Best Adapted Screenplay of What?
As I’m sure you know, the Oscars have two awards for writing, original & adapted screenplay. I personally have never written a screenplay of any kind and imagine that doing so, whether it’s an original idea or an adaptation, comes with challenges either way. This years 5 nominees for Best Adapted Screenplay find root in a variety of sources, and in this article we will just take a quick look at what these films are based in.
Bugonia based on Jang Joon-Hwan’s film, ‘Save the Green Planet!’ - You may not realize it, but Yorgos Lanthimos’ most recent film outing was actually an English-language remake of a 2003 South Korean film. Written & directed by Jang Joon-Hwan, Jang was actually set to direct the remake, but had to be replaced due to health concerns. He still received a credit for executive producing on a film that features an extremely similar plot, with some slight variations in character’s genders, relationships, etc.
Frankenstein based on Mary Shelley’s novel, ‘Frankenstein’ - You probably had absolutely no idea that Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 film was actually based on some old book. I of course kid, as this is one of the most well known novels of all-time, with many film adaptations to its name. I read an interesting stat that this film film has the 4th longest amount of time between the source material and the film itself, with a 207-year gap between them.
Hamnet based on Maggie O’Farrell’s novel, ‘Hamnet’ - Now the book itself is based on the real death of William Shakespeare & Anne Hathaway’s son, Hamnet. The book is a fictionalized account that focuses on the grief of his parents and subsequent writing that stemmed from William’s grief. The book’s author, Maggie O’Farrell, actually teamed up with filmmaker, Chloé Zhao, to write the film’s screenplay.
One Battle After Another based on Thomas Pynchon’s novel, ‘Vineland’ - This is probably the loosest adaptation, though the film finds its basis in this novel nonetheless. PTA had said for years that he wanted to adapt the novel, a favorite of his, and he finally did, to much success. The film features similar characters & dynamics, though the names are changed and the film is brought into a more modern setting, with the 1990 book being set from the 1960s-1980s.
Train Dreams based on Denis Johnson’s novella, ‘Train Dreams’ - A Pulitzer finalist, this 2011 novella focuses on the life of the fictional Robert Grainier, a railroad laborer who lives a simple, but tragic, life. The film is a really stunning work that takes the same story, with a few slight creative changes to the screen. Interestingly, the narrator of the film, Will Patton, also did the audio recording of the book, which I know want to listen to because his narration was phenomenal.
Wow that was a short article. Good for me. Usually I’m way too long winded.
