Hi Bookish Friends! Today’s post is a deep dive into another topic I find endlessly fascinating (yes, my law nerd is showing, no, I’m not embarrassed) - how books become TV shows and movies - in particular, the legal logistics that go into it. (NOTE - this entire post is for entertainment purposes and nothing going forward should be taken as legal advice.)
So, obviously, first thing’s first. There has to be a book (or, at the very least, the idea for a book). According to at least one agent, there is then a referral process where individuals from both the book world and from the movie/tv show world are in various levels of communication figuring out which books may make great adaptations.
Once that decision has been made, “The literary agent and the media professional come to an agreement, negotiate the movie rights, and establish contracts. How involved an author is in a film adaptation is different from project to project.” Presumably that involvement is determined, in large part, if not in full, by the aforementioned contracts.
It seems as if this level of involvement is also influenced by the author’s existing status at the time that these negotiations are occurring. For instance, Stephen King exerts quite a bit of creative control over film productions of his work, but then again Stephen King is a contemporary literary giant. This likely doesn’t translate to authors with less negotiating power behind their name.
A part of the contractual arrangements occurring at the beginning of this stage is when a project is “optioned.” Now, in law (AND PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS SHOULD NOT BE READ AS LEGAL ADVICE), an “option contract” is defined as, “the seller agrees to keep an offer open for a certain amount of time. A potential buyer has to give the seller some payment in exchange.”
According to Priyanka Mattoo, a writer and former agent, “Option fees are small. Unless you’re dealing with a competitive studio situation, we are talking a range of $500-5000, to a high end of $10,000 (although there are outliers in competitive situations). That is your money for a year.”
So, under this type of system, an author receives a relatively small (generally) amount of money at the beginning of this process, to give the media company the option to create a film or show off the author’s book.
Mattoo notes that, under this type of system, the greater sum of money will come to the author if (and that’s a big if) the project actually comes to fruition. She writes, “The “real” money is in the purchase price, which you get paid if the movie actually gets made – say this is around 2% of the movie’s budget, with a cap. So for an indie that has a $5 million budget, that’s $50k. for a studio movie in the $20 million range that can be upward of $400k, but is likely capped. TV deals are structured for pilots and then episodes, if a series is ordered (big if).”
Obviously, this is only a very brief overview, and while this may be the general process, there are always exceptions. I’m particularly interested in the level of creative control authors have, because I’m fascinated by how the quality and reliability to the source movie and show adaptations can vary. Some stick to the book. Others are barely the same story.
What are your favorite movie/tv show adaptations? Share below!
Sources (also directly linked to quotes and information):
Muñiz, Mariela Santos. “This Is How Books Are Turned Into Movies.” BOOK RIOT, 14 Oct.
FindLaw. “What Is an Option Contract?” Findlaw, 20 Feb. 2018, www.findlaw.com/smallbusiness/business-contracts-forms/what-is-an-option-contract.html.
Mattoo, Priyanka. “How Does a Book Get Optioned and Become a Movie?” Vulture, 8 Sept. 2015, www.vulture.com/2015/09/how-does-a-book-get-optioned-and-become-a-movie.html.
Fleming, Jr., Mike. “Stephen King On What Hollywood Owes Authors When Their Books Become Films: Q&A.” Deadline, 2 Feb. 2016, deadline.com/2016/02/stephen-king-what-hollywood-owes-authors-when-their-books-become-films-q-a-the-dark-tower-the-shining-1201694691.
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