There was really no good way to spin that novel into a movie. Whatever way or take you have on the material just won't translate or be true to the source. Snider's version had it's issues, but I don't hold that totally against him because ANY director would have issues making a movie based on the novel.

With this series, telling a story in the future with a backstory from the past centered in the universe the novel posits is a much better proposition, as you're not beholden to characters or storylines from the novel. Yes, you have to keep the throughlines there, and the motivations for the characters that showed up (Laurie, Ozzy) have to ring true, but you're free from making a sequel, so you can tell the story you want to tell as long as it fits the narrative of the world the novel created.

I wouldn't be mad if they did a totally different story arc next season like 22 Stories of Springfield