We know from the moment “Annihilation” begins that Lena has returned from her mission that’s a departure from the source material in and of itself, as is the manner in which Garland fills us in on key details from her pre-Shimmer life: frequent jumps between the past and present. “Area X” shows up as a title card just before Portman’s arrival in the exotic locale, the sole reference to its original name. Known as Area X in the novel, the otherworldly setting of Garland’s film is referred to as the Shimmer - a more evocative moniker, to be fair.

It changes the name of the fantastical setting. The decision hasn’t been without controversy. “Authority” reveals that the nameless protagonist of “Annihilation” has “high cheekbones that speak to the strong Asian heritage on one side of her family.” Garland began working on his film (including casting Portman) before that book was released, meaning he wasn’t initially privy to this information. It alters the main character’s ethnicity (sort of). The Editor of 'Men' Was Also Searching for AnswersĢ023 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Animated ProgramĢ023 Emmy Awards: Television Academy Has Set Calendar for 75th Primetime Emmys The film also adds a character: Cass Sheppard (Tuva Novotny), the linguist.ĭanny Boyle Praises Alex Garland's '28 Days Later' 3 Script and Is 'Tempted' to Direct It Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh), Anya Thorensen (Gina Rodriguez), and Josie Radek (Tessa Thompson), respectively. Here they’re named Lena (Natalie Portman), Dr. In the novel, the team we follow are known simply by their titles: the biologist, the psychologist, the anthropologist, and the surveyor.

Annihilation book trilogy