Transmedia Storytelling and Adaptation Studies: New Horizons for a Convergent Era

Abstract

The contemporary mediascape, characterized by digital proliferation, platform convergence, and participatory culture, has fundamentally reshaped the creation, dissemination, and reception of narratives. This evolution demands a corresponding paradigm shift in scholarly approaches to narrative adaptation and expansion. This article argues for a reconceptualization of adaptation studies through the integrative lens of transmedia storytelling, moving beyond the traditional, often hierarchical, model of source-to-target "fidelity criticism." We propose that today's complex narrative ecosystems-exemplified by franchises like The Lord of the Rings, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or The Witcher-are best understood as dynamic, networked assemblages where narrative meaning is distributed, co-created, and experienced across multiple, semi-autonomous media platforms (film, television, novels, comics, video games, social media). This review synthesizes key theories from media studies, narratology, and fandom studies to construct a new analytical framework. We delineate core principles of transmedia logic: world-building over plot replication, additive comprehension, migratory audience engagement, and industrial synergy. Critically examining the interplay between adaptation (as reinterpretation) and transmedia expansion (as extension), the article identifies a spectrum of strategies from redundant to complementary to radical adaptation. It further explores the role of the prosumer in filling narrative gaps, creating fanworks, and thus becoming an active agent in the storyworld's ontology. Through a series of illustrative case studies and conceptual models, we demonstrate how this integrated perspective illuminates new research horizons: the narrative architecture of storyworlds, the affective economy of fan labor, the political economy of media convergence, and the remediation of narrative forms. The conclusion advocates for a future where adaptation studies fully embraces its transmedia nature, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and developing nuanced tools to analyze the complex, collaborative, and ever-evolving narratives of the 21st century.