Netflix did a phenomenal job bringing Uglies to the screen, but many changes were still made to the book. Tally Youngblood’s story was initially conceived by author Scott Westerfeld, who published the popular YA sci-fi series back in 2005. There was talk of a movie adaptation almost immediately, but it took nearly 20 years to finally become a reality. Netflix picked up the rights, and Uglies is officially available on the streaming platform. However, viewers who love Westerfeld’s books will notice some differences.
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Uglies is the first of four books set in Tally’s world, though Westerfeld later expanded with four books in the Imposters series between 2018 and 2022. With eight books in total, this fictional universe has been meticulously explored, so there is naturally a great deal of scrutiny on Netflix’s Uglies. In all, the adaptation was generally faithful to the source. However, a variety of changes, from Dr. Cable’s role in Tally’s city to the fate of Peris, were changed to some degree.
10 Tally & Peris Aren’t Necessarily Romantic In The Book
The Uglies Movie Made Their Feelings for Each Other More Overt
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In the Uglies movie, Tally and Peris grappled with their feelings for one another leading up to the latter’s operation. It was clear that they felt romantically toward one another, though neither could express those feelings. Later, when Shay asks Tally if Peris is her boyfriend, Tally’s awkwardness when answering again implies that she is in love with the boy.
This is one of the more subtle changes from book to movie, but Tally and Peris’ relationship was a bit more plutonic in Uglies—for an important reason. As the narrator, Tally explains that people had assumed she and Peris were romantic in the past, but that had never been the case. However, she does imply that this could change once they were Pretties. While Uglies do date and kiss, Tally clarifies that this is only kids’ stuff and is never regarded as serious. Only once teens became Pretties did their real romances begin since this was when they had been brainwashed into believing they mattered.
9 Dr. Cable’s Role In Tally’s City Is Changed
Dr. Cable Isn’t The Governor In the Uglies Book
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One of the larger surprises of the Uglies movie was the role of Dr. Cable. Near the movie’s beginning, Tally and Peris attended a seminar meant to usher Uglies into their time as Pretties. Dr. Cable appeared as a hologram, and a voice announced her as “District Governor Dr. Nyah Cable.” Her beautiful face was clearly one everyone was familiar with, and it’s implied that her image appeared at every New Pretty seminar.
Dr. Cable was a far more ominous and secretive presence in the Uglies book and someone that very few citizens of Tally’s city would have ever seen. She was the leader of a secret organization called Special Circumstances and had been surgically altered to look like a frightening, fierce predator. Tally was terrified of her in Uglies, and the same was true for anyone else who had been unfortunate enough to take a trip to Special Circumstances.
8 “Special Circumstances” Is Different In The Book
The Uglies Movie Misses & Changed A Lot About Special Circumstances
While Dr. Cable’s role is different in Uglies, she is still implied to be the leader of Special Circumstances. When Tally’s operation was delayed, and she was brought before Dr. Cable, the elevator she took to the Governor’s office still announced that she was in “Special Circumstances.” What’s more, Cable told Peris that she was going to make him “special” in Netflix’s Uglies, just before he was again put under the knife to be turned into a mindless soldier with enhanced physical abilities.
Book fans know that Peris was turned into a Special, an agent of Special Circumstances. Dr. Cable herself is a Special in the Uglies book, and while she and her agents had impossible speed, reflexes, and agility, they were far from mindless. In fact, in Westerfeld’s books, Specials have enhanced cognitive abilities. However, their ability to control their tempers is diminished, and they are considered dangerous and unpredictable.
While Pretties’ appearances make people inherently want to protect and love them, Specials are designed to inspire a prey-like fear response.
7 Peris Becomes A Special In The Uglies Movie
This Definitely Doesn’t Happen In The Books
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Even greater than the shock about Dr. Cable was Nertflix’s version of Peris’ story in Uglies. In the movie, Peris basically forgot about Tally once he became Pretty, but his memory of their friendship was refreshed when Cable asked him to convince her to help Special Circumstances find Shay. The fact that Peris could think his way past the Pretty lesions showed Cable that this boy required “more.” So, she turned him into a Special.
While Dr. Cable did use Peris to convince Tally to help find Shay, this was basically the last that was seen of him in the
Uglies
book.
This certainly didn’t happen in the Uglies book. While Dr. Cable did use Peris to convince Tally to help find Shay, this was basically the last that was seen of him in this installment. In the sequel, Pretties, Tally reunites with Peris in New Pretty Town, and they try for a time to get back to their friendship. However, Tally quickly began fighting against her brain lesions, while Peris was content being a Prettyhead. Ultimately, their friendship fell apart when Tally decided to escape the city, and Peris stayed behind.
Just as Peris didn’t become a Special in the
Uglies
book, he also didn’t die.
6 Tally’s Mission In The Smoke Is A Bit Different
The Smoke’s “Weapon” Wasn’t Tally’s Main Focus
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In the Uglies movie, Dr. Cable had a specific mission for Tally. She told her that David was holding Shay against her will, just as he was all the other Uglies who had run away to the Smoke. She explained that he did this to weaken the city so that he could use a weapon against it, and it was Tally’s job to intercept the Smoke, discover what this weapon was, and set off her pendant to alert Dr. Cable.
In the Uglies book, Tally’s mission is only to find the Smoke and alert Cable when she gets there. There was no mention of a weapon, and it was never stated that David was specifically holding Uglies ransom. While Cable did imply that the runaways were in danger, the focus was placed instead on the threat of people wanting to live in the wild, burning trees, and killing animals for food.
5 The White Tiger Orchid’s Purpose Is Changed
The White Tiger Orchid Has A Bigger Role in Tally’s City In The Uglies Movie
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The opening sequence in Uglies explained that the Rusty civilization had fallen because of an overdependence on fossil fuels and that the solution had been a genetically modified flower called the white tiger orchid. Though it’s not explained how they work, Tally states that these Orchids are the city’s source of power—a cleaner and far more beautiful alternative to modern fuel. However, when she got to the Smoke, she learned that the orchids were an invasive species and that humanity was still destroying the ecosystem for the sake of power.
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This wasn’t the case in the Uglies book. Tally didn’t learn about the white tiger orchids until she ran away to the Smoke and came upon Pretties from a different city burning the flowers. They explained that, while beautiful, the white tiger orchids were invasive and, therefore, had to be wiped out. This had nothing to do with Tally’s city, and the orchids were instead meant to symbolize humanity’s effect on the planet.
4 The Uglies Movie Cut Shay & David’s Romance
The Uglies Book Featured The Obligatory Love Triangle
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Shay arrived at the Smoke long before Tally and had been in contact with David at the Rusty Ruins long before that. So, by the time Tally showed up in the Uglies movie, Shay was already pretty well established. She understood how things worked in the Smoke and told Tally that David giving her gloves was a pretty serious gesture since gifts in the Smoke required thought, resources, and sacrifice. This lesson helped Tally understand that she needed to make a decision about staying the Smoke.
When Shay saw the gloves, she became jealous and angry with Tally for essentially stealing her boyfriend.
Shay’s conversation with Tally about David’s gloves went very differently in the Uglies book. Shortly after Tally arrived, it was clear that Shay was in love with David, and they had something of a physical relationship with one another. However, David’s feelings for Tally got in the way of that. When Shay saw the gloves, she became jealous and angry with Tally for essentially stealing her boyfriend. It was a love triangle referenced several times throughout the Uglies book series.
3 The Uglies Movie Cut The Smoke’s “Boss”
The Role Was Cast But Never Featured
Very few Smokies were introduced in Netflix’s Uglies movie. While David, his parents, Shay, and Croy were all at center stage, the rest were basically background noise. However, one character, an old man called “The Boss,” held a pretty important role in Westerfeld’s Uglies book. Despite his name, the Boss wasn’t in charge of the Smoke. He was just the oldest and the wises (albeit crankiest). This was important since Tally had never seen someone age naturally before.
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While the Boss wasn’t heavily featured in Netflix’s Uglies, the character was technically cast and appeared on the screen briefly when Tally arrived at the Smoke. He is seen pushing a wheelbarrow of books, and the man playing the Boss is none other than Uglies author Scott Westerfeld himself. This makes it even more of a pity that the character didn’t get a bigger moment on screen.
2 David’s Father’s Death Is Completely Different In The Book
Az Died Differently In The Uglies Movie
David’s father died in both the Uglies book and movie, but the how was significantly different. In Netflix’s version, Dr. Cable ordered Az’s death while in the Smoke, and the execution was carried out by Special Peris. It was a horrifying moment that demonstrated how far Dr. Cable would go and just how unlike himself Peris had truly become. However, the book version of Az’s death packed a different sort of punch.
In the Uglies book, Az only died after he was taken back to the city. Dr. Cable performed the Pretty operation on him and attempted to restore the lesions in his mind—this time deeper to erase all his memories of the last decades he had spent in the wild. The experiment went too far, and Az died on the table (or in the tank, rather). This made Maddy’s insistence that they not experiment on unwilling subjects all the more meaningful.
1 The Uglies Movie Changed Tally’s Ending
Pretty Tally Didn’t Have A Scar In The Uglies Books
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The end of the Uglies movie wasn’t horribly different, but one major detail draws the differentiating line. The Uglies book ended with the moment that Tally said, “My name is Tally Youngblood. Make me Pretty,” and readers had to wait until the sequel, Pretties, to see her living as such in New Pretty Town. On the other hand, the movie provides a short look at Pretty Tally after a meaningful shot of the scar on her hand. This detail showed that Tally was still Tally, at least a little, despite the surgery.
The scar is the biggest change here. New Pretties are not allowed to keep scars or other imperfections since this just defeats the point. However, it makes some sense that Netflix’s Uglies gave Tally her scar. While the book had the benefit of Tally’s inner dialogue to demonstrate that her true self was still tucked away in her mind, movie adaptations don’t have this option. The mark on Tally’s hand was an effective alternative—even if it does sort of contradict what Uglies fans know about how Tally’s city works.
Uglies (2024) 5
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PG-13Sci-FiThriller
In a futuristic society where everyone undergoes compulsory cosmetic surgery at 16 to become “pretty,” Tally eagerly awaits her transformation. However, when her friend goes missing, she embarks on a journey that challenges her beliefs about beauty, conformity, and rebellion, ultimately questioning the foundations of their world.
Director McG Release Date September 13, 2024 Writers Scott Westerfield , Whit Anderson , Vanessa Taylor , Jacob Forman , Krista Vernoff Cast Joey King , Brianne Tju , laverne cox , Chase Stokes , Kevin Miles , Kelly Gale , Keith Powers , Will Poston , Jillian Murray , Jan Luis Castellanos , Zamani Wilder , Charmin Lee , Lindsay Rootare , Moose Ali Khan , Robert Palmer Watkins , Jordan Sherley , Alex D. Jennings , Gabriella Garcia , Dutch Johnson , Jessica Craig , Jason Parks , Quintin Mims , Jay DeVon Johnson , Sarah Vattano , Joe Sterrey , Brett Hoyle , Tess Anderson , Yao Mizuno , Jocelyn Chew , Katie McSweeney , Ash Maeda , Jessica Galinas , Ashton Essex Bright Main Genre Sci-Fi Expand