6

Which author has had the most books adapted for film ?

By this I mean actual novels that were released before the film (and not novelisations of films or screenplays or graphic novels/comics). Short stories are counted a 'books' too.

Also, please count the books not the films so multiple adaptions of 'Dracula' for example only count as one book.

Improve this question
8
  • 1
    are you counting number of movies or number of books adapted? Multiple adaptations of the same work will skew the count radically versus an author who has had many distinct works adapted. Bram Stoker would score well on movies but all from a single book, Dracula; Agatha Christie would score many adaptations of many books.
    – matt_black
    Commented Feb 28, 2017 at 12:59
  • @matt_black - question edited
    – Pat Dobson
    Commented Feb 28, 2017 at 13:01
  • 4
    Ian Fleming is going to take some beating. Then again, John le Carré & Agatha Christie could be formidable opponents...
    – Tetsujin
    Commented Feb 28, 2017 at 13:15
  • 1
    @Tetsujin Or Shakesepeare.
    – matt_black
    Commented Feb 28, 2017 at 13:36
  • @Chenmunka - Close enough to be recognisable - so 'No' to World war Z and 'Yes' to I am legend
    – Pat Dobson
    Commented Feb 28, 2017 at 14:37

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
6

Not counting sequels or remakes, Stephen King has ~40 based directly from a novel, novella or short story authored by him, with 4 more adaptations in the pipeline for 2017.

To Get to near 40, I did count Creepshow sequels that used previously unadapted King short stories. I invite spot checks of my hasty tally :)

Improve this answer
13
  • 1
    My first thought was King or Crichton, but King probably wins.
    – Darren
    Commented Feb 28, 2017 at 16:35
  • 1
    @Chaim, but most of Dickens and Shakespeare are remakes of the same handful of stories. Plus, Shakespeare was not an author even if he has had more than 40 plays adapted into films.
    – Darren
    Commented Feb 28, 2017 at 16:59
  • 1
    @Chaim Shakespeare has exactly 36 original works (Get out of here Bacon & Marlowe...) that have been adapted and re-adapted. I was counting unique adaptations, that being, the first adaptation of a unique work. No Carrie remakes and no Children of the Corn IIs, neither of which have basis in a unique, previously unadapted work.
    – Ross
    Commented Feb 28, 2017 at 17:02
  • 1
    @Chaim, Shakespeare was a playwright, not an author.
    – Darren
    Commented Feb 28, 2017 at 17:14
  • 2
    Agatha Christie seems like a good bet for someone who might beat King. IMDB lists 148 films or TV series crediting her sources (14 books of short stories and 66 novels). And it counts series not stories so the count of unique stories might be quite high.
    – matt_black
    Commented Feb 28, 2017 at 19:13
-5

Facetious answer: God probably wins if you count the number of films that are based on the Bible.

Two more that might be in with a shout:

Arthur Conan Doyle - I'm sure every Sherlock Holmes novel and short story has probably been adapted in some fashion.

Edgar Rice Burroghs - Depends on how many Tarzan films are direct adaptations of stories he wrote. Plus John Carter (of Mars).

Improve this answer
3
  • 1
    God's my favorite author
    – BlueMoon93
    Commented Feb 28, 2017 at 16:40
  • Oh dear, down voters don't have a sense of humour?
    – Darren
    Commented Feb 28, 2017 at 17:46
  • 3
    Down voted because it really isn't a very good answer. All I see is "probably" and "depends on".
    – user25738
    Commented Feb 28, 2017 at 17:48

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .