Taking a book and turning it into a motion picture is a practice almost as old as cinema itself. Filmmakers have long experimented with translating the written word to the screen. Sometimes authors are pleased with these adaptations, but on other occasions, they’ve been quite vocal about their dissatisfaction.

Why Authors Dislike Adaptations

Authors may dislike adaptations for various reasons, including changes to the plot, characterizations, or overall tone. These disagreements highlight the challenges of translating one medium to another.

1. ‘The Shining’ – Stephen King

Stephen King’s The Shining is one of his most frequently adapted works, but he famously despises Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film. King felt the movie missed the point of the novel, lacking its emotional core and focusing too much on spectacle.

2. ‘The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen’ – Alan Moore

Alan Moore is famously critical of adaptations of his work, believing comics cannot be faithfully translated to film. He particularly disliked Stephen Norrington’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, calling it abysmal and becoming entangled in a lawsuit regarding plagiarism.

3. ‘Mary Poppins’ – P.L. Travers

Despite being a beloved classic, P.L. Travers deeply disliked Disney’s Mary Poppins. She reportedly cried at the premiere, finding the film too saccharine and distorted from her original vision. She objected to the musical numbers and even the casting of Julie Andrews.

4. ‘Percy Jackson & the Olympians’ – Rick Riordan

Rick Riordan was highly critical of The Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters, the films based on his Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He found the writing terrible and the deviations from the source material unacceptable, fearing disappointment among fans.

5. ‘The NeverEnding Story’ – Michael Ende

Michael Ende was “horrified” by Wolfgang Petersen’s adaptation of his novel, The NeverEnding Story. He believed the film completely changed the essence and spirit of his book, calling it a “gigantic melodrama of kitsch, commerce, plush and plastic.”

6. ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’ – Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl generally disliked film adaptations of his work, but his displeasure with Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory was particularly strong. He disowned the movie, “infuriated” by plot deviations, the musical elements, and the shift in focus from Charlie to Wonka.

7. ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ – Lois Duncan

Lois Duncan was appalled when her 1973 YA thriller was adapted into the slasher film I Know What You Did Last Summer. As the mother of a murdered daughter, she found the film’s depiction of violence to be “silly” and “cheap.”

8. ‘Rawhead Rex’ – Clive Barker

Clive Barker wrote the screenplay for Rawhead Rex, but felt director George Pavlou failed to capture the thrilling essence of his short story. He believed the film lacked the “stylish oomph” needed to succeed.

9. ‘Charlotte’s Web’ – E.B. White

The 1973 animated adaptation of E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web was fondly received by many, but the author himself called it “a travesty.” He disliked the musical format, feeling it didn’t suit his writing style.

10. ‘Tales from Earthsea’ – Ursula K. Le Guin

Ursula K. Le Guin felt Gōro Miyazaki’s adaptation of Tales from Earthsea fundamentally misunderstood her books. She believed the film told a completely different story, and fans of the series largely agreed.