It Was A Book First

'The Odyssey' Is an Epic Adaptation Worthy of Homer’s Poem

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:01:00 -0400

This week, It Was an Epic Poem First! Sophie and Rudi discuss one of the most anticipated adaptations of the year: “The Odyssey,” director Christopher Nolan’s take on Homer’s epic poem. The blockbuster adaptation of the ancient Greek work follows Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, on his long journey to return home after the Trojan War. Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Elliot Page, Zendaya, and Lupita Nyong'o are just some of the stars who help bring this 3,000-year-old epic to the screen.

Before talking about the film in detail, Rudi and Sophie share their general thoughts on Nolan’s take (00:04:03) and briefly detail the histories (00:08:15) behind the poem, Emily Wilson’s 2017 translation, Nolan’s adaptation, and prior attempts to bring “The Odyssey” to screens.

Then they have a spoiler-filled chat (00:29:28) about “The Odyssey,” tracking the long journey Odyessus takes throughout the nearly three-hour epic while detailing some of the major (and subtle) changes Nolan made to Homer’s poem: the opening scene; the Cyclops battle (00:47:00); the breathtaking Trojan horse and Troy scene (00:52:46); Circi’s island (01:01:41); and the final conclusion (1:21:15).

Along the way, they explore why Nolan’s choices served the movie and the story, the impressive filmmaking craft on display, why Damon’s Odysseus is very different from the trickster in the poem (01:17:48), and how the film is in conversation with our modern times.

Finally, Rudi makes his choice (01:30:03) for which he liked better: listening to Claire Danes narrate the Wilson translation of “The Odyssey” or watching Nolan’s film.

We’ll continue discussing “The Odyssey” in our next episode, which will feature a conversation with professors who have studied Homer’s work and teach it to college students.

It Was A Book First is the podcast about new book-to-screen adaptations. Subscribe now to get new episodes delivered weekly on Wednesdays.

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

What the Emmys Tell Us About Book-to-Streaming Adaptations (with Gary Goldstein)

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:10:00 -0400

This week, Sophie and Rudi look at the streaming adaptation landscape through the lens of this year’s Emmy nominations, BookTok's role in the rise of streaming adaptations, and the process behind adapting a book with author, screenwriter, and LA Times contributor Gary Goldstein.

Before that conversation, Sophie and Rudi chat about what adaptations made the cut for the Emmy Award nominations (02:23), (including two series they’ve covered on the podcast: “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” and “The Testaments”), Rudi shares a brief recommendation for why you should go see Olivia Wilde’s new movie “The Invite” (10:22), and they reveal why “Heated Rivalry" was absent from the Emmy nods (12:00).

Then, Gary Goldstein joins the show (16:03) to discuss his recent LA Times article, “Thanks to BookTok, authors are the new ‘rock stars.’ And Hollywood is taking notice,” why streamers are latching onto book adaptations, and his experience adapting the “Flower Shop Mysteries” book series into a TV movie series for Hallmark.

Next week, we’re discussing Christopher Nolan’s star-studded adaptation of Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey.”

It Was A Book First is the podcast about new book-to-screen adaptations. Subscribe now to get new episodes delivered weekly on Wednesdays.

TikTok: @itwasabookfirst

YouTube: @itwasabookfirstpodcast

Email: itwasabookfirst@gmail.com

Hosts and producers: Sophie Vershbow and Rudi Greenberg

Guest: Gary Goldstein

Editing: Rudi Greenberg

Social media: Sophie Vershbow

Music: Cliff Blum and John Connelly; music production: Kevin Pons

Logo: Trisha Louise Prieto

Website: Kevin Pfab

'The Sheep Detectives' Is 'Three Bags Full' of Quirky Fun

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:05:00 -0400

This week, Sophie and Rudi discuss one of 2026’s most surprising hits: “The Sheep Detectives,” Amazon MGM’s adaptation of Leonie Swann’s German murder mystery novel “Three Bags Full.” The family-friendly comedy, about a flock of sheep investigating the muder of their sheppard, stars Hugh Jackman, Nicholas Braun, Molly Gordon, and a voice cast that includes Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Patrick Stewart, Brett Goldstein, and Bryan Cranston.

Before talking about the movie, Rudi and Sophie share what else they watched and read recently: John Early’s new movie “Maddie’s Secret” (01:17) and the novels of author Emily St. John Mandel (04:17).

Then they get into the background of “Three Bags Full” and the film (07:55) before breaking down the cozy mystery’s plot in a spoiler-filled chat (13:45) that explores the big differences between the book and the movie (25:26), why murder mysteries are having a moment (31:45), and the film’s surprisingly affecting exploration of grief (45:00).

Finally, Sophie makes her choice (51:25) for which she liked better: reading "Three Bags Full" or watching “The Sheep Detectives.”

It Was A Book First is the podcast about new book-to-screen adaptations. Subscribe now to get new episodes delivered weekly on Wednesdays.

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

'Off Campus': The Art of Adapting 'The Deal'

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:05:00 -0400

On the fourth episode of It Was A Book First, the podcast about new book-to-screen adaptations, hosts Sophie Vershbow and Rudi Greenberg discuss “Off Campus,” Amazon Prime Video’s series adaptation of Elle Kennedy’s “The Deal,” the first book in her bestselling “Off Campus” series. The college-set streaming show follows the opposites attract romance between music major Hannah Wells (Ella Bright) and star hockey player Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli).

Before talking about the show, Sophie and Rudi share what else they watched recently: Apple TV’s “Widow’s Bay” (00:01:01) and two classic movies (00:03:15), “Chungking Express” and “Singin’ in the Rain.”

Then they get into the background of “The Deal” and the TV show (00:07:21) before breaking down the first season of “Off Campus” (00:17:54) in a spoiler-filled chat that explores the differences between the book and the series. They discuss how the show is refreshingly anti-toxic masculinity (00:27:24), why it feeds into millennial nostalgia (00:36:49), how it compares to “Heated Rivalry” (00:38:28), and why TV is in its hockey romance era (00:42:49).

Finally, Sophie makes her choice (01:06:42) for which she liked better: reading "The Deal" or watching “Off Campus.”

TikTok: @itwasabookfirst

YouTube: @itwasabookfirstpodcast

Email us: itwasabookfirst@gmail.com

Hosts and Producers: Sophie Vershbow and Rudi Greenberg

Music by Cliff Blum and John Connelly; music production by Kevin Pons

Logo by Trisha Louise Prieto

Website by Kevin Pfab

'The Testaments' and 'Backrooms' Explore Different Kinds of Horrors

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:05:00 -0400

On the third episode of It Was A Book First, the podcast about new book-to-screen adaptations, hosts Sophie Vershbow and Rudi Greenberg discuss "The Testaments," Hulu’s series adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s 2019 sequel to “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Created by Bruce Miller as a continuation of his “Handmaid’s Tale” series adaptation, “The Testaments” stars Chase Infiniti and Lucy Halliday as teenagers coming of age in the dystopian society Gilead.

Before talking about the show, Sophie and Rudi have an extended chat (01:10) on A24’s Gen Z horror hit “Backrooms,” which is based on director and YouTuber Kane Parsons’ series of the same name, which is based on Internet creepypasta, which is based on an image of an abandoned office space.

Then they break down the first season of “The Testaments” (18:25) in a spoiler-filled chat that explores what the show chooses to omit from the book and invent for the show, why leaning into “Bridgerton”-esque courting rituals doesn’t fit the source material, and how Infiniti and Halliday’s performances get stronger as the season goes on.

Finally, Sophie makes her choice (50:23) for which she liked better: reading "The Testaments" or watching the series.

New episodes of It Was A Book First drop on Wednesdays. Subscribe now to get them delivered weekly.

TikTok: @itwasabookfirst

YouTube: @itwasabookfirstpodcast

Email us: itwasabookfirst@gmail.com

Hosts and Producers: Sophie Vershbow and Rudi Greenberg

Music by Cliff Blum and John Connelly; mix and production by Kevin Pons

Logo by Trisha Louise Prieto

Website by Kevin Pfab

'Margo's Got Money Troubles' Gets the Book (Mostly) Right

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:05:00 -0400

On the second episode of It Was A Book First, the podcast about new book-to-screen adaptations, hosts Sophie Vershbow and Rudi Greenberg discuss "Margo's Got Money Troubles," Apple TV's series adaptation of the 2024 Rufi Thorpe novel. Created by David E. Kelley, the show stars Elle Fanning as Margo, a recent college dropout and aspiring writer who turns to OnlyFans to provide for her newborn son.

Before talking about the show, Sophie and Rudi share what they've been watching and reading lately: Lena Dunham's new memoir and a documentary on Martin Short.

Then they break down the show's eight episodes in a spoiler-filled chat that explores why this series feels like a perfect union of the A24 and Apple TV aesthetics, how the ensemble cast that includes Michelle Pfeiffer, Nick Offerman, and Greg Kinnear elevate the material, and what the show gets right (and wrong) about social media.

New episodes of It Was A Book First drop on Wednesdays. Subscribe now to get them delivered weekly.

TikTok: @itwasabookfirst

YouTube: @itwasabookfirstpodcast

Email us: itwasabookfirst@gmail.com

Hosts and Producers: Sophie Vershbow and Rudi Greenberg

Music by Cliff Blum and John Connelly; mix and production by Kevin Pons

Logo by Trisha Louise Prieto

Website by Kevin Pfab

'Project Hail Mary' Is the Biggest Adaptation of 2026 … So Far

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:02:00 -0400

Welcome to the first episode of It Was A Book First, a new podcast about book-to-screen adaptations. Today, hosts Sophie Vershbow and Rudi Greenberg discuss one of the biggest and most successful adaptations of 2026, "Project Hail Mary." In directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller's take on Andy Weir's 2021 novel of the same name, Ryan Gosling stars as a science teacher who wakes up on a spaceship alone and doesn't remember how he got there.

Before they talk about "Project Hail Mary," Sophie and Rudi introduce themselves and the podcast and explore why book adaptations are having a moment right now.

Then they have an in-depth and spoiler-filled conversation on what they liked and didn't like about "Project Hail Mary," what differed from the book, and what they thought of Gosling's performance. At the end of the episode, Sophie decides which she liked better: the book or the movie?

New episodes of It Was A Book First drop on Wednesdays. Subscribe now to get them delivered weekly.

TikTok: @itwasabookfirst

YouTube: @itwasabookfirstpodcast

Email us: itwasabookfirst@gmail.com

Hosts and Producers: Sophie Vershbow and Rudi Greenberg

Music by Cliff Blum and John Connelly; mix and production by Kevin Pons

Logo by Trisha Louise Prieto

Website by Kevin Pfab

Teaser: 'It Was A Book First'

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:30:00 -0400

Welcome to It Was A Book First, a new podcast about the book-to-screen adaptations everyone is talking about. Each week, culture reporters Sophie Vershbow and Rudi Greenberg will discuss a new book-to-screen adaptation, covering everything from how it got made to how readers are reacting to it. We’ll also talk to authors and industry insiders about how books actually go from page to screen.

Our first two episodes drop on Wednesday, June 17th! Subscribe now to get new episodes delivered weekly.

TikTok: @itwasabookfirst

YouTube: @itwasabookfirstpodcast

Email us at itwasabookfirst@gmail.com