Jamie Neish: Adaptations not always a sure thing

Daniel Radcliffe playing Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Picture: PA

Book adaptations have increasingly been seen as no-brainers by film studios. They’re almost certified to make a splash as they come with their own legion of fans.

And for a while they did. Whether it was blockbusters (Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings) or smaller films (The Constant Gardener or last year’s The Fault in Our Stars), easy profits have been made, and awards have even been won in the process.

But in the past few years it’s slowly become clear that book adaptations may not be the be all and end all. Fewer films of existing book properties are making as much money as expected, particularly the ones that require bigger budgets.