodes delivered weekly on Wednesdays. Follow us on Instagram: @itwasabookfirstpod TikTok: @itwasabookfirst YouTube: @itwasabookfirstpodcast Email: itwasabookfirst@gmail.com Hosts and producers: Sophie Vershbow and Rudi Greenberg Guest: Roxana Hadadi Editing: Rudi Greenberg Social media: Sophie Vershbow Music: Cliff Blum and John Connelly; music production: Kevin Pons Logo: Trisha Louise Prieto Website: Kevin Pfab

  8. Jul 29

    Two Classics Professors on Why Nolan's 'The Odyssey' Works (with Kyle Gervais and Il-Kweon Sir)

    This week, Sophie and Rudi take a deep dive into Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster adaptation of Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey” with Classics professors Kyle Gervais and Il-Kweon Sir from Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. After Kyle and Il-Kweon share their backgrounds and areas of expertise (00:01:15), they dive right into Nolan’s film, sharing their general thoughts on his adaptation (00:03:35). Then, they discuss what message readers are meant to take away from Homer’s poem (00:05:54), how Matt Damon’s characterization of Odysseus in the film subverts the poem (00:10:51) and the influence of Virgil’s “Aeneid” on Nolan’s film (00:27:23). Kyle and Il-Kweon also share their favorite translations of “The Odyssey” (00:38:00), decide whether Anne Hathaway's Penelope is faithful to the text (00:47:00), and share their thoughts on how Nolan’s interpretation of the ending is in conversation with the tradition of scholarly debate over the end of the poem (00:56:49). Next week, we’re discussing Apple TV’s “Cape Fear,” a series adaptation of John D. MacDonald’s 1957 novel “The Executioners” that also draws from a pair of “Cape Fear” films from 1962 and 1991. It Was A Book First is the podcast about new book-to-screen adaptations. Subscribe now to get new episodes delivered weekly on Wednesdays. Follow us on Instagram: @itwasabookfirstpod TikTok: @itwasabookfirst YouTube: @itwasabookfirstpodcast Email: itwasabookfirst@gmail.com Hosts and producers: Sophie Vershbow and Rudi Greenberg Guests: Kyle Gervais and Il-Kweon Sir Editing: Rudi Greenberg Social media: Sophie Vershbow Music: Cliff Blum and John Connelly; music production: Kevin Pons Logo: Trisha Louise Prieto Website: Kevin Pfab

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About

It Was A Book First is a weekly podcast about new book-to-screen adaptations. Hosted by culture reporters and former colleagues Sophie Vershbow and Rudi Greenberg, IWABF dissects the TV and film adaptations everyone is talking about, what you'll be reading and watching next, and the business behind what actually makes it off the page.

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  • Creator
    It Was A Book First
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 It Was A Book First
  • Show Website
    It Was A Book First