As many of you know, I try to keep up on what’s being sold down in the old
H-W. So after analyzing the recent sales posted on Done
Deal Pro, I was slightly disheartened.
Out of the 21 sales:
9 – Adaptations (comic books, graphic novels, novels, video games)
5 – Original Specs (2 of which are under Hilary Swank’s prod co)
3 – Remakes of films (the original films were adaptations of books or
true stories)
2 – Based on characters created previously (Sherlock Holmes, Merlin)
2 – Based on true stories
What this tells me is that in addition to working on our spec screenplays,
it behooves us to work on other forms of storytelling. I converted a script
treatment to a graphic novel treatment out of frustration with all the N-Os. Ironically,
the same reason why my script wasn’t viable (period) made it a non-viable property
for a graphic novel. These days the comic books companies have deals with
the studios, so they are looking at titles that can be dropped into the pipeline
for films. So if you’re writing a graphic novel, think about how it could translate
to the screen and what types of logistical limitations there are.
Sad to say, with the media/entertainment world so highly integrated vertically
and horizontally, we as writers have to be aware of how this will impede our
ability to make sales.
On other comic book adaptations for film, get this…Liev Schreiber as Sabertooth in the upcoming Wolverine movie. WTF!
That makes no sense at all. I guess if Hugh Jackman can be Wolverine then the casting makes sense. Can’t actually have someone badass playing Tooth. That would make Hugh looking extra-wimpy. I have little faith in this thing.
