Episode 16 - Excalibur with Bryan Wigmore

[paranoid marvin]

This is not anywhere within my domain of actual knowledge, but isn't the alteration of stories granted as part of selling the movie and TV rights to a story?

For anyone watching Star Wars today, Greedo shot first. Whether you watch it on Disney, terrestrial or buy the Blu-Ray. This is not the 'directors cut' or a 'special edition' it's how the movie is and (presumably) always will be. The fact that it changes the character of who Han Solo is is significant (to some extent) in connection to the plot, but that is how it is, and (in a couple of decades) no-one will probably even realise or care any more.

As far as books go (and as far as I am aware) somewhere in the small print at the front of the book it will tell you who owns the copyright and when it was first issued; but nowhere what revisions have been made. I wonder just how many revisions can be made before it has to be sold as a 'new' piece of work, or at least have noticeable disclaimers before purchase?

For someone like Tolkien for whom his writing was a major part of his life, what would h think of others after his death revising, adding to, or removing text? Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Terry Pratchett wished to have his unfinished work destroyed, so that others couldn't put his name to work that he hadn't approved.

 

[The Judge]

This is not anywhere within my domain of actual knowledge, but isn't the alteration of stories granted as part of selling the movie and TV rights to a story?

I've not seen a contract for selling TV/film rights so I can't say for sure, but I'd be amazed if there wasn't something of the kind there -- a film necessarily changes things from eg a novel, and we have probably all read about authors who are upset how their work has been treated but who can't do anything about it as the producers were within their rights according to the contract.

By coincidence, this evening I've actually read a news report on a playwright who refuses to allow his work to be changed and consequently has had his plays rejected by theatre companies who want to change the wording, and he's planning to put something in his will, presumably to bind his literary executors, to ensure that they don't permit his work to be changed after his death, either.