Random Authors Who Loathed Movie Adaptations of Their Books (15 items)

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  (#10) Michael Ende

  • The Neverending Story, The mirror in the mirror, Jojo, Das Gefängnis der Freiheit, Das Traumfresserchen, Die Vollmondlegende, Jim Knopf. Window Color, Lirum Larum Willi Warum, Momo. Lehrerbegleitheft, Momo, Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver, The Night of Wishes, Die Zauberschule und andere Geschichten, Der lange Weg nach Santa Cruz, Die Geschichte von der Schüssel und vom Löffel, Das Gauklermächen, Die Zauberschule im Wünschelreich, Der Goggolori, Der Niemandsgarten, Der Teddy und die Tiere, Die Jagd nach dem Schlarg, Der Rattenfänger, Die Schattennähmaschine, Lenchens Geheimnis, Norbert Nackendick, oder, Das nackte Nashorn, Norberto Nucagorda, Michael Endes Zettelkasten. Skizzen und Notizen, Die Rupelschule, Filemon Faltenreich, Die Archäologie der Dunkelheit, Jim Knopf Und Lukdsder Lokomotiv, Die Spielverderber, oder, Das Erbe der Narren, Das kleine Lumpenkasperle, Ophelia's Shadow Theatre, Tragasuenos, Das Schnurpsenbuch, El Largo Camino Hacia St. Cruz, Das Michael Ende Lesebuch. (Ab 10 J.), Morno, El secreto de Lena, El Osito De Peluche Y Otros Animales, Momo/Momo, Tranquilla piepesante

  The Novel: The Neverending Story (1979)

  The Film: Neverending Story (1984)

  German author Michael Ende wrote the first screenplay for the adaptation of his fantasy novel. Like most Hollywood screenplays, it was subsequently rewritten by another writer. Ende hated the new script so much he unsuccessfully tried to buy back the film rights. When that didn't work, he had his name removed from the project, which he called a "revolting movie." Ende's main issue with the adaptation is... well, basically everything. He felt the film didn't understand the book at all, and was simply about money.

  In His Own Words:

  “I saw the final script five days before the premiere and only as a result of a judicial verdict in Munich. I was horrified. They had changed the whole sense of the story. Fantastica reappears with no creative force from Bastian. For me this was the essence of the book.”
• 

  (#5) Roald Dahl

  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, The Witches, The BFG, Fantastic Mr Fox, Danny, the Champion of the World, The Twits, Boy, George's Marvellous Medicine, The Collected Short Stories of Roald Dahl, Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life: The Country Stories of Roald Dahl, Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories, Roald Dahl's Guide to Railway Safety, The Enormous Crocodile, Matilda, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, Revolting Rhymes, The Gremlins, Sometime Never: A Fable for Supermen, My Year, Esio Trot, Memories with Food at Gipsy House, Roald Dahl: Collected Stories, Dirty Beasts, The Magic Finger, My Uncle Oswald, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More, The Vicar of Nibbleswicke, The Minpins, Someone Like You, The Roald Dahl Treasury, Rhyme Stew, Kiss Kiss, Two Fables, More Tales of the Unexpected, Terrible Tricks with Other, Tales of the Unexpected, Going Solo, Switch Bitch, The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me, Skin and Other Stories, The Mildenhall Treasure, The Roald Dahl Omnibus, Twenty-Nine Kisses from Roald Dahl, Over to You: Ten Stories of Flyers and Flying, Vile Verses, Great Mouse Plot, The Great Automatic Grammatizator, A taste of the unexpected, The Book of Children's Classics, My Own Book of Animal Stories, Die Kunst des Mordens. Exquisite Kriminalgeschichten, Das Wundermittel. ( Ab 6 J.)., Sophiechen und der Riese. ( Ab 8 J.)., L'Enfant qui parlait aux animaux, La Jirafa, El Pelmcano y El Mono (Serie Morada), La princesse et le braconnier, Hexen hexen. ( Ab 10 J.)., Le Trésor de Mildenhall, Agu Trot, Les Nouvelles Recettes irrésistibles de Roald Dahl, Unglaubliche Ferien. Das große Roald- Dahl- Lesebuch, Boy / Going Solo, The Princess and the Poacher, Danny, O Campion Do Mundo, Kubchen Kubchen 11 Ungewohnliche Geschichten, Gran Gigante Bonachon / The Bgf, La Democracia y Sus Criticos, James und der Riesenpfirsch, Die Prinzessin und der Wilderer. Vier Geschichten, Les Minuscules, El Jardin de Yosi / Josi's Garden, Der krumme Hund. Eine lange Geschichte, Puchero de Rimas, Matilda Audio, Im Alleingang. Meine Erlebnisse in der Fremde, Kuschelmuschel. Vier erotische Überraschungen, Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka, Agu Trot Esio Trot, The Best of Roald Dahl, The Honeys, Mein Freund Claud. Erzählungen, Tel est pris qui croyait prendre, Los Minpins, Dedo Magico/Magic Finger, Os pestes, Beastly Balloons, A Roald Dahl selection, More Roald Dahl tales of the unexpected, Taste & Other Tales, Willy Wonkas Chocolate Factory, SONGS AND VERSE, Wonder/henry Sugar, Mauvaises intentions, Twits CD, A Second Selection, ... steigen aus... maschine brennt... 10 Fliegergeschichten, Bizzare! Bizarre!, Mi Tio Oswald, Histoires de fantômes, nouvelle édition, Relatos Escalofriantes, Edward the Conqueror and Other Stories, Els culdolla, Three Favourite Stories, Under this Roof, Ych a Fi, The Puffin Roald Dahl Collection, The Dahl Diary 1992, Que Asco De Bichos!/Dirty Beasts, Fiendish Faces, Selected stories of Roald Dahl, Matilda. Sonderausgabe. ( Ab 8 J.), Le Doigt Magique, A Marabillosa Medicina De George, Boxed-Roald Dahl-4 Vol, Three More from Roald dDhl, Las Brujas / The Witches, Ffi Ffai Ffiaidd, Der Zonberfinger, Le Doiat Magique, Der Fantastiche Mr Fox, Los Mejores Relatos de Roald Dahl, LA Venganza Es Mia, S. A./Vengeance Is Mine, Emotional Learning, Un conte peut en cacher un autre, El Gran Cambiazo, Vengeance is Mine Inc., The Last Act, Measles, a Dangerous Illness, Taste, Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat, Bitch, Beware of the Dog, Pig, The Hitch-Hiker, An African Story, The Great Automatic Grammatizator, The Visitor, Parson's Pleasure, Lamb to the Slaughter, Royal Jelly, The Way Up to Heaven, Georgy Porgy, Galloping Foxley, Genesis and Catastrophe: A True Story, Neck, Nunc Dimittis, Edward the Conqueror, Dip in the Pool, William and Mary, The Great Switcheroo, Poison, Man from the South, The Landlady, Mr. Botibol

  The Novel: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964)

  The Film: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

  Roald Dahl didn't particularly care for any of the film adaptations of his books (Matilda, James the Giant Peach.) His biggest issue with the adaptation of his most famous novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, can be found right there in the disparity of the movie adaptation title. Dahl felt his novel concentrated on Charlie's story, while the movie paid too much attention to the sinister yet somehow delightful Willy Wonka. Dahl also didn't care for Mel Stuart's direction or Gene Wilder's performance; he wanted comedian Spike Milligan for the titular role. 

  In His Own Words (Sort Of):

  Liz Attenborough, a trustee of the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre in Buckinghamshire, said of the author, "He thought it placed too much emphasis on Willy Wonka and not enough on Charlie. For him the book was about Charlie."
• 

  (#14) Anne Rice

  • The Queen of the Damned, Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Armand, The Vampire Lestat, The Tale of the Body Thief, The Witching Hour, Vittorio the Vampire, The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, Memnoch the Devil, Blackwood Farm, Lasher, Blood Canticle, Servant of the Bones, Cry to Heaven, Belinda, The Feast of All Saints, The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned, Merrick, Taltos, Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, Violin, Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana, Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession, Of Love and Evil, Angel Time, Der Fürst der Finsternis. Roman., The Sleeping Beauty Novels, Memnoch der Teufel., L'Heure Des Sorcieres / The Hour of Sorcieres, Pandora, Nachtmahr. Ein Roman aus der Chronik der Vampire, Blood and Gold, Exit to Eden, The Wolf Gift, Interview with Anne Rice, Beauty's Release, Interview Mit Einem Vampir, Conversations with Anne Rice, Vampire Chronicles, Beauty's Punishment, Prince Lestat, Die Mayfair- Hexen., Tanz der Hexen., The Anne Rice Collection, Engel der Verdammten., Die Mumie oder Ramses der Verdammte. Roman., Les infortunes de la Belle au bois dormant, Interview with the Vampire: Claudia's Story, Untitled Audio #3 Anne Rice, The Wolves of Midwinter, El Ultimo De Los Taltos, Le violon, Gespräch mit dem Vampir, Novel 3, Liberacion de la Bella Durmiente, Un Grito Al Cielo - Bolsillo -, Der Konigin der Verdmmen / Queen of the Damned, El Castigo de La Bella Durmiente, Hacia El Eden - B -, Mayfair Witches, The Master of Rampling Gate, Hexenstunde, Pandora 16c.w/3aud+2lp Floor, La Liberacion de La Bella Durmiente, X12 Anne Rice Backlist Pack, El Rapto de La Bella Durmiente, Cities of the Sacred Unicorn, LA Horas De LA Brujas, O Servo Dos Ossos, Violín

  The Novel: Queen of the Damned (1988)

  The Film: Queen of the Damned (2002)

  More than one film has been adapted from the books of Anne Rice's long-running and globally popular Vampire Chronicles series. She liked the first adaption of her work, Interview with the Vampire, starring Tom Cruise as Lestat. However, she thought Hollywood "mutilated" Queen of the Damned, a story about Lestat (Stuart Townsend) becoming a rock star. The movie was a box office and critical disappointment.

  In Her Own Words:

  "I think everybody knows pretty much that Queen of the Damned killed the franchise in Hollywood, that it was not well received and its big mistake was that it did not respect the fanbase. It was not based on the books. It was a fiction created by the studio using the names, and there just is no market for that in today's world."
• 

  (#6) Clive Cussler

  • Raise the Titanic, Sahara Romanzo, Trojan Odyssey, Treasure, Golden Buddha, Arctic Drift, Skeleton Coast, Valhalla Rising, Inca Gold, Sacred Stone, Black Wind, Dark Watch, Atlantis Found, Vixen 03, Treasure of Khan, Shock Wave, White Death, Iceberg, Blue Gold, Fire Ice, Flood Tide, Cyclops, The Mediterranean Caper, Plague Ship, Dragon, Pacific Vortex!, Night Probe!, Lost City, The Thief, The Tombs, The Kingdom, The Silent Sea, The Navigator, Deep Six, Serpent, Polar Shift, Corsair, The Spy, The Sea Hunters: True Adventures with Famous Shipwrecks, The Jungle, Poseidon's Arrow, The Storm, The Race, Das Todeswrack, Flammendes Eis, Akte Atlantis, Muerta Blanca, Hebt die Titanic. Roman, Im Zeichen der Wikinger, The Sea Hunters II, The Chase, Devil's Gate, The Eye of Heaven, Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt revealed, Two complete novels, Clive Cussler: Two Novels, The Mayan Secrets, Ghost Ship, Zero Hour, The EXP Navigator, The Striker: An Isaac Bell Adventure, The Bootlegger, Chasseurs d'épaves, Mirage, ORO AZUL, El Imperio Del Agua, L'incroyable secret, Schockwelle, La ciudad perdida, L'or des Incas, Pánico en la Casa Blanca, El Tesoro De Alejandria / Treasure, Exploracion Nocturna/Night Probe, Das Alexandria - Komplott. Roman, Dirk Pitt Car Collection, The adventures of Vin Fiz, Um Haaresbreite. Roman, Rescaten el Titanic / Raise the Titanic, Im Todesnebel. Roman, Höllenflut, La Odisea De Troya/ the Odyssey of Troya, Operation Sahara, Cyclops X, Cyclops Unabridged, La Cueva De Los Vikings, Die Ajima- Verschwörung, BUDA DE ORO, EL, DEEP 6 X, The Numa Files 2, Cyclop. Roman, UC Lost City Disc. Unabr. Cass, Cueva De Los Vikingos, La, Onde de choc, Incursion Nocturna, The Wrecker

  The Novel: Sahara (1992)

  The Film: Sahara (2005)

  There's a reason novelists aren't typically involved in adapting their own work. Movies have to cut away a lot of parts in a novel, which can be a painful process for authors. The industrialist/wannabe producer who funded Sahara gave Clive Cussler tremendous creative control over everything from casting to approval of director and supervision over the script (which ended up having ten authors). 

  In the end, things got ugly. Cussler was upset he didn't have final say on the screenplay, and he bad-mouthed the movie before it opened. Sahara, starring Matthew McConaughey and Penélope Cruz, was a box office disaster. Cussler sued Crusader Entertainment for not giving him full authority regarding the script, then Crusader counter sued for him publicly sabotaging the movie. 

  In His Own Words:

  "They deceived me right from the beginning. They kept lying to me...and I just got fed up with it."
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  (#11) Billy Hayes

  • Midnight Express

  The Novel: Midnight Express (1977)

  The Film: Midnight Express (1978)

  Midnight Express tells the true story of an American college student caught trying to smuggle hashish out of Turkey. Both the film and the autobiographical novel depict Hayes's terrifying years spent in a Turkish prison and his daring escape. Hayes's main issue with the adaptation, from a screenplay written by Oliver Stone, is how the movie depicts the Turkish people, who, according to Hayes, weren't all bad.

  Additionally, the ending of the movie differed greatly from the source material. In the film, Hayes kills a prison guard who was preparing to rape him. In actuality, Hayes broke out of prison, stole a dinghy, and rowed 17 miles from his island prison on the Sea of Marmara to the city of Bandirma. From there, he crossed into Greece.

  In His Own Words:

  "I wish they included the real ending. I sat with Oliver [Stone] in a room in the May Fair Hotel in London working on the script. Oliver was young and crazy. Totally crazy. There was a lot of weed, he snorted a ton of coke, was guzzling Bloody Marys. He wanted to see beneath the lines of the book. Oliver put it in the original draft of the script, the sea escape in the boat, but it never made it into the final draft."
• 

  (#1) P. L. Travers

  • Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins and the House Next Door, Mary Poppins In Cherry Tree Lane, Mary Poppins In the Kitchen: A Cookery Book with a Story, Mary Poppins in the Park, Mary Poppins From A to Z, Mary Poppins Opens the Door, Mary Poppins: Three Enchanting Classics: Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins Comes Back, and Mary Poppins Opens the Door, I go by sea, I go by land, Mr. Wigg's birthday party, Friend Monkey, Two pairs of shoes, The gingerbread shop, What the Bee Knows, The fox at the manger, The magic compass, Moscow excursion, About the Sleeping beauty, Maria Poppina ab A ad Z, George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff

  The Novel: Mary Poppins (original book published in 1934)

  The Film: Mary Poppins (1964)

  The famous feud regarding Mary Poppins was so juicy it was turned into a movie starring Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and Emma Thompson as PL Travers (Saving Mr. Banks). For 20 years, Travers was intent on not letting Disney get his hands on her work. Personal financial problems caused her to cave.

  During production, just about all of Travers's ideas were turned down. She hated that Poppins wasn't stricter, all the animation scenes, the music, and even the casting. Yes, she hated Julie Andrews. Disney was so scared of how much Travers despised the film she wasn't invited to the premiere. Despite this, she worked out an invite, and reportedly cried during most of the movie.

  In Her Own Words:

  “I cried when I saw it. I said ‘Oh God, what have they done’. I really hadn’t wanted Disney to do it – I don’t think he was the man. I had been with him in Hollywood, and he had made me certain definite promises as to about 20 items. And it seemed to me that these promises had not been kept."

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