Novel -> Screenplay (adaptation) ?

Randall_Oelerich

Randall_Oelerich

Veteran
Anybody have knowledge of what would be involved in adapting a novel to a screenplay, in terms of the legal logistics? Does there need to be up front money to the author of the novel or whoever owns the rights to the novel (if it is OOP, sometimes copyright reverts to the author from the publisher I believe, so perhaps the author could grant a writer the rights to go ahead with a screenplay adaptation with some back end rights if the script sold?)? Just wondering how one would go about getting rights, what it would cost up front if anything (hopefully nothing)?
 
You have to have the rights before you bother writing anything. Unless it's public domain.

Contact the publisher and ask them who owns the theatrical rights.
 
There are absolutely no set costs when it comes to obtaining movie rights to books - it is all negotiated. And as I'm sure you guessed, the more popular the author and well known the book, the more it will cost.

At the other end of the spectrum, lesser known authors have been known to give the rights away for essentially nothing. The only way to find out what your author wants for their book is to pick up the phone and start calling. Start with the publisher - look them up in the book, call and ask for someone in sub-rights.

In my (very limited) experience, the main thing the authors are concerned with (at least the lesser known ones) is not how much money they will get, but if you can truly deliver a film. They want to know if they're signing the rights away for 2,5 or 10 years that at the end of it all, they will be able to see something from it.
 
Here is how someone I know did it.

He wrote a treatment for the novel. Presented that treatment to an agent.
The agent went to studio, they liked the treatment. They went to the author.
They bought the book rights. They then assigned the writer to write the script.

You have to have someone buy the rights to the book, you can't sell the script otherwise.
 
"They bought the book rights. They then assigned the writer to write the script."

And some other company hired someone else and kicked the writer to the curb... Without the rights, you have nothing.
 
You have to option the novel first.

Depending on the book depends on how much that will cost.

The good news/bad news of it: if the novel is obscure you can probably option it for a song... but a script based on an obscure novel isn't going to open any doors for you. To option a novel that will help sell your script will cost a bundle. But there may be a book that is obscure and has a great story, and that would be worth it. I read a suspense novel when I was a kid that is now out of print... but deals with Wall Street Banking shenanigans. There are also so many great genre novels that were published and then forgotten but have amazing stories - the Philip K Dick sci-fi novels and short stories are good examples of this. Somwhere there is an old broke widow of a writer who would love a few bucks for a film that might not only make her more money when made... but get all of her late husband's books back in print.

Find the rights owner, make then a low offer, see what happens.

I just reran my adaptation tip:
http://www.scriptsecrets.net/tips/tip309.htm

- Bill
 
Exactly, that is my plan/hope. I read a book many years ago that is long OOP (out of print) and was a fantastic read. Thinking maybe just maybe I might work a deal with the author. The author might own copyright. I know I wrote some non-fiction stuff for publishers long ago and after about ten years the copyright reverted to me. Maybe that fiction author has the copyright rights and would consider letting me take a crack at an adaptation, on the cheap or free, backend $ for both of us if the script/treatment sold, since nobody else has made a film out of the book.

wcmartell said:
... But there may be a book that is obscure and has a great story, and that would be worth it...
Click to expand...
 
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