Renowned author George RR Martin, widely known for his epic fantasy series Game of Thrones, has voiced his dissatisfaction with the state of film and TV adaptations in a recent blog post. Criticizing the tendency of adaptations to stray from their source material, Martin stated that they often fail to capture the essence of the original work. According to Deadline, Martin’s remarks stem from a panel discussion with fellow creator Neil Gaiman, who was involved in adapting the comic series Sandman for Netflix.
While Martin refrained from commenting directly on Gaiman’s adaptation, he noted a worrying trend in the industry. Expressing his dismay, Martin lamented, “Everywhere you look, there are more screenwriters and producers eager to take great stories and ‘make them their own.’ It does not seem to matter whether the source material was written by.”
He cited numerous revered authors, emphasizing that even their works are not immune to misguided adaptations. According to Martin, the common notion that adaptations should deviate from the original material to be considered successful is flawed.
“They never make it better,” Martin asserted, suggesting that such attempts often result in inferior versions of the original story, Deadline reported. However, Martin did acknowledge exceptions, citing the FX series Shogun as a rare example of a successful adaptation.
Drawing from his own experience of reading the book by James Clavell, Martin commended both the original miniseries and its recent incarnation for their faithfulness to the source material.
Despite the differences between the old and new adaptations, Martin believes that both versions honour the essence of Clavell’s novel. “Both old and new screenwriters did honour to the source material,” Martin reflects, praising their commitment to preserving the integrity of the original work, Deadline reported.
