Six Authors Who’ve Successfully Adapted Their Own Work
As an author, it’s hard to let go of your words. But authors fortunate enough to adapt their own works can hold onto their stories and help to shape them a little bit longer (and add some shiny new credits to their IMDb pages in the process). But not every writer gets a shot at self-scripting; Hollywood loves to work with familiar names, and sometimes authors lack the skills or experience necessary to translate their fiction into a whole other medium.
So while we eagerly await the upcoming self-adaptations from the likes of N.K. Jemisin (The Broken Earth trilogy); Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (This Is How You Lose the Time War); and George R.R. Martin (maybe? It’s kind of hard to keep track…), let’s look at six fantasy and science fiction writers who brought their books (and shorter works) to the big and small screen, albeit sometimes with a little help.
Seven Stories About Fictional Writers That Need a Reality Check
Somebody’s got to write movies and TV shows—Hollywood’s dream factory doesn’t spontaneously create scripts (though, with AI coming, who knows what the future will bring…). And when the scribes of L.A. go on strike, as the Writers Guild of America may do very soon, the whole industry quakes.
So why is it so dang difficult to get actual writers to write about other writers in a realistic way?
As any author knows, the writing game takes years of trying, rewriting, editing, criticism, and maybe some drinking (lots of caffeinated beverages, if not something stronger). Except in the case of a few precious unicorns, success is usually far from instantaneous. And while it’s true that some depictions seem to acknowledge the challenges of being a writer, for the most part even well-made shows seem to side with fantasy over reality when it comes to portraying literary success. Below, I’ve taken a look at some fictional scribes from various TV and movie, and rated their writer-reality on a scale measuring relatively realistic (10) to unbelievably terrible (1) …and everything in between.
Sometimes singular moments stand out from Oscar-nominated performances. Here are 10
Want to confound a filmmaker? Ask what the “key” scene was in their film for any Oscar-nominated actor. For those in front of the camera and behind the scenes, it’s a near-impossible choice: A film is a tapestry of hundreds or even thousands of such potential moments. But with a little prodding, we were able to get 10 directors and producers whose films landed their stars lead acting nominations for the 2023 Academy Awards. Here’s what they chose for their stars’ one, shining scene.
NAACP Image Awards Stand Apart
When the NAACP Image Awards returns on Feb. 25 for its 54th annual ceremony, there’ll be plenty of cause for celebration. Not only will artists from television, motion picture, music and literature find themselves feted for their contributions, but it’s also the 20th anniversary of the creation of the organization’s Hollywood Bureau – and the first time the show will be fully in front of a live audience since 2020.
Welcome to the off-brand, no-statuette, no-glory Envy Awards
Welcome to the shiniest time of the year, when the awards are (usually) golden, the dresses are sparkling and the honors are sent out to all corners of the industry. Well, most corners. Since 2016, The Envelope has been (metaphorically) handing out the Envy Awards, reaching out to the scenes, the people, the ideas and the just plain weird in cinema that otherwise goes without honor — though we’ve yet to come up with our own bright shiny statuette. No matter: We’re sure the recipients of our awards hold them just as dear to their hearts as any old Oscar. Presenting the 2023 Envy Awards!
Why these scenes from five best picture nominees didn’t make the cut
Editing isn’t just about piecing scenes together; it’s about deciding which pieces can stay and which ones have to go. What directors, editors and sometimes even screenwriters often discover in post-production is that no matter how much they may like a certain scene or how funny or dramatic it may be — there’s just no room for it.
“When a movie finds its running length and you see the shape of what it should be, it extrudes things it doesn’t need,” says Tony Kushner, who co-wrote “The Fabelmans” with director Steven Spielberg. “Often a scene is asking a question, and however interesting the question might be, it’s not the question the film is asking.”
Here, The Envelope spoke with five directors, editors and a screenwriter from this year’s Oscar-nominated best picture entries to find out what extruded onto the cutting room floor — and why.
Camryn Manheim blown away working with Mariska Hargitay: ‘SVU’ is ‘the fabric of her soul’
Looks like the “Law & Order” shows are finding Camryn Manheim a rather … handy person to have around.
That’s because the veteran actor, who currently rules the roost on “Law & Order” as Lt. Kate Dixon, is set to share her skills Jan. 5 on “Law & Order: SVU,” using sign language to interpret the stories of deaf sexual assault victims.
How Sigourney Weaver brings out her inner teen in the new ‘Avatar’
In the movies, Sigourney Weaver is in charge: She’s Ripley kicking xenomorph butt (“Alien” films); presaging the apocalypse via possession (“Ghostbusters”) or making abortions possible for women in the ‘60s (“Call Jane”). She’s the character who just gets stuff done. And that was true in 2009’s “Avatar,” where she played an exobiologist who created the Avatar program.
But for “Avatar: The Way of Water,” things are a bit flipped around: While Weaver appears briefly as Dr. Augustine, mostly she is a Na’vi-human named Kiri who has special abilities — but is also a teenager, with all that entails. The Envelope spoke with Weaver from her New York home about her legacy of memorable roles, (not) watching her pal Jamie Lee Curtis’ horror films, and director James Cameron, the mischief-maker.
How the ‘Woman King’ crew found a safe space to be heard
“The Woman King,” a historical epic about a West African unit of warriors in 1823, may feel revolutionary to audiences today — but there are still wars being waged by women and people of color today on very different fields of battle.
Director Gina Prince-Bythewood made a specific effort to hire heads of department for the film that reflected the makeup of the people on camera, which led to a collection of women and artisans of color so remarkable that cinematographer Polly Morgan recalls taking a photo of all the directors chairs for crew set up behind the camera. “There were no male [assigned] chairs,” she marvels.
The Envelope held a Zoom chat with several members of the remarkable crew: Morgan, Prince-Bythewood, editor Terilyn A. Shropshire, costume designer Gersha Phillips and VFX supervisor Sara Bennett to explore just how big a difference it makes when women are put in charge.
What issues and surprises pop up in the edit room?
“The editing room is a roller coaster,” says Ron Howard, director of Prime Video’s “Thirteen Lives,” which was edited by James Wilcox. “It’s where as a director I feel both stupid, and kind of smart. And frustrated and dejected when something isn’t working the way I hoped it might — and thrilled when ideas come together.”
That adage about how a film is made three times — on the page, on the set and in the edit — is true. Even the most carefully storyboarded and planned-out of films turn into separate beasts once editors and directors are left to assemble them. Yet with creative, flexible thinking by skilled editors and imaginative directors, changes in the edit can create a more original final film than anyone expected.
