On October 29, 2015, Netflix announced that it would be making a television adaptation of the book with Selena Gomez in the role of an executive producer instead of the main character.[29][30] Tom McCarthy was hired to direct the first two episodes.[31] The series is produced by Anonymous Content and Paramount Television, with Gomez, McCarthy, Joy Gorman, Michael Sugar, Steve Golin, Mandy Teefey, and Kristel Laiblin serving as executive producers. Katherine Langford replaced Gomez for the role of Hannah Baker but left after two seasons. The series currently has four seasons extending the original plot from the novel.
Differences with the television series
- In the book, Clay listens to all of Hannah's tapes in one night; in the television series, he listens to them over the course of several days.[32]
- In the book, it is revealed that Hannah dies by suicide via swallowing a handful of pills. However, in the television series, there is a scene of Hannah cutting her wrists. Two years after the show's release, the graphic scene of her suicide was cut out.[32][33]
- In the book, Hannah's parents own a shoe store. However, in the TV show, they own a drugstore.[32]
- The book features Clay and Hannah as the primary narrators of the book, while the series is told from multiple perspectives in order to present in-depth details of each character.[34]
- In the book, there is no mention of Hannah's parents bringing forth a lawsuit, while in the series the school is on the receiving end of the lawsuit.[34]
- In the book, the name of the girl on the 11th tape is Jenny Kurtz, but in the show her name is Sheri Holland.
- The sequence of persons on tape is also changed:
In the book: Justin Foley, Alex Standall, Jessica Davis, Tyler Down, Courtney Crimsen, Marcus Cooley, Zach Dempsey, Ryan Shaver, Clay Jensen, Justin Foley, Jenny Kurtz, Bryce Walker, Mr. Porter. In the TV series: Justin Foley, Jessica Davis, Alex Standall, Tyler Down, Courtney Crimsen, Marcus Cole, Zach Dempsey, Ryan Shaver, Justin Foley, Sheri Holland, Clay Jensen, Bryce Walker, Mr. Porter.
