If there’s one thing George R.R. Martin doesn’t have time for, beside writing The WInds of Winter, it’s screenwriters rewriting the very stories that made them want to adapt the work in the first place.
During a recent event with fellow fantasy author Joe Abercrombie, Martin opened up about what really frustrates him about the adaptation process, saying:
“Television and film are ultimately collaborative. You always have the director and the actors and of course the studio will have executives, they will give notes and all that, and you have to deal with all that, which some people do better than others.”
But then he cut to the core of his rant.
“The hard part about collaborating is not so much them, but, I find – speaking only for myself here, not for Joe – is dealing with the other writers.
“They’re adapting your book or your story, and they hire someone else to do it, and there’s a phrase that they empower this writer to – okay, take The Great Gatsby, but make it your own. And I don’t want anyone to make The Great Gatsby their own.”
This must’ve been weighing on Martin’s mind for a while. He went on to say:
“I think I may be a minority in this case here that other people don’t mind that and all, but I don’t think in most of the cases where a Hollywood screenwriter makes something their own that they improve it. I think [in] the majority of cases it’s the opposite.”
Martin’s comments aren’t coming out of nowhere. He’s previously voiced concerns about HBO’s House of the Dragon deviating from his book Fire & Blood, at one point posting on his Blog:
“There are larger and more toxic butterflies to come, if House of the Dragon goes ahead with some of the changes being contemplated for seasons 3 and 4…”
It’s a familiar tension: writers who create intricate, layered worlds often see those worlds or stories reshaped and rewritten when they enter the Hollywood mashine. Adaptation is one thing, but turning someone else’s work into a sandbox for your own ideas isn’t collaboration? Martin isn’t a fan.
You can catch Martin’s full remarks in the event video, starting at the 35:19 mark below.
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