Author George R. R. Martin, the writer behind the books that inspired the TV series “Game of Thrones” and “House of the Dragon,” has shared his views on the numerous adaptations of renowned literary works.
“Everywhere you look, there are more screenwriters and producers eager to take great stories and ’make them their own,'” Mr. Martin wrote. Mr.
Martin expressed his concerns, stating that the situation in Hollywood has deteriorated. He observed an increasing trend of filmmakers attempting to adapt beloved stories, often with the belief that they can improve upon them. According to Mr.
Martin, only about one in a thousand adaptations is truly successful. However, he praised FX’s “Shogun” series, believing that James Clavell, the author of the original novel, would have approved. Mr.
Martin commented: “It does not seem to matter whether the source material was written by Stan Lee, Charles Dickens, Ian Fleming, Roald Dahl, Ursula K. Le Guin, J.R.
R. Tolkien, Mark Twain, Raymond Chandler, Jane Austen, or..
. well, anyone. No matter how major a writer it is, no matter how great the book, there always seems to be someone on hand who thinks he can do better, eager to take the story and ‘improve’ on it.
“‘The book is the book, the film is the film,’ they will tell you, as if they were saying something profound. Then they make the story their own.” Emphasizing that most adaptations fail to enhance the original work, Mr.
Martin continued, “They never .
