Authors Hate The Movie Adaptions:
Authors and movie-makers locking horns is common news. Adapting a book is not a smooth business as it swirls creative discord between the writer and the producers. The studios try to stay loyal to the source material but it isn’t possible for them to include every page in the 2-3 hours of the movie. Moreover, the filmmakers try to press their own ideas in the script. As a result, the author finds it difficult to walk out of the room with a satisfied heart. Not just the author, tweaking the original story too much leaves the fans disappointed. We are not here to tell who was right or wrong but to merely mention the authors who didn’t approve of the way their stories turned out to be. Here is a list of writers who hate the movie adaption of their novels so much that they deny taking the credit for it.
1. Percy Jackson
Percy Jackson is one of the best-selling book series that became a part of our childhood. So it was disheartening for the fans and the author, Rick Riordan, to watch its movie adaption fail. Rick was the most affected by his life’s work burning in flames. He said “to you guys, it’s a couple hours entertainment. To me, it’s my life’s work going through a meat grinder when I pleaded them not to do it.”
2. American Psycho
American Psycho got mixed reviews from the critics and the audience even though Christian Bale’s performance was outstanding. It was adapted from Bret Easton Ellis’s novel with the same title. According to sources, the author blamed the poor reception of the movie on the director being a female.
3. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
Another masterpiece that was disapproved by its author! Ken Kesey, who wrote the brilliant novel, was peeved about the fact that the movie changed the protagonist from Chief Bromden to Randle McMurphy. He left the productions midway and never watched the film.
4. Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins is of the best children’s classic movie. While it brings smiles to so many faces, it shockingly made the author cry. It’s author P.L Travers was in tears during the premiere as she regretted selling the rights to Disney.
5. The Shining
Surprised to see this classic horror? The Shining is one of the most chilling pieces we have ever watched on the screen. But the movie sparked discord between Stephen King and Stanley Kubrick, the geniuses of their field. King hated The Shining because it didn’t dive deep into emotions and psychology. He said that there was “No sense of emotional investment in the family whatsoever”. He also called Shelly Duvall’s Wendy “a scream machine”.
6. Breakfast At Tiffany’s
Another classic legend that the author disapproved of! He was not happy with the casting of Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. Truman Capote wanted Marilyn Monroe and himself to star in his story. Though we admire both the goddesses of beauty, Marilyn and Audrey, it’s hard to replace Audrey’s face from that iconic look now.
7. Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory
The author Roald Dahl had contributed to the movie script only to watch it get changed at the last moment. He was so angry about it that he refused to sell the movie rights of its sequel Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator.
8. I Am Legend
The author of I Am Legend, Richard Matheson never liked a single adaption of his book. He was tired of every movie changing his story and successfully disappointing him. After I Am Legend of Will Smith, the author said “I don’t know why Hollywood is fascinated by my book when they never care to film it as I wrote it”.
9. Midnight Express
The super hit Midnight Express depicts the real-life story of author Billy Hayes who was imprisoned in the torturous Turkish prison. Therefore, he took it more personally when the movie tweaked the ending of his journey. Claiming a movie is based on true events and changing the plot can give out the wrong message about the protagonist, indeed.
10. Sahara
The author of Sahara, Clive Cussler had built up so much bad blood against the producer of Sahara that he slapped them with a lawsuit. According to reports, the author and the screenwriter were at constant loggerheads. Moreover, some stated that Cussler abused his control over the adaption and bullied everyone around.
11. The Cat In The Hat
Forget about the audience and the little fans of The Cat In The Hat books. The author, Dr. Seus’s wife was appalled by what she saw on the screen. She lost her trust in the filmmakers and took away the rights to her husband’s work.
12. Hellraiser: Revelations
The Hellraiser movie series was adapted from Clive Barker’s horror work. But the author despised the ninth installment so much that he denied any connections with the film. He said “If they claim it’s from the mind of Clive Barker, it’s a lie. It’s not even from my butt-hole.”
