Adapting a Book into a Screenplay Without the Rights: What Agents Do

[Zenmaster4]

Just to let people know, if you don't truly feel comfortable with asking the big, hot-shot writer for permission to make a screenplay out of his book, you can just write the script, copyright it, and send it to an agent. If the agent thinks it's interesting and likes it, it's his or her job to get the permission. This is meant for the new screenwriters who have no rep.

Z4

 

[MarkG]

On the other hand, you may well just have wasted the months you spent writing the script if you do so without the movie rights... it's always a risk to do an adaption if you don't have the rights sorted out up front.

 

[temerson]

Not to mention that many agents will ask you up front if you have gotten the rights to adapt the work into a screenplay. It's an evil Catch-22 like that, sometimes.

 

[Zenmaster4]

Agree

Agree

Yes, I agree on that statement. However, I guess I was really referring to other adaptations. It is easier to get in contact with a writer rather than, say, a game developer studio. So, anything else like an adaptation of an Anime series, a game, etc. is the agent's job. Sorry I didn't say that in the first place.

 

[MarkG]

So, anything else like an adpatation of an Anime series, a game, etc. is the agent´s job.

But Uwe Boll already owns the rights to pretty much all but the most profitable games.