While Avengers: Age of Ultron is the disappointing second film that the Avengers franchise bounced back after, it gave us one of the most iconic lines of all time. Thanos is one of the most quotable characters from the MCU, and his line “Fine, I’ll do it myself.” has gone from a movie quote to a meme to one of the most referenced pieces of dialogue ever. It’s applicable to an extensive number of instances, and one of the more obvious ones is the instances when authors themselves wrote screenplays for the movie and TV adaptations of their works.
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While there are a few notable instances of loose adaptations of source materials giving us good movies, this is the exception. Fairly often, great book characters are failed by movies that adapt their sources. Author involvement in adaptations is often an impossibility, like in the case of Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot interpretations being made today. However, even in the case of movies and TV shows based on books whose authors are alive today, they’re quite commonly not involved in the production or the writing process. Hence, the Thanos reference because author involvement suggests more faithful adaptations of works.
You are watching: “Fine, I’ll Do It Myself”: 10 Authors Who Wrote Their Own Movie & TV Adaptations
10
Maximum Overdrive (1986)
Stephen King Wrote & Directed The Movie
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Maximum Overdrive
R
Horror
Comedy
Action
7/10
Release Date
July 25, 1986
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Runtime
98 minutes
Director
Stephen King
Writers
Stephen King
Cast
See All
-
Emilio Estevez
-
Laura Harrington
Written and directed by Stephen King, Maximum Overdrive is a 1986 horror movie about a group of people who are trapped at a truck stop when all the machines in the world, including trucks, cars, and lawn mowers, become sentient and homicidal.
Studio(s)
20th Century
Distributor(s)
De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, 20th Century
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Stephen King’s Maximum Overdrive is proof that authors being involved in the production of adaptations isn’t always a good idea. If not for the unfinished 2020 remake of Children of the Corn, it would be the worst Stephen King movie adaptation ever. It is noteworthy that King didn’t simply write the screenplay based on his 1977 short story Trucks, but also tried his hand at directing, which might be responsible for the movie’s low ratings.
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Supposed to be a horror movie about the uprising of technology against humans, it is an entirely internally inconsistent mess that’s entertaining in a “so bad, it’s good” way. The lack of logic, the hilariously gimmicky set pieces, the overboard performances, and the extreme gore – there’s no dearth of laughably excessive elements in Maximum Overdrive. If nothing else, it manages to live up to its name in that sense.
9
The Exorcist (1973)
William Blatty Wrote The Screenplay
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The Exorcist
R
Horror
Supernatural
9/10
10/10
Release Date
December 26, 1973
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Runtime
122 minutes
Director
William Friedkin
Writers
William Peter Blatty
Prequel(s)
Exorcist: The Beginning, Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist
Cast
See All
-
Max Von Sydow
-
Linda Blair
The Exorcist is a supernatural horror film based on the novel released in 1971 and was directed by William Friedkin. When a young girl is passed by a powerful demon, two Catholic priests are brought to her home to attempt an exorcism to expunge the demon.
Studio(s)
Hoya Productions
Distributor(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures
Main Genre
Horror
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William Peter Blatty wrote his novel The Exorcist in 1971, based on the series of exorcisms performed by Catholic priests on a supposedly possessed boy during the late ’40s. The events were recorded by a priest in attendance, and the details were fictionalized by Blatty, who introduced more supernatural elements into the story. Then, after multiple conflicts over production control, Blatty was finally able to find a lucrative deal with Hoya Productions where he got to produce and William Friedkin directed.
The Exorcist inspired a whole franchise, which is still going strong six movies later, and the next installment, to be directed by Mike Flanagan, is set to come out in early 2026.
Blatty’s involvement clearly pays off, as his screenplay follows the original novel very closely, just with a narrower focus, and his vision creates a tense horror film. The Exorcist is one of the classic horror movies that’ll always be scary, and this is because of the precise direction and writing involved. Expert blocking and use of shadows, committed performances that prevent the special effects from feeling gimmicky, and deliberate pacing – The Exorcist is an exhibition of masterful filmmaking that makes it one of the greatest horror movies ever.
8
Percy Jackson and the Olympians (2023-Present)
Rick Riordan Co-Created The Show & Wrote Some Episodes
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Percy Jackson & the Olympians
TV-PG
Action
Adventure
Fantasy
7/10
44
9/10
Release Date
December 20, 2023
Showrunner
Jonathan E. Steinberg, Dan Shotz
Directors
James Bobin, Anders Engström
Writers
Rick Riordan, Jonathan E. Steinberg
Franchise(s)
Percy Jackson & The Olympians
Cast
See All
-
Walker Scobell
-
Leah Sava Jeffries
Based on the novel series by Rick Riordan Percy Jackson & the Olympians is an action-adventure fantasy television series created for Disney+. When Percy Jackson is framed for the theft of Zeus’ almighty thunderbolt, Percy must clear his name, all while harnessing the powers inherited by his father, Poseidon, at a camp created for demi-gods.
Seasons
1
Story By
Rick Riordan
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Based on Rick Riordan’s books that follow the titular fictional demigod, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is an instance that truly embodies the aforementioned Thanos quote. After two unsuccessful movies, the Percy Jackson film franchise was canceled in 2013, and the project was shelved. The movies were made without involving author Rick Riordan, and the lack of coherence and adherence to original storylines made that very clear.
His involvement had a ton of positive impact, as the series was loved by both critics and fans of the books.
Then, in 2020, after Riordan himself made a pitch to Disney for a TV show based on his novels, production began on the series that aired on Disney+ in 2023. Riordan was involved as the co-creator of the show, and as the screenwriter of three episodes. His involvement had a ton of positive impact, as the series was loved by both critics and fans of the books. Walker Scobell, who plays Percy Jackson, has found worldwide adoration for his performance in the show.
7
The Godfather (1972)
Mario Puzo Co-Wrote All Three Movies
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The Godfather
R
Drama
Crime
9/10
140
9.2/10
Release Date
March 24, 1972
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Runtime
175 minutes
Director
Francis Ford Coppola
Writers
Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola
Sequel(s)
The Godfather Part II, The Godfather Part III
Cast
See All
-
Marlon Brando
Don Vito Corleone
-
Al Pacino
Michael Corleone
The Godfather chronicles the Italian-American Corleone crime family from 1945 to 1955. Following an assassination attempt on family patriarch Vito Corleone, his youngest son Michael emerges to orchestrate a brutal campaign of retribution, cementing his role in the family’s illicit empire.
Studio(s)
Paramount Pictures
Distributor(s)
Paramount Plus
Main Genre
Drama
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Mario Puzo co-wrote the screenplay for the movie adaptation of his 1969 novel, The Godfather, with director Francis Ford Coppola. Thanks to the collaboration of two such talented individuals, the movie has, since its release in 1972, become one of the most influential films of all time. It practically defined the mafia movie genre for Hollywood, and the direction has informed the creative choices of more filmmakers than we could possibly account for. Puzo then went on to collaborate with Coppola for the other two films in the trilogy as well.
While The Godfather II is also based on the ’69 novel, the third part is actually not a book adaptation. While it’s not quite at the same level as the first two films, it’s still a great movie. So, not having a source material didn’t affect the film as negatively as it’s made out to have done. We don’t know what the movie would be like if the other directors who almost made The Godfather before Coppola got the chance to direct it, but Puzo’s involvement obviously helped it become one of the greatest movie adaptations of a novel ever.
6
One Day (2011)
David Nicholls Wrote The Movie & Co-Executive Produced The Show
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One Day
PG-13
Drama
Romance
Release Date
March 2, 2011
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Runtime
107 Minutes
Director
Lone Scherfig
Writers
David Nicholls
Cast
See All
-
Anne Hathaway
-
Jim Sturgess
-
Tom Mison
-
Jodie Whittaker
One Day, directed by Lone Scherfig, follows the complex on-again, off-again relationship between Emma Morley (Anne Hathaway) and Dexter Mayhew (Jim Sturgess) over the course of nearly two decades, checking in on the couple on the same day every year, July 15th, St. Swithin’s Day.
Studio(s)
Color Force, Film4 Productions, Focus Features
Main Genre
Drama
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One Day presents an interesting case of author participation. While the movie wasn’t bad by any means, the show is a significant improvement. However, regarding the involvement of author David Nicholls, who wrote the novel of the same name which came out in 2009, it’s an intriguing phenomenon. Nicholls wasn’t just involved in the production of the 2011 film, he wrote the screenplay for the movie. For the 2024 Netflix original One Day TV show, though, Nicholls wasn’t even in the writers’ room, let alone heading it.
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He did contribute to the creative process as a co-executive producer, but he had much less creative control than he did with the 2011 movie. Yet, the difference in quality doesn’t make One Day an exception to the rule of author participation being good for adaptations, because the improvements in the show are largely due to the longer format. There’s no reason to assume that the already good movie wouldn’t have been a great show if Nicholls had written a TV show instead of a movie himself.
5
Jurassic Park (1993)
Michael Crichton Co-Wrote The Screenplay
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Jurassic Park
PG-13
Adventure
Sci-Fi
10/10
25
9.3/10
Release Date
June 11, 1993
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Runtime
127 minutes
Director
Steven Spielberg
Writers
Michael Crichton, David Koepp
Producers
Gerald R. Molen
Cast
See All
-
Sam Neill
Grant
-
Laura Dern
Ellie
Jurassic Park is a science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, based on Michael Crichton’s novel. Released in 1993, it follows a wealthy entrepreneur who creates a theme park with living dinosaurs. When security systems fail, experts and visitors experience the perilous reality of the park.
Main Genre
Adventure
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It’s hard to explain what about Jurassic Park is more iconic – the quotable lines, the dinosaurs, the cinematography, the cast, or John Williams’ score. One of the most iconic sci-fi movies of all time, it has left an indelible mark on filmmaking and pop culture today, having been the highest-grossing movie at the time of its release. Today, it has inspired multiple shows and movies, making it a lucrative franchise that’s still growing. Interestingly, when Michael Crichton first started writing his novel Jurassic Park, it was a screenplay.
David Koepp isn’t done with the Jurassic franchise, and he’s the screenwriter for Jurassic World: Rebirth, which comes out later this year.
It was due to his concerns that making such a movie would be too expensive because of the extensive visual effects involved, that he decided to make it a novel. As we all know today, Steven Spielberg and the executives at Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment made his dream of it being a movie come true. However, it wouldn’t have been this big of a success without Crichton himself co-adapting his novel into a screenplay with David Koepp, who’d go on to become one of the most successful screenwriters of all time.
4
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (2012)
Stephen Chbosky Wrote & Directed The Movie
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower
PG-13
Romance
Drama
8/10
10/10
Release Date
September 20, 2012
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Runtime
105minutes
Director
Stephen Chbosky
Writers
Stephen Chbosky
Cast
See All
-
Emma Watson
-
Logan Lerman
Based on the novel by Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower tells the story of Charlie Kelmeckis, a high school freshman with a troubled past and history of mental health issues whose friendship with two seniors comes to define his first year of high school in surprising and dramatic ways. Logan Lerman stars as Charlies, alongside Emma Watson and Ezra Miller.
Studio(s)
Summit Entertainment
Distributor(s)
Summit Entertainment
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While it unfortunately didn’t work out well for Stephen King, being in the director’s chair worked wonders for Stephen Chbosky. There’s perhaps no other way to make The Perks of Being a Wallflower. The story is personal to Chbosky, who drew inspiration from his childhood and his experiences in Pittsburgh to create the main character, Charlie. The iconic line “we accept the love we think we deserve” is something he came up with while processing a bad breakup, which is when he decided to write the book.
Soon after he finished the book, and it became a hit with fans after hitting the shelves in 1999, Chbosky started writing a screenplay for it. He’d get offers from various producers, directors, and screenwriters, but the personal nature of the story meant he didn’t want to entrust it to anyone else. He finally sold the film rights to Mr. Mudd Productions because they let him write and direct. Without his participation, the film would most likely not have become as endearing and iconic as it is, perfectly capturing the balance of sorrow and optimism in a teenage mind.
3
Normal People (2020)
Sally Rooney Co-Wrote The Show
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Normal People
TV-4
Drama
Romance
10/10
Release Date
2020 – 2019
Network
BBC
Showrunner
Alice Birch
Directors
Lenny Abrahamson
Writers
Alice Birch
Cast
See All
-
Paul Mescal
-
Daisy Edgar-Jones
Normal People is a romantic drama miniseries based on Sally Rooney’s novel. The show centers on two people as they grow up and head to college in Dublin, exploring their relationship in detail. The series follows the two from their academic careers to their troubling family lives and the difficulty they have communicating their feelings for one another.
Seasons
1
Story By
Alice Birch
Main Genre
Drama
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It’s been nearly five years since Normal People came out, but no viewer is over it yet. The infectious, brooding energy of the romantic drama gets under your skin in the best and saddest way possible, making every character’s emotions yours. Would it have been so personable and impactful if author Sally Rooney, who wrote the 2018 novel of the same name, wasn’t involved in the writing process of the show? I guess we’ll never know.
Because Rooney was there in the writer’s room, working with Alice Birch and Mark O’Rowe, her vision came to life with such stunning effect. Her involvement solidifies the characterization necessary to coherently maintain the tumultuous tone of the central relationship that the show follows. The devastating mood is perhaps this palpable because Rooney was involved with creating the screenplays for most of the episodes. The interesting thing to note is that there are significant deviations in the show from the book, but it all culminates in that iconic and devastatingly sweet ending that Normal People will be most known for.
2
Heartstopper (202-Present)
Alice Oseman Created & Writes The Show
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Heartstopper
Romance
Drama
8/10
22
9.5/10
Release Date
April 22, 2022
Showrunner
Alice Oseman
Directors
euros lyn, Andy Newbery
Writers
Alice Oseman
Cast
See All
-
Olivia Colman
-
Kit Connor
Heartstopper is an LGBTQ+ coming-of-age teen romantic comedy based on the webcomic/graphic novel created by Alice Oseman. The show is viewed through the eyes of a young gay British teen named Charlie Spring, whose crush on a classmate grows into something more meaningful as they slowly get closer throughout the series. The show navigates the challenges of LGBTQ+ youth during tumultuous adolescent years.
Seasons
3
Story By
Alice Oseman
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One of the most perfect feel-good romance TV shows for binging on any day, Heartstopper has rightfully become one of Netflix’s biggest hits in recent years. Following a diverse group of majorly queer kids during their high school lives, it’s a sweet show with a distinct tone that series creator Alice Oseman has maintained for three seasons. While the show has become relatively somber in its latest season, to address more difficult subject matter, it still continues to be a warm slice of queer joy.
The show greately benefits from having her as the creator and writer.
Oseman herself wrote the highly successful graphic novels that were adapted for the show. Both the graphic novel series and the Netflix series aren’t over yet, and we hope they never are. The unique blend of lightheartedness, romantic drama, gritty reality, and unapologetic queerness that makes Heartstopper what it is, is the product of Oseman’s imagination, and the show greatly benefits from having her as the creator and writer.
1
Gone Girl (2014)
Gillian Flynn Wrote The Screenplay
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Gone Girl
9.50
Drama
Documentary
Mystery
Thriller
8/10
10
8.8/10
Release Date
October 1, 2014
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Runtime
2h 29m
Director
David Fincher
Writers
Gillian Flynn
Cast
See All
-
Ben Affleck
-
Rosamund Pike
Based on Gillian Flynn’s 2012 novel, Gone Girl stars Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike as Nick and Amy Dunne, a couple whose disintegrating marriage is rocked by Amy’s sudden disappearance and Nick’s suspected hand in it. As evidence begins to pile up against Nick, it eventually becomes clear with a shocking twist that all is not what it seems. Flynn also wrote the screenplay for the film, with David Fincher directing.
Studio(s)
20th Century
Distributor(s)
20th Century
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One of David Fincher’s great crime movies where the villain wins, Gone Girl is an adaptation of the 2012 novel by Gillian Flynn, who also wrote the screenplay for the movie. Without the iconic “cool girl” monologue, Gone Girl wouldn’t have had as big a cultural footprint as it does. That’s just one specific example, but Flynn’s witty writing, coupled with Rosamund Pike’s evocative performance, is what makes Amy Dunne such a compelling character.
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Gillian Flynn wasn’t originally supposed to be the sole screenwriter of the film, because her deal with 20th Century Fox only included a clause that she’d get to write the first draft of the screenplay. It’s only because Flynn and director David Fincher realized that they wanted the same things out of the movie that Flynn became the screenwriter for the film. She’d never written a script before, but she was clearly up to the task, as the final product demonstrates.
Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
Category: Entertainment