30 Best Movie Rights Deals That Came From Books
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So many films have been based on books. There’s an entire Academy Award category dedicated to best-adapted screenplays, and although the book is almost universally better than the movie, having the visual component lends itself to audiences who can’t quite imagine everything in their heads.
Plus, a two-hour film is easier to ingest than several-hundred pages of a book. It’s unfortunate, but it’s reality given our busier-than-ever lifestyles.
Authors rarely get rich off selling the rights to their books, even to film companies. If they’re lucky they’ll earn a portion of box-office sales, or their book sales will take off in the aftermath of a successful film. But many of the authors referenced here got borderline screwed by these deals, while the movie producers got some serious bargains.
Here are the 30 best book-to-movie rights deals in history.
30. Spider-Man
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Year deal took place: 1999
Price of movie rights: $10 million
Why "Spider-Man" was such a good deal: Marvel Comics (more on them later) was in dire straits financially in the mid-1990s. So, when Sony purchased the rights to Spider-Man with designs of making a feature film, one that ultimately starred Tobey Maguire, it gave the legendary superhero shop a much-needed financial boost. Unfortunately, it also separated what is now known as the MCU, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, leaving Spider-Man on the outside of the Disney-owned comic book empire.
Note: The terms of most book-film rights deals are kept private, so these were the best deals that were in the public domain.
29. The Da Vinci Code
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Year deal took place: 2003
Price of movie rights: $6 million
Why "The Da Vinci Code" was such a good deal: It is officially the largest single book rights deal in the history of cinema. So, why is it such a great deal? Because Dan Brown’s epic, which he sold to Columbia Pictures for the staggering $6 million amount, did more than $200 million at the box office in its opening weekend and pulled in more than $700 million from theaters globally. That’s a pretty solid return on investment.
28. Fifty Shades
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Year deal took place: 2012
Price of movie rights: $5 million
Why "Fifty Shades" was such a good deal: Let’s be real here. E.L. James’ steamy book trilogy wasn’t particularly well-written, nor necessarily should it have become more than your average paperback love story sold in a grocery store. Yet, for some reason, the book about Anastasia Steele and her kinky boyfriend Christian Gray became one of the most legendary series of all time and fetched James a stunning amount of money on both book sales and film rights. So, why is "Fifty Shades" on this list? Because it fetched more than $1.3 billion in box-office sales, which makes the multimillion-dollar film rights cost look like a pittance.
27. Harry Potters 1-4
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Year deal took place: 1998
Price of movie rights: $2 million
Why "Harry Potter" was such a good deal: J.K. Rowling got her money, particularly from post-movie book sales and the rights to future films. Plus, she negotiated a portion of box-office sales as part of her rights deal. But Warner Brothers must also feel like it stole something when they purchased the rights to the first four films that grossed more than $3.5 billion in box-office sales and led to "Harry Potter" becoming the most lucrative franchise in the history of film.
26. Jurassic Park
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Year deal took place: 1990
Price of movie rights: $1.5 million
Why "Jurassic Park" was such a good deal: Michael Crichton created the book "Jurassic Park," about the legendary park that brought dinosaurs back from extinction then sold the rights and screenplay to Universal for $2 million. The film went on to gross more than $1 billion in box-office sales and the subsequent films — “The Lost World,” also based on Crichton’s sequel, Jurassic Park III and Jurassic World — combined for more than $2.5 billion in box-office revenue, plus merchandise and more.
25. The Devil Wears Prada
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Year deal took place: 2003
Price of movie rights: $600,000
Why "The Devil Wears Prada" was such a good deal: It was a story most could relate to. A harrowing tale of a young woman trying to get her career started while dealing with a toxic work environment — namely created by an awful boss. So, Fox Searchlight cut Lauren Weisberger the six-figure check for the rights to her bestselling book of the same name, and the feature film, starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep, grossed more than $320 million in box-office receipts.
24. Forrest Gump
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Year deal took place: 1992
Price of movie rights: $350,000
Why "Forrest Gump" was such a good deal: Winston Groom produced the original “Forrest Gump” novel that the now-legendary Paramount film was based on, even though Groom’s vision of Gump varied demonstrably from that of the film's director. Groom received $350,000 plus 3 percent of the film’s net profits — which he later had to sue to receive the full complement of. “Forrest Gump” made more than $678 million in box-office sales and earned six Oscars, including Best Picture.
23. Lord of the Rings
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Year deal took place: 1969
Price of movie rights: £250,000 (about $330,000)
Why "Lord of the Rings" was such a good deal: J.R.R. Tolkien produced the legendary three-part series in the 1950s and then sold the film rights to the trilogy to United Artists reportedly in order to settle a tax bill. Fortunately, Tolkien also negotiated a percentage of future movie revenue, which the author’s estate later sued to receive after the films were unveiled in the early 2000s — the suit was reportedly settled out of court. The movie trilogy grossed roughly $3 billion in box-office sales, and the prequel “Hobbit” series, which was also part of the rights deal, also fetched about $3 billion in box-office sales after that trilogy was released.
22. Jaws
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Year deal took place: 1973
Price of movie rights: $175,000
Why "Jaws" was such a good deal: Peter Benchley, the novel’s original author, wrote such a compelling book that two Universal Studios producers reportedly snatched up the movie-rights deal before his novel hit shelves in 1974. Benchley made millions on the book’s success but less than $200,000 on the film rights. “Jaws” went on to make more than $470 million at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing film ever until “Star Wars” was released. A sequel, "Jaws II," went on to make more than $200 million at the box office, too.
19. James Bond (Tie)
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Year deal took place: 1961
Price of movie rights: $50,000
Why "James Bond" was such a good deal: It’s nearly impossible to put a price tag on the cultural impact Bond films have had, but if you had to, it would certainly be multiple times greater than the $50,000 sum Ian Fleming received from Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman in the early 1960s. Fleming retained ownership of “Casino Royale,” but that seems like a small consolation for the pittance he got in exchange for the film franchise that has surpassed $7 billion in worth over the past 60 years.
19. Gone With The Wind (Tie)
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Year deal took place: 1936
Price of movie rights: $50,000
Why "Gone With The Wind" was such a good deal: The $50,000 that David Selznick paid author Margaret Mitchell was an exorbitant sum, the largest rights purchase in film history at the time. Still, the now legendary 1939 film that starred Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh grossed nearly $400 million at the box office — a stunning amount, particularly given that it was the 1930s. Ironically, Selznick sold the film rights for 10 times what he paid Mitchell, in a deal that was still remarkably low given the fact purchaser John Whitney sold the rights yet again to MGM for nearly $3 million in 1942 so that the studio could own the film outright.
19. Schindler’s List (Tie)
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Year deal took place: 1983
Price of movie rights: $50,000
Why "Schindler’s List" was such a good deal: Let’s be honest: The story of Schindler’s List was not told to net a profit. Film director Steven Spielberg passed on taking a salary reportedly saying it would be “blood money,” and the film was only greenlit after Spielberg directed “Jurassic Park” a year earlier. So, when Universal Pictures gave Thomas Keenally, author of “Schindler’s Ark,” the check for $50,000 in exchange for his book’s rights, the jury was out on how much return they would get. The answer: $322 million at the box office, 12 Academy Award nominations and seven wins, including Best Picture and one for Spielberg as Best Director in 1994.
18. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
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Year deal took place: 1967
Price of movie rights: $47,000
Why "One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest" was such a good deal: Kirk Douglas so enjoyed the novel by Ken Kesey that he purchased both film and stage rights for the project in the late 1960s. Douglas created the main character R.P. McMurphy for the stage adaptation and hoped he’d be able to play it. Unfortunately, he was too old in Hollywood’s mind to play the role, which later went to Jack Nicholson in the film adaptation. Kirk’s son Michael went on to produce the film, which had a budget of about $4 million yet made more than $160 million at the box office and continues to live on as a cult classic in film lore.
17. The Wizard of Oz
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Year deal took place: 1933
Price of movie rights: $40,000
Why "The Wizard of Oz" was such a good deal: Sam Goldwyn purchased the rights to L. Frank Baum’s classic children’s novel in 1933 for MGM to create the now-classic film. However, “Wizard” had a bloated budget of nearly $3 million and was initially deemed a flop due to its $3 million box office sales after its initial release. But the film became a classic after subsequent re-releases as the final box-office count exceeds $30 million, and it continues to make MGM money due to its showings on cable and streaming capabilities.
16. Trainspotting
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Year deal took place: 1995
Price of movie rights: About $38,000
Why "Trainspotting" was such a good deal: Trainspotting is a fast-paced cult classic made by Danny Boyle that made more than $70 million at the box office. But the film, based on Irvine Welsh’s 1993 novel of the same name, was entirely financed by Film4 productions, and it was said they purchased the rights to Welsh’s novel for “2 percent of the film’s budget,” which was £1.5 million (about $2 million). Welsh wasn’t entirely screwed by the deal since book sales took off after the film’s rousing success.
15. Lawrence of Arabia
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Year deal took place: 1960
Price of movie rights: £22,500 (About $29,000)
Why "Lawrence of Arabia" was such a good deal: Film producer Sam Spiegel famously said he acquired the rights to T.E. Lawrence’s book, "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" (about his first-hand experience fighting in World War I), for “a song.” Spiegel and director David Lean, turned that film into a box-office smash, earning more than $70 million and earning 10 Oscar nominations and seven Academy Award wins.
14. Blade
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Year deal took place: 1992
Price of movie rights: $25,000
Why "Blade" was such a good deal: We discussed Marvel’s major misses earlier with "Spider-Man," but "Blade" is arguably the comic book giant’s biggest failing. Marvel was cash-strapped in the 1990s and was still reeling from the 1986 flop “Howard the Duck.” Thus, Marvel licensed "Blade" to New Line Cinemas for just $25,000, and the Wesley Snipes blockbuster became the first major Marvel blockbuster. The movie made more than $131 million at the box office after its 1998 release and set the table for two decades of superhero films that aren’t close to slowing down.
13. The Graduate
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Year deal took place:
Price of movie rights: $20,000
Why "The Graduate" was such a good deal: Author Charles Webb was famously nonmaterialistic, so much so that The New York Times referred to him as “running from” the success of his debut, 1963 novel for the rest of his life. Webb sold the film and stage rights adaptations for just a small sum to producer Joseph Levine — who later paid Webb an extra $10,000 due to the film’s incredible success. "The Graduate" made more than $104 million at the box office and another $80 million-plus in rentals and is one of the most iconic films in history. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards, and director Mike Nichols won Best Director.
12. The Great Gatsby
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Year deal took place: 1926
Price of movie rights: $16,666
Why "The Great Gatsby" was such a good deal: Granted, $16,666 in 1926 was worth more than $200,000 today, but F. Scott Fitzgerald’s take on his most famous work paled in comparison to the $400 million three film adaptations earned at the box office — most notably the $350 million-plus that the 2013 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio fetched.
11. Revolutionary Road
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Year deal took place: 1967
Price of movie rights: $15,500
Why "Revolutionary Road" was such a good deal: It took more than 40 years for "Revolutionary Road" to transform to the big screen, yet its adaptation is almost entirely due to the work of Albert Ruddy, who purchased the rights to Richard Yates’ novel in the late 1960s, and actor Patrick O’Neal. Ruddy sold his rights to O’Neal, who dedicated his life to getting the book adapted to film. Unfortunately, O’Neal died in 1994. The film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, came out in 2008. BBC Films purchased it from the O'Neal estate and ultimately netted more than $70 million at the box office. Sometimes, these things are worth the wait.
10. The Godfather
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Year deal took place: 1969
Price of movie rights: $12,500
Why "The Godfather" was such a good deal: Mario Puzo created the now-legendary book about the Corleone family, which became a bestseller and the inspiration for three of the greatest films ever done. So, why did Puzo only get $12,500 for his work? Because he sold the rights to the film to Paramount Pictures before he finished the novel. Puzo received an extra $50,000 because the film got made, so he wasn’t left completely high and dry, but the film netted more than half-a-billion dollars at the box office and won nine Academy Awards — including Best Picture for both "The Godfather" and "The Godfather Part II."
9. Hope Springs
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Year deal took place: 1998
Price of movie rights: €10,000 (About $11,000)
Why "Hope Springs" was such a good deal: We described Charles Webb’s disinterest in money earlier in reference to his sale of "The Graduate." Yet, the sale of his novel "New Cardiff," which later became the film "Hope Springs," for roughly $11,000 went toward the establishment of a Creative Minority award for artists who are forced to live in a society not conducive to their work. The 2003 film that starred Colin Firth, Minnie Driver and Heather Graham brought in more than €1 million at the box office in the U.K.
8. Fight Club
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Year deal took place: 1996
Price of movie rights: $10,000
Why "Fight Club" was such a good deal: If we’re not supposed to talk about Fight Club, maybe we could also spare author Chuck Palahniuk the details of his 1996 novel that he sold for $10,000 to FOX. The film came in with a bloated budget of more than $60 million but is the pre-eminent cult film of our time, producing more than $100 million in box-office sales and an additional $50 million-plus in video/DVD sales. Palahniuk got some kickback from the film’s success, and he has since cashed in on comic-book sequels and his bestseller "Choke," which was also turned into a film.
7. Psycho
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Year deal took place: 1959
Price of movie rights: $9,500
Why "Psycho" was such a good deal: Alfred Hitchcock had a knack for securing movie rights for little money and turning them into some of the greatest films of all time. "Psycho" is the best example of this since author Robert Bloch received a pre-tax sum of less than $7,000 — after Simon & Schuster’s cut plus 10 percent to his agent — and nothing thereafter for the rights to his 1959 novel. Hitchcock turned the film into a $50 million box-office wonder, with four Academy Award nominations, and what is widely considered his finest film.
6. Maltese Falcon
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Year deal took place: 1930
Price of movie rights: $8,500
Why "Maltese Falcon" was such a good deal: The film has become one of the greatest of all time, earning Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, yet may never have reached the big screen if not for Warner Brothers’ purchase of all rights, including sequels, from Dashiell Hammett, who published the initial book in 1930. Warner Brothers subsequently released a pair of films, including the 1941 version, which starred Humphrey Bogart and made more than $1 million at the box office. Hammett, according to SFGate, ended up ruing the decision to sell while being blacklisted and going to prison under the House Un-American Activities Committee and died of alcoholism.
5. Strangers on a Train
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Year deal took place: 1950
Price of movie rights: $7,500
Why "Strangers on a Train" was such a good deal: As he did with "Psycho," Hitchcock took advantage of an opportunity to collect a terrific story at a low cost and turn it into a classic film. Hitchcock kept a low profile while negotiating the deal but ultimately paid Patricia Highsmith, the author of the book by the same title, a small sum in exchange for the rights to the story about Guy Haines and Bruno Antony. Highsmith later said she was “annoyed” upon finding out it was Hitchcock who gave her such a pittance and claimed she parted with the rights in part due to the fact it was her debut novel and didn’t know what she should receive. Hitchcock turned the film into a classic, making $7 million at the box office and earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography.
4. Chocolat
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Year deal took place: 1999
Price of movie rights: €5,000 (About $5,600)
Why "Chocolat" was such a good deal: It was a rare deal that worked out for all parties. Joanne Harris told The Telegraph that she sold the rights for just a few thousand euros in 1999. The film, starring Johnny Depp, Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench and many others, went on to produce more than $152 million in box-office sales. Yet, upon learning that Harris produced the original work that inspired the film, her book became a bestseller and sold more than 1 million copies worldwide. Each of her subsequent novels have also been bestsellers.
3. Shawshank Redemption
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Year deal took place: 1994
Price of movie rights: $5,000
Why "Shawshank Redemption" was such a good deal: Stephen King, who is notorious for selling the rights to his films for very little money, received a check from director Frank Darabont for $5,000 for the rights to his 1982 novel. Darabont’s film, which lost to “Forrest Gump” for best picture at the 1994 Academy Awards, didn’t light up the box office but has become legendary through video and DVD rentals and sales and is a mainstay on cable. Plus, King never cashed the check, reportedly returning the promised sum back to Darabont with the inscription “in case you ever need bail money.”
2. Superman
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Year deal took place: 1938
Price of movie rights: $130
Why "Superman" was such a good deal: Arguably DC Comics’ most iconic brand sold from a pair of cartoonists for less than the price of a bag of groceries. Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel parted with the rights to Superman in exchange for the small sum plus a bit of extra work, and as an added ironic insult to injury, the check that DC used to purchase Superman’s rights sold in auction for $160,000 in 2016. Aside from buoying the DC comic strips, Superman was featured in more than 20 films, including four of DC’s top 10 most lucrative motion pictures ever.
1. Crazy Rich Asians
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Year deal took place: 2013
Price of movie rights: $1
Why "Crazy Rich Asians" was such a good deal: Because anyone could’ve purchased it for less than the price of a drip coffee. Well, not anyone. But the point is Kevin Kwan, the author of the bestselling book, bucked Warner Brothers and Netflix to option his movie rights for just a buck so he could retain creative control of the film, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Kwan wanted his influential novel, based in Singapore about a girl marrying into a royal family from Southeast Asia, to become an influential film, too, which it did when it had the first all-Asian cast of any film in more than 25 years. The film earned more than $200 million at the box office and will spawn a sequel, and Kwan got his payout — both financially and metaphorically.