From page to screen, some of the hottest TV properties these days have sprung straight from the bookshelf. While there\u2019s no shortage of fantastic literary pieces to mine\u2014from contemporary works to classic novels\u2014the battle for high-profile book-based IP is fierce, with competitive bidding situations to land the rights to adapt bestsellers (or the latest works from authors whose last project set the television world abuzz).<\/p>\n
\u201cA hot piece of IP with the right talent attached creates an undeniable package,\u201d says Lars Blomgren, head of scripted at Banijay. \u201cWhen it comes to adapting books into premium scripted series, there is a treasure trove of available content out there, and this will always be popular. These titles can be evolved and produced for audiences who will expect a certain quality to a series when it is based on a story they love. As creatives, it is fantastic for us to be able to bring these shows to life for audiences.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rodrigo Herrera Ibarguengoytia, senior scripted acquisitions and co-productions manager at Red Arrow Studios International, says that it comes down to IP giving decision-makers confidence. \u201cThere are a lot of other advantages: the fleshed-out settings, characters and plots and an established basis for a quicker turnaround on development, and it brings an existing fan base,\u201d he adds. \u201cAll of those reasons make it easier for executives to evaluate. There\u2019s a proof of concept for potential success, and ultimately, side by side with an original piece, IP gives the perceived notion of a safer bet. For us, they are a great starting point to find common ground for a new collaboration; that\u2019s always been seen as the biggest value at Red Arrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the commissioning process, the speed from interest to greenlight has shortened dramatically, according to Nicola S\u00f6derlund, managing partner at Eccho Rights, especially since the arrival of the streamers. \u201cIn order to get maximum safety, the easiest way forward is to rely on an existing, well-known and, in the dream scenario, hugely popular IP,\u201d he says. \u201cBooks provide safety but also an already existing story with characters, plotlines, opening and ending. Adapting is easier than inventing.\u201d<\/p>\n
The book-to-screen adaptation process is not without its challenges, though. \u201cVery often, a book has room for a lot of inner thoughts, reactions and impressions,\u201d S\u00f6derlund notes. \u201cThis could prove to be tricky to convert into a scene. And that is very often a challenge in dramatizing scenes out of books. The more plot-driven the book is, the easier to make it work.\u201d<\/p>\n
A FAMILIAR STORY<\/strong> Given the wealth of material out there, the genre spectrum for adaptations is broad, Misselbrook says, \u201cfrom crime, fantasy and thrillers to psychological dramas and more socially conscious pieces. We\u2019re seeing a real range of material being developed for audiences of all ages and demographics.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFantasy, sci-fi and dystopian pieces have always been popular for introducing us to expansive new worlds that are full of possibilities,\u201d notes Red Arrow\u2019s Ibarguengoytia on genre trends. \u201cIt\u2019s been interesting to see the rise of drama adaptations and their success, projects like Big Little Lies<\/em>, The Queen\u2019s Gambit<\/em> and Normal People<\/em>. It\u2019s very interesting to see how a successful adaptation translates into a lot of other novels from that specific author getting optioned. It\u2019s a proven track record that gives everyone more confidence to invest.\u201d<\/p>\n Ibarguengoytia says that, at Red Arrow, the question of how closely to stick to the source material is one that\u2019s weighed with great care at the start of any adaptation. On the Inspector Maigret series, he says, \u201cWe went through that conversation in detail, considering the different alternatives, whether to do a period or contemporary adaptation. Our writer on this project made the observation that Maigret was a contemporary character at the time of release, as the novel was set in the present. It was a simple thought, but it really made me look at this and other adaptations differently. Sometimes we look at it far removed, and we forget the context in which it was written and released and what the author was originally intending. All of that plays into the decision about how close to adapt. It\u2019s not a simple answer of just following the plot straight through.\u201d<\/p>\n FROM THE SOURCE<\/strong> With Vienna Blood<\/em>, the series has now come to a point where the source material has been exhausted. With the third-season commission, the writer will be crafting an original story.<\/p>\n \u201cIt ultimately depends on the property and the reason why it\u2019s being adapted in the first place\u2014whether the interest is in the plot or if it\u2019s more the setting and characters as the jumping-off point\u2014but any adaptation needs some room for dramatic license,\u201d Ibarguengoytia says. \u201cI don\u2019t think anybody sets course trying to create the best adaptation; you want to create the best series that stands on its own.\u201d<\/p>\n Cineflix\u2019s Misselbrook agrees that the approach varies from project to project. \u201cOf course, you don\u2019t want to lose the elements of the source material that make it interesting in the first place, but inevitably, you have to afford creatives some artistic license to create the best possible show.\u201d<\/p>\n Eccho Rights\u2019 S\u00f6derlund is of the opinion that, most often, the best result is achieved if you regard the TV version of the IP \u201cas an independent work of art.\u201d<\/p>\n WRITERS\u2019 RULES<\/strong> Red Arrow\u2019s Ibarguengoytia agrees with S\u00f6derlund that having the author or estate on board at the start is important. \u201cThey are an incredibly valuable resource for additional insight into the property and its characters, but in the best-case scenario, the author or estate also understands that there are differences and provides the writers or producers with the freedom to adapt,\u201d Ibarguengoytia adds. \u201cOf course, it always adds complexity to have multiple voices in the mix, but when channeled effectively, being challenged by different perspectives only makes the final result stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n As the competition for rights is as hot as ever, Ibarguengoytia admits that it can be a challenge to secure sought-after IP. \u201cThere is definitely value in a close relationship with scouting agencies, having an overview of how the market is developing and looking to find that hidden gem,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s incredibly competitive, and the highlight properties go into high bidding wars before even being published.\u201d<\/p>\n SCOUTS\u2019 HONOR<\/strong> Cineflix has gone about the scouting process by forging solid relationships with its production partners, \u201cworking closely with them to identify IP that we think will have global appeal,\u201d Misselbrook says. \u201cOur independent status and scale allow us to act quickly and aggressively when we identify great IP, and we are focused on building strong relationships with publishers and literary agents to get us ahead of the crowd.\u201d<\/p>\n He acknowledges that working with known IP comes with both challenges and opportunities. \u201cIt\u2019s always a challenge to do justice to the original source material, but equally, there is an opportunity to bring a successful book to the screen so that it resonates with an audience familiar with the IP and, just as importantly, can find a new audience,\u201d says Misselbrook. \u201cTV generally has a more limited scope to play out the material than a book because you have a fixed number of hours to work with, but a big part of why we\u2019re in a time of great television is down to the fantastic storytelling, on- and off-screen talent and production values.\u201d<\/p>\n Adapting a beloved property that has fans all its own can be a double-edged sword, Red Arrow\u2019s Ibarguengoytia says, depending on the property and how fervent the fan base is. \u201cA big fan base can create hype around a project and give it a boost,\u201d he notes. \u201cIt definitely makes it easier to draw attention to the project and get people on board. But there is also more of a chance for backlash down the line if the project doesn\u2019t resonate with the fan base.\u201d<\/p>\n In this regard, there\u2019s an advantage to a hidden gem, he says, \u201cbeing able to use the strong source material more freely and present it to the world without being so scrutinized and maybe even have the reverse dynamic, where the adaptation brings renewed or wider interest to the original book. That said, I don\u2019t think anyone would say no to the chance of tackling a very well-known property and character because there is a huge upside, and you know that along the ride, all the way to production, everybody is going to have a lot of confidence to push this project forward.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With known IP proving to be a winner, book-based TV adaptations are in high demand.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":350,"featured_media":17184,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[77,70],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-features","category-top-stories","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nWhile turning to the literary world for inspiration is hardly a new phenomenon, the trend has heightened in recent times, says Tom Misselbrook, senior VP of scripted sales and development at Cineflix Rights. \u201cThere is now more importance [placed] on securing rights to valuable IP than there ever has been,\u201d he adds. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing this as the proliferation of drama content creation continues and competition between streamers and broadcasters increases. In this market, shows that really stand out and make a lot of noise are key to audience growth and subscriber loyalty. Series adapted from successful IP come with a built-in audience, which, coupled with great storytelling and rich characters, is really compelling.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nIt\u2019s sometimes easier to stay close to the original on limited series, Ibarguengoytia adds. \u201cWith returning properties, the show is always evolving, and actors bring their own takes, and based on the response from audiences, we can decide to lean on or stay clear of certain characters and storylines for subsequent seasons,\u201d he says. \u201cSo, it really starts taking its own shape and eventually forging its own path.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nAs for whether the author or estate should be involved in the adaptation, S\u00f6derlund views it in two distinct stages. \u201cIn the initial part, it\u2019s absolutely essential to fully understand the story\u00adline and the behavior of the characters, but once that is achieved, I strongly believe that the scriptwriter should have full freedom to make the best adaptation for the screen. After all, storytelling in a book and on-screen are two very different ways of communication and very much based on different craftsman\u2019s skills.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nTo identify interesting IP, Red Arrow has taken the approach of asking writers and producers about their favorite books to develop as passion projects. \u201cFor starters, it gives you a very good sense of whether you align creatively and have common interests, and it\u2019s a great way to connect with talent and establish a working relationship,\u201d Ibarguengoytia says. \u201cUnlike an original idea, an adaptation is a true collaboration. Everyone brings their different perspective into the IP and works from common ground. So even if a particular development isn\u2019t successful, it\u2019s a great way to understand how to work together and develop long-lasting relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n