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.

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.

10

Maximum Overdrive (1986)

Stephen King Wrote & Directed The Movie

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.

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

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.

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

Based on Rick Riordan’s books that follow the тιтular 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.

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

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

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.

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 ᴀssume 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

Jurᴀssic Park (1993)

Michael Crichton Co-Wrote The Screenplay

It’s hard to explain what about Jurᴀssic 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 Jurᴀssic Park, it was a screenplay.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.