Writing an Adapted Screenplay

On Sunday March 2, 2025, Peter Straughan won the Oscar award for “Best Adapted Screenplay” for the film Conclave (Edward Berger, 2024). The difference between a screenplay and an adapted screenplay is simple: an adapted screenplay is based on pre-existing source material. These types of scripts are usually based on books, but the source material can range from stage-plays and musicals to short-stories, comic books, or even video games.

Writing an adapted screenplay is a great way to experiment with screenwriting without having to create an entire world from scratch. While you might not have to come up with characters and plot points in this type of screenplay, there is much to keep in mind as you write. You may find that adapting is quite challenging due to the various restrictions that come with the process of changing a source material’s format into a film. 

The Process of Adaptation 

The first thing you want to do when writing an adapted screenplay is to find the source material you will use. This can range from free online content to the New York Times’ Best Sellers list. There are many older books that currently reside in public domain, which means you do not have to buy the rights in order to adapt them. On a larger scale, as for the process of adapting a copyrighted work like a bestselling novel, once you reach out to the literary agent, there are two important types of agreements that can be used. An option agreement is an exclusive right to shop the source material to studios, directors, and producers to gauge interest and success if you were to adapt it into a screenplay. The fees for an option agreement differ depending on the scale and project. The other important agreement is a shopping agreement. This is a type of agreement that asks for exclusivity but does not offer any exchange payment. These agreements usually last for shorter periods of time than options because there is no money offer. Shopping agreements are becoming more common, especially in a non-competitive environment. 

Once you have the rights to the source material, you will want to set your production budget. Once you know how much you are looking to spend, then you can set limits for the script and commission the first draft. From there you can attach a director and cast talent. Then you can assemble a lookbook and create a pitch bible. 

Writing an Adapted Screenplay

When you first sit down to write the script of an adapted screenplay, know that you will have to dedicate a large portion of your time to the planning process. Though the source material already lays out the story and characters, converting this into a film is not so simple. You need to make decisions about what material from the source you will keep and what you will omit. The narratives need to be condensed due to the time constraints in film. Find the core story beats from the source and focus on them. Prioritize the characters that are most vital to the story’s progression. Books tend to have many incidental characters, and it might be a good idea to reassess these characters and keep them to a minimum in the screenplay. Because the story arc of the film will ultimately be different than in the source material, feel free to add characters that help move the story forward, and you can even merge characters together. Remember that throughout the writing process, you need to ensure that people who have not read the source material can understand the film. 

Find the cinematic elements of the story. The adaptation should not be a one-to-one copy of the source. Read through the source material and find what characters and plot points are most adaptive to the screen. For example, if the novel you are adapting is written in first person perspective, and the character spends a lot of time talking to themselves, or in their own head, you will need to figure out how (if at all) you will portray that onscreen. 

A tricky part of the adaptation process is ensuring that you have captured the soul of the source material while at the same time making your script original. As previously mentioned, though accurate, an exact copy of the source material would be boring, but straying too far from the source could leave fans frustrated. Be creative with this part of the writing process! You can change anything you want and even take a new spin on the source material. Changing characters, locations, and story beats may help add new tastes to the original material. Nevertheless, beware because those that are excited to see their favorite book turn into a movie tend to not like when the source material is changed drastically. 

Television Adaptations 

A recent trend in the entertainment industry is to bring adaptations to television. There is a large-scale shift that is being seen of book adaptations being made into television series over films. Many reasons support this shift. First of all, the format of TV shows allows for better story progression. You get more time to tell your story, ranging from six to ten hours most of the time, instead of the maximum three hours that a film permits. The structure of television shows is also more conducive to adapting a book with the chapters turned into episodes. Another advantage that comes with television adaptations is that these shows are generally more accessible to audiences. Many of them are released straight to streaming platforms, and that way the box office worries that a film would struggle with are limited in this format. By the same token, streaming platforms are usually more lenient in the type of content they allow to be shown, which broadens the scope of audiences and production possibilities for these adaptations. Additionally, A-list actors are transitioning over to TV projects along with this insurgence of the streaming boom, which can promote the trend of continuing book adaptations in television. 

Over 50% of Hollywood films are adapted from books and on average, films adapted from books earn 53% more than original screenplays. Writing adapted screenplays is a skill every screenwriter should have in their pocket, and no matter if the adapted script is a screenplay or a television series, the possibilities are endless. 

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