Off Campus author Elle Kennedy weighed in on the Prime Video show adapting her book series — with some major changes.
“I would hope that book fans go into it with an open mind. The fandom for this series tends to be positive. They love these characters and they love this world,” Kennedy exclusively told Us Weekly. “I just came back from a book tour and literally every stop it was just constant excitement.”
Kennedy was hopeful about the reaction from viewers.
“I do think that they’re going to love it,” she noted. “I hope that they’re going to go into it knowing some things have to change in an adaptation. But they’re going to get the same feeling that they got when they read the book.”
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Based on the Off Campus book series by Kennedy, the show, which premiered Wednesday, May 13, follows an elite ice hockey team — and the women in their lives — as they “grapple with love, heartbreak, and self-discovery — forging deep friendships and enduring bonds while navigating the complexities that come with transitioning into adulthood,” read the official synopsis.
Season 1 is centered around the “sexy and fun ‘opposites attract’ romance between quiet songwriter, Hannah, and Briar University’s all-star hockey athlete, Garrett.” (In addition to. Ella Bright and Belmont Cameli, the show introduces characters played by Mika Abdalla, Antonio Cipriano, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Josh Heuston and Stephen Kalyn as well.)
“I wasn’t involved in the day to day process. I wasn’t in the writer’ room, and I didn’t have casting decisions,” Kennedy explained to Us. “I did get to read the scripts as they were being written and I was able to, like, offer feedback. And sometimes we get on a zoom with the showrunners because they did appreciate the author’s input.”
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She continued: “They would say, ‘What are non-negotiable scenes or things that you know have to be in there?’ They were collaborative in that sense. But in terms of final decisions, that was completely up to the creative team there.”
Despite providing feedback, Kennedy told Us she didn’t have “specific” requests about what should make it onscreen.
“I went into this knowing they’re going to have to change certain things. Every adaptation has that — especially because the book is written in first person so you’re getting their thoughts a lot. They have to find different ways to show it,” Kennedy shared. “I just honestly wanted to see the relationship dynamics be captured. … I want to see the relationships. I want to see the characters in whatever situations they’re in.”
Kennedy was thrilled by the positive response — and early renewal.
“Getting a second season is honestly the coolest thing ever. I love how much faith Amazon has on the series. So that was fantastic news,” she said. “It honestly is every author’s dream to get an adaptation. So I feel super lucky and super grateful. I’m very, very excited for readers and fans to see it,
Off Campus is streaming now.
