Authors who hated the cine adaptation of their book

“The cinema killed me”.
The transition from paper to the big screen is necessarily a complex exercise that leads to mixed reactions among readers, but also among authors. For an esteemed saga like Harry Potter, whose cast has almost been different , a bunch of other films, often adored by critics, have been massacred by the brains behind the original work. Do not touch my book!
Stephen King – “Shining”
The master of the horror novel sees red as soon as he is told about Stanley Kubrick’s film, which would have totally distorted his work as he told Rolling Stone magazine: “The book is hot, the film is cold; Book ends in flame, the film ends in the ice ” . Among the main grievances is the lack of nuance in the character of Jack Torrance : “In my book, there is a narrative sequence where Jack Torrance tries to be good, and it is gradually that he arrives at a Stage of madness (…) When I saw the film, Jack appeared to me insane from the first scene ” . But the worst character remains according to him, that of Wendy, who would only shout from beginning to end (“a screaming mop”
Bret Easton Ellis – “American Psycho”
The author has always maintained that his novel was impossible to transpose on screen because he is interested in consciousness and “we can not really show the complexity of this sensitivity . ” The film would make the character of Patrick Bateman for a monster, when the novel “is much more ambiguous” . It was not more tender with the adaptation of “The Informers” in 2008, film on which he nevertheless worked the script but which made a real oven to the cinema. “This film does not work for a lot of reason, but I do not think any of these reasons come from me . ” The art of questioning …
Uderzo – “Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra”
Co-author of the comic strip with Goscinny (died in 1977), Uderzo is the one who still preserves the Gallic spirit of Asterix and Obelix. And it has long been said that the draftsman / scriptwriter had little taste of the 2nd opus released in the cinema, “Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra” . He reproached Alain Chabat for having distanced himself from the original work, with a much too much Canal humor, and secondary characters that erased Asterix and Obelix. Albert Uderzo, who was certainly cornered by the 15 million spectators who went to theaters, and the cult status of the film, now prefers to temper, assuring him that he is not angry with Alain Chabat: “I was just A bit annoyed because it is not what I ‘
Roald Dahl – “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”
It’s a constant: Roald Dahl hates all the adaptations of his books. With a fierce hatred for the most famous of them, the “Charlie and the Chocolaterie” of 1971 . Pell-mell, he said the film is “lame” , director Mel Stuart “has no talent” , and as for Gene Wilder – the actor who plays Willy Wonka – “it was pretentious and not dynamic enough for the role ” .
Ken Kesey – “Flying over a Cuckoo’s Nest”
Despite the 1976 Oscars (Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Script), Ken Kesey never wore the adaptation of Milos Forman in his heart. While basically, he was motivated by the project and had joined the trick, before slamming the door … two weeks later. He has long recounted that he had never seen the film, although his wife confessed after his death, that he was pleased that the feature was born.
Richard Matheson – “I’m a Legend”
For Richard Matheson, the cinema has lacked respect twice to his work. In 1964 first, where “The Last Man on Earth” did not really pack it: “I am disappointed by this film even if they have more or less followed my story . ” Although he appreciated it a lot, the main actor Vincent Price was “a casting error” . Same in 2007 with the Will Smith version which will make him say: “I do not understand why Hollywood is so fascinated by my book while nobody there ever takes the trouble to film it as I wrote . ”
Winstom Groom – “Forrest Gump”
Winstom Groom was downright bad. He is one of the few to spit on Robert Zemeckis’ film, which would have distorted his work, obscuring important moments of the book, as well as raw language and sex scenes. The choice of Tom Hanks appeared to him as fanciful since in his book, Forrest Gump measures 2m and weighs 110 kgs (he wanted the actor John Goodman instead). Although Winston Groom has not been revered for financial reasons, despite having negotiated a 3% profit on the Paramount, the studio did not spin it, as the film would have Lost money. He will sue them and win. Very well, he wrote in 1995, in the following of his novel: “Never leave someone”