When I Am Number Four came out in 2011, it didn’t take hold of the cultural mindset like other YA dystopian movies, but the upcoming reboot has the opportunity to be better than the critically panned original. Based on the young adult sci-fi book series Lorien Legacies by Jobie Hughes and James Frey under the pseudonym Pittacus Lore, the first book in the franchise, I Am Number Four, was a great success. The series went on to accrue a total of seven books, giving the revival the ability to transform a disappointing adaptation into the next great dystopian cinematic universe.
Many fans of the books and the movie hoped there would be an I Am Number Four sequel in the years since the first film’s release, but one never materialized. The film didn’t perform terribly at the box office, but when compared to the dystopian boom and the success of movies like The Hunger Games, the studio didn’t feel a sequel was worth putting the time and effort into. There has been a decline in the popularity of this genre of film in recent years, so deciding to make a reboot today is an interesting choice.
However, with better technology and a more faithful script, there are plenty of ways the new movie can improve. The things that went wrong with I Am Number Four aren’t a lack of depth or intrigue in the source material but issues of timing and the red tape of Hollywood. Learning from the failures of the first film will provide insight into what works and what doesn’t when adapting YA sci-fi and fantasy series. Many young up-and-coming actors could easily step into the roles, making the parts their own and cultivating a large following to spark a new franchise.
In the 2010s, YA dystopian films were everywhere, and while not all of them have had the longevity of The Hunger Games franchise, they’re a significant part of that period. While this does automatically generate nostalgia and interest in a reboot of a forgotten series, it also means that audiences won’t be forgiving when they see the tricks and tropes of the genre. I Am Number Four was published in 2010, so there aren’t just aspects of the storytelling that need updating but also necessary changes to make the plot and characters more representative of the modern world.
Most of the movie takes place in Ohio and revolves around the everyday aspects of teen life in rural America. The main character, John/Number Four (Alex Pettyfer), experiences bullying and ostracization at the hands of the popular kids in school, but the film doesn’t delve into the larger themes of isolation common in adolescence. Additionally, most of the story’s beats play out predictably, and John’s love interest, Sarah (Diana Agron), is constantly put in the position of damsel in distress. However, these issues can be fixed while staying true to the heart of the original text.
When adapting a book series, movies can become overeager in their attempts to make sure their project turns into a franchise. While it’s natural for a film based on a novel with sequels to think about the potential for additional films and where the story goes after the events of the book, it can’t completely control the narrative. In some ways, I Am Number Four was less concerned with making a strong standalone film than ensuring that multiple sequels could be made. Ultimately, this backfired on the filmmakers because the negative critical reception prevented the possibility of sequels.
The filmmakers behind the reboot are likely already thinking about the possibility of sequels. There’s plenty of source material to draw from, and with the success of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes as a prequel to The Hunger Games, there is an appetite for a return to the YA genre. To capitalize on this renewed interest in YA stories, I Am Number Four must not worry about the sequel while making the first movie. Once it establishes itself as a unique offering, the reboot must pounce on the opportunity and not let timing ruin the story’s potential again.
Like any sci-fi or fantasy story, there’s a lot of world-building and exposition to get through for the audience to understand the rules and history of the world. In I Am Number Four, John/Number Four is one of eight aliens sent to Earth after his home planet is destroyed, and he lives as a human. However, the catalyst of the film’s plot is that the Mogadorians, the aliens who destroyed his planet, come to Earth when they find out John and the other aliens survived. Though John is being hunted, he has strength and magical powers that protect him.
This is a lot of information to communicate to the audience in a short time. Additionally, many small details and caveats complicate the story as it progresses. It takes too long for the Mogadorians to be introduced and for them to finally come face to face with John. The first act of the movie drags as too much time is spent on John’s human life. Once the action starts, the story speeds up and rushes through the climactic battles. Even splitting the first book up into two movies would have been a more effective way to tell the story.
Most of the best scenes in I Am Number Four don’t involve the teen angst and budding romance between Sarah and John. While Diana Agron is charming and one of the better actors in the movie, she doesn’t have much to do, and their relationship is forced. It doesn’t make sense that John instantly falls in love with her and puts his life on the line to be with a girl he barely knows. Any good YA fantasy story includes a romance, and the best one frequently provides a tension-filled love triangle chock-full of long looks and stolen glances.
However, these romantic entanglements are a small part of the narrative that supports the protagonist’s development. Some of the most annoying love triangles in movies rub the audience the wrong way because they create drama for the sake of drama and don’t communicate anything important about the characters. It would be difficult to omit their relationship, but both their characters need to have more in common and more fully realized separate lives for there to be a reason that they’re together. Centering romantic relationships within a narrative about the fate of the universe can be a disservice to the audience.
Returning to a sci-fi or fantasy series many years later almost guarantees that the CGI and practical effects will look completely different. Every year, visual effects artists and animators make leaps and bounds in their abilities to bring the imagination of filmmakers and writers to life. Of all the Lorien Legacies books, I Am Number Four isn’t the most visually complicated as so much of it takes place at typical Earth locations and events, like high school. However, creating intricate and engaging visual styles for the Mogadorians and portraying John’s abilities well will be hugely important for the film.
However, the I Am Number Four reboot must be careful not to over-rely on CGI and green screen technology to create over-the-top battle sequences. Part of the appeal of I Am Number Four is that it tells a fantastical story within the confines of the human world. It gives the audience the feeling that these otherworldly events could happen anywhere at any time, making the narrative more accessible than stories that take place in alien worlds. This means that practical and visual effects must be combined to create a seamless world that is believable within the confines of the story.
Outside the issues of story structure, I Am Number Four is overwhelmingly white, and the actors don’t give compelling performances. Though there are good actors in the original cast, like Agron and Timothy Olyphant, many of the performances feel disjointed. It’s as if the actors are in different movies. Unfortunately, Pettyfer is woefully miscast as John/Number Four. He doesn’t bring the necessary depth to the role. The entire story hinges on the actor who plays Number Four, so when casting the reboot, the producers must balance picking someone who has box-office appeal and will provide a nuanced portrayal.
The reboot must not be afraid to dig into the source material and change significant parts of the books, especially when it comes to characters. Though this can be a daunting process, as fans of the novel series might struggle with changes to the beloved story, what works in a book doesn’t always work in a movie. In addition to playing down the romance between Number Four and Sarah, the platonic relationships must be played up. Number Four’s human connections must be important, but he must also be concerned with his relationships with the other aliens.