Kira Snyder's TV writing exercises

I found this on reddit but I guess it was first on twitter. I've lightly editted the content for readability (completing abbreviations, formatting into a list, deleting hashtags, etc).

Feature film and TV writer Kira Snyder (Eureka (Syfy), The 100 (the CW), The Handmaiden's Tale (Hulu), co-writer of Pacific Rim: Uprising, ...) provides real world production rewrite exercises.

A key part of TV writing that isn’t often taught AFAIK is the Production Rewrite: revisions required by budget, schedule, unforeseen circumstances, etc. So here are some exercises to try with a completed script. For added realism give yourself a time limit, such as a day. Or 2 hrs :-)

1. Your episode is over budget on cast. You can keep your main characters, but reduce your script’s secondary characters by at least 50 percent. (tip: Who can you cut or combine? Can you give dialogue to existing characters?)
2. In prep, the director found a new location everyone loves, including you. Pick a location in your script where at least three scenes take place and rewrite those scenes for a completely different location.
3. Your lead actor has a family emergency and isn’t available for this episode. At all. Rewrite your script without them but you can’t change the story or add new cast. (tip: Can another character step up to carry the story?)
4. Yikes! The network suddenly has decided they hate your B-story and shooting starts tomorrow. Write a new B-story without changing any of its locations or cast or your A-story.
5. Your director isn’t making their day (finishing all scheduled scenes) and there’s no time or budget for pickups. Cut three pages from your script. Oh, and it has to be from the second half of the script because the 1st half has already been shot.
6. It’s raining cats and dogs. Pick your script’s most important exterior location, or one used for several scenes, and rewrite it to be indoors.
7. Due to how the schedule worked out, half your day scenes need to be night and half your night scenes need to be day. Make it so in your script, and not just slug lines. Look at content and location. (tip: You may need to restructure the episode.)
8. More budget headaches. You can keep your script’s B-story but you have to rewrite it to take place in one location.
9. Cool! The network is willing to spring for a big guest star in this episode. But they need a bit more in your script to entice said star. Without changing page count, add two juicy scenes for a key (but not lead) character.
10. Ack! The actor playing one of your main characters has an injury. They’ll be okay but can’t stand, walk, or run for this episode. Rewrite all their scenes so they are seated or lying down.
11. You’re out of money for the episode (notice a theme here?). Find the most expensive element of your script – e.g. action set piece, elaborate visual special effects scene, anything with kids, animals, or water – and rewrite your script to get rid of it.
12. Surprise! Your network is changing their episode format (maybe to sell more commercials 🙃) and your episode’s already in prep. Rewrite your script to include one more act break than it currently has.
13. You’re about to shoot the most important scene of your script. The actors love the scene but their dialogue, not so much. Change all of the dialogue but not the story. Extra credit: do it in 30 minutes because the crew’s almost ready to shoot.

Howard Hawks' narrative story structure

Some notes on narrative story structure employed by Howard Hawks, as gleaned from Gerald Mast’s biography Howard Hawks, storyteller.

Howard Hawks is famous for using Ben Hecht or Charles Lederer or William Faulkner as screenwriters on his films, and is not well-known as a screenwriter himself. None-the-less, he write many of his earliest films, and was known to rewrite many others. For example, the idea to make Hildy female (as in his version of The Front Page that Hawks titled His Girl Friday) was his, although Charles Lederer (and uncredited Ben Hecht) wrote the script. A quick look at his filmography will show you he kept writing into the 1960s (fyi, he was born in the 1890s). Mast’s book describes Hawks’ four part screenplay structure:

• Part 1: The prologue. This part either (a) establishes conflict in the past or present of the major characters, or (b) initiates a conflict among the major characters.
• Part 2: Develop this central conflict from the point of view of one of the major characters, or let the perspective (or lifestyle) of one of the major characters dominate the action.
• Part 3: Either (a) allow another one of the major characters to dominate the action, or (b) develop conflict by allowing two (or more) major characters to work together.
• Part 4: Resolve the central conflict, often by returning to the physical setting in the prologue, but now the opposing characters see each other in a new light.

The first and last part match up well with most other “screenplay structure” suggestions, parts 2 and 3 seems to me like more of a stylistic structural component that he superimposed on a script. In any case, here is an example using one of my favorite movies. Example: His Girl Friday. Part 1 involves (a) Hildy’s divorce from Walter and her planned marriage to Bruce, (b) the important to-be-written newspaper story of the execution of an innocent man. Part 2 involves Walter scheming behind Hildy’s back to (a) get Hildy to work on the newspaper article for him, (b) to block Bruce’s efforts to get him out of town. Part 3 involves Hildy writing the article (and in the process discovering how much she loves being a good reporter) and helping to save the innocent convict. Part 4 involved Bruce leaving, and Hildy and Walter becoming reunited.

A selection of adapted comedies

I'm leaving out movie sequels (such as Toy Story 3), remakes not based on a novel (e.g., based on another movie, such as James Cameron's True Lies, Blake Edwards' Victor/Victoria or Billy Wilder's Some Like It Hot), or movies adapted from TV series (such as Borat or In the Loop). While they are technically adaptations, I'm focusing more on feature film adaptations from books or plays where the main language is English.

Based on Novels/Books

1. Yes Day (2021), based upon the 2009 children's book of the same name by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld. [justwatch.com]
2. Emma (2020) and Emma (1996), based on the 1815 novel of the same name by Jane Austen. [justwatch.com for 2020 version, justwatch.com for 1996 version]
3. How to Build a Girl (2019), based on her 2014 novel of the same name written by Caitlin Moran who also wrote the script. [justwatch.com]
4. JoJo Rabbit (2019), based on the 2008 novel Caging Skies by Christine Leunens. Screenwriter Taika Waititi (who also acted in and directed the film) won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. [justwatch.com]
5. BlacKkKlansman (2018), based on the 2014 memoir Black Klansman by Ron Stallworth. [justwatch.com]
6. Crazy Rich Asians (2018), based on the 2013 novel of the same title by Kevin Kwan. [justwatch.com]
7. A Futile and Stupid Gesture (2018), based on Josh Karp's 2006 (non-fiction) book of the same name. [justwatch.com]
8. Freaky Friday (2018) and Freaky Friday (2003) and Freaky Friday (1976), all based on the 1972 children’s novel of the same name written by Mary Rodgers. The 2018 version is a musical. There is also a 1995 made-for-TV version. [justwatch.com for 2018 version, justwatch.com for 2003 version, justwatch.com for 1976 version]
9. The Little Hours (2017), loosely based on the first and second stories of day three of ten of The Decameron, a collection of novellas by Giovanni Boccaccio, a 14th-century Italian writer. [justwatch.com]
10. Love & Friendship (2016), based on Jane Austen's epistolary 1794 novel Lady Susan. [justwatch.com]
11. Maggie's Plan (2015), based on an original story by Karen Rinaldi (later published as the 2017 novel The End of Men). This script, written by Rebecca Miller, is published in book form and available from amazon.com. [justwatch.com]
12. The DUFF (2015), based on the 2010 novel of the same name by Kody Keplinger. [justwatch.com]
13. Hector and the Search for Happiness (2014), based on François Lelord's novel of the same name (published in 2002, translated to English in 2010). [justwatch.com]
14. Inherent Vice (2014), based on Thomas Pynchon's 2009 novel of the same name. Paul Thomas Anderson's script was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. [justwatch.com]
15. Silver Linings Playbook (2012), based on Matthew Quick’s 2008 novel of the same name. David O. Russell was nominated from an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. However, he won the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. [justwatch.com]
16. Pitch Perfect (2012), loosely based on Mickey Rapkin's 2009 non-fiction book, titled Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate a Cappella Glory. [justwatch.com]
17. Warm Bodies (2013), based on Isaac Marion's 2010 novel of the same name (which in turn is inspired by Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet). [justwatch.com]
18. Red (2010), loosely inspired by the 2003-2004 Homage Comics limited series of the same name by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner. [justwatch.com]
19. Julie and Julia (2009), based on two books: My Life in France, Child's 2006 autobiography written with Alex Prud'homme, and a 2005 memoir by Powell, Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously. The screenplay by Nora Ephron (who also directed) was nominated for a WGA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. [justwatch.com]
20. Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009), based on the first two entries in the Shopaholic series of novels by Sophie Kinsella. [justwatch.com]
21. The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009), based on Rebecca Miller's 2008 novel of the same name. (While classified as a comedy/drama and technically Pippa Lee qualifies as a "comic non-hero", there aren't many laughs in this excellent film. Trivial fact: Rebecca Miller is playright Arthur Miller's daughter.) [justwatch.com]
22. Meet the Robinsons (2007), loosely based on the 1990 children's book A Day with Wilbur Robinson by William Joyce. While poorly reviewed, this is another one of my favorite films. [justwatch.com]
23. The Devil Wears Prada (2006), based on Lauren Weisberger's 2003 novel of the same name. Screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna was nominated by both the WGA and BAFTA for the Best Adapted Screenplay award. [justwatch.com]
24. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), based Douglas Adams' 1979 novel of the same name. (That novel was, in turn, based on Adams' comedy radio show from 1978.) [justwatch.com]
25. Mean Girls (2004), based in part on Rosalind Wiseman's 2002 non-fiction self-help book, Queen Bees and Wannabes. Screenwriter Tina Fey was nominated by the WGA for Best Adapted Screenplay. [justwatch.com]
26. Sideways (2004), based on Rex Pickett's 2004 novel of the same name. Screenwriters Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. They also won the Award for Best Adapted Screenplay from both BAFTA and the WGA. [justwatch.com]
27. About a Boy (2002), based Nick Hornby's 1998 novel of the same name. Screenwriters Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz and Peter Hedges were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. [justwatch.com]
28. About Schmidt (2002), very loosely based on the 1996 novel of the same title by Louis Begley. The screenplay by Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor was nominated for the WGA for Best Adapted Screenplay and won the Golden Globe award for best screenplay. [justwatch.com]
29. Adaptation (2002), which is technically an adaptation (as material from the 1998 novel The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean is used), it's really a self-referential comedy about a screenwriter and his twin struggling to write the adaptation. The screenplay by Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, a WGA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, A Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay, and won the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Note: Donald Kauffman is Charlie Kauffman's fictional brother (a character in this film), but still is given writing credit on the award. [justwatch.com]
30. Ghost World (2001), based on the 1993-1997 comic book of the same name by Daniel Clowes. he screenplay by Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff was nominated for the WGA for Best Adapted Screenplay. [justwatch.com]
31. Shrek (2001), loosely based on the 1990 fairy tale picture book of the same name by William Steig. [justwatch.com]
32. Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), based on Fielding's 1996 novel of the same name, which is a reinterpretation of Jane Austen's 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice. [justwatch.com]
33. Legally Blonde (2001), based on Amanda Brown's 2001 novel of the same name. [justwatch.com]
34. High Fidelity (2000), based on the 1995 British novel of the same name by Nick Hornby. Screenwriters D. V. DeVincentis, Steve Pink, John Cusack, and Scott Rosenberg were nominated for the WGA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. [justwatch.com]
35. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), based on the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer. Screenwriters Joel and Ethan Coen were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. [justwatch.com]
36. Stuart Little (1999), oosely based on the 1945 novel of the same name by E. B. White. [justwatch.com]
37. Election (1999), based Tom Perrotta's 1998 novel of the same name. Screenwriters Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor won the WGA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and was nominated for an Academy Award in that category. [justwatch.com]
38. Mansfield Park (1999), based on Jane Austen's 1814 novel of the same name. See also the 2007 made for TV film Mansfield Park, also based on the book. [justwatch.com]
39. The Parent Trap (1998) and The Parent Trap (1961), based on the 1949 children’s novel by Erich Kästner Lottie and Lisa (originally in German, with the title Das doppelte Lottchen). [justwatch.com 1998 version, justwatch.com 1961 version]
40. Primary Colors (1998), adapted from Joe Klein's 1996 novel Primary Colors: A Novel of Politics. The screenwriter Elaine May was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. She was also nominated by the WGA for Best Adapted Screenplay. She won the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. [justwatch.com]
41. Wag the Dog (1997), based on the 1993 novel American Hero by Larry Beinhart. The screenplay by The screenplay by Scott Frank was nominated by the WGA for Best Adapted Screenplay. was nominated by the WGA for Best Adapted Screenplay. [justwatch.com]
42. To Die For (1995), based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Joyce Maynard, which in turn was inspired by the story of Pamela Smart. [justwatch.com]
43. Clueless (1995), loosely based on Jane Austen's 1815 novel Emma. [justwatch.com]
44. Get Shorty (1995), based on Elmore Leonard's novel of the same name. The screenplay by Scott Frank was nominated by the WGA for Best Adapted Screenplay. [justwatch.com]
45. Forrest Gump (1994), based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. Screenwriter Eric Roth won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published. [justwatch.com]
46. Mrs Doubtfire (1993), based on the 1987 novel Alias Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine. [justwatch.com]
47. The Player (1992), written by Michael Tolkin, based on his own 1988 novel of the same name. Tolkin was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, nominated by the WGA for Best Adapted Screenplay, and he received an Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay. [justwatch.com]
48. Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), based on the 1987 novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg (who also co-wrote the screenplay). Screenwriters Fannie Flagg and Carol Sobieski were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. They were also nominated by the WGA for Best Adapted Screenplay. [justwatch.com]
49. Doc Hollywood (1991), based on Neil B. Shulman's 1979 book What? Dead...Again?. See also the 2006 Pixar movie Cars. [justwatch.com]
50. Father of the Bride (1991) and Father of the Bride (1950), based on the 1949 novel by Edward Streeter. The 1950 screenplay by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett was nominated for an Academy Award for best adapted screenplay. [justwatch.com for the 1991 film, justwatch.com for the 1950 film]
51. Postcards From the Edge (1990), based on Carrie Fisher's 1987 semi-autobiographical novel of the same title. Screenwriter Carrie Fisher was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. [justwatch.com]
52. The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990), based on the best-selling 1987 novel of the same name by Tom Wolfe. [justwatch.com]
53. The Princess Bride (1987), adapted by William Goldman from his 1973 novel of the same name. His screenplay was also nominated by the WGA for Best Adapted Screenplay. [justwatch.com]
54. Heartburn (1986), based on Nora Ephron's 1983 novel of the same name, a semi-biographical account of her marriage to Carl Bernstein. [justwatch.com]
55. Brewster’s Millions (1985), based on the 1902 novel of the same name by George Barr McCutcheon, was adapted into a film in 1914, 1921, 1935, 1945, and 1985 (starring Richard Pryor). [justwatch.com]
56. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), written by Cameron Crowe adapted from his 1981 book Fast Times at Ridgemont High: A True Story. Crowe's screenplay was nominated for a WGA Award for best comedy adapted from another medium. [justwatch.com]
57. Who am I This Time? (1982), based on the 1961 short story of the same name by Kurt Vonnegut (published in the Saturday Evening Post magazine, originally titled My Name is Everyone). This is another one (besides Heavy Weather) that should not be on this list -- it's a made-for-TV movie. But I love everything about it. A great film, IMHO. Try to watch it if you can. [justwatch.com]
58. Being There (1979), based on the 1970 novel of the same name by Jerzy Kosiński. The screenplay by Jerzy Kosiński won the BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay, won for the Writers Guild Association award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Mediumm and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay. [justwatch.com]
59. Starting Over (1979), based on Dan Wakefield's 1973 novel of the same title. The screenplay by James L. Brooks was nominated for the Writers Guild Association award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium. [justwatch.com]
60. Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (1978), based on the 1976 novel Someone Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe by Nan and Ivan Lyons. The screenplay by Peter Stone was nominated for the Writers Guild Association award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium. [justwatch.com]
61. Oh, God! (1977), based on the 1971 novel of the same name by Avery Corman. Larry Gelbart's screenplay was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and won the Writers Guild award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium. [justwatch.com]
62. Semi-Tough (1977), based on the 1972 novel of the same name by Dan Jenkins. The screenplay by Walter Bernstein was nominated for the Writers Guild Association award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium. [justwatch.com]
63. Family Plot (1976), based on Victor Canning's 1972 novel The Rainbird Pattern. The screenplay by Ernest Lehman was nominated for the Writers Guild Association award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium. [justwatch.com]
64. The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings (1976), based upon William Brashler's 1973 novel of the same name. The screenplay by Hal Barwood and Matthew Robbins was nominated for the WGA Award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium. [justwatch.com]
65. The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974), based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Mordecai Richler. The screenplay by Mordecai Richler and Lionel Chetwynd won the Writers Guild Association award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium. [justwatch.com]
66. Paper Moon (1973), adapted from the 1971 novel Addie Pray by Joe David Brown. The screenplay by Alvin Sargent was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium. It won the WGA Award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium. [justwatch.com]
67. Pete and Tillie (1972), based on based on the 1968 novel Witch’s Milk by Peter De Vries. Screenwriter Julius J. Epstein was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. [not listed on justwatch.com]
68. Travels with My Aunt (1972), loosely based on the 1969 novel of the same name by Graham Greene. The screenplay by Jay Presson Allen and Hugh Wheeler was nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium. [justwatch.com]
69. A New Leaf (1971), based on the short story The Green Heart by Jack Ritchie (John George Reitci), which first appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, March 1963. The screenplay by Elaine May was nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium. [justwatch.com]
70. Kotch (1971), based on the 1965 novel of the same name by Katharine Topkins. The screenplay by John Paxton was nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium. [not on justwatch.com]
71. Where's Poppa? (1970), based on the 1970 novel of the same title by Robert Klane. The screenplay by Robert Klane was nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium. [justwatch.com]
72. M*A*S*H (1970), based on Richard Hooker's 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors. [justwatch.com]
73. Catch-22 (1970), adapted from the 1961 novel of the same name by Joseph Heller. The screenplay by Buck Henry was nominated for the WGA Award for Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium. (My italics to Drama added. - wdj) [justwatch.com]
74. Gaily, Gaily (1969), adapted from a 1954 autobiographical novel by Ben Hecht called A Child of the Century. The screenplay by Abram S. Ginnes was nominated for a WGA Award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium. [not on justwatch.com]
75. Candy (1968), based on the 1958 novel of the same name by Terry Southern and Mason Hoffenberg, itself based on Voltaire's 1759 Candide. [justwatch.com]
76. The Graduate (1967), based on Charles Webb's 1963 novel of the same name. This was directed by Mike Nichols, who won the Academy Award for Best Director that year. Buck Henry and Calder Willingham's screenplay was nominated for an Academy Award for best adapted screenplay. [justwatch.com]
77. The Silencers (1966), a spy-thriller parady loosely based upon the 1962 novel The Silencers by Donald Hamilton, and also adapts elements of Hamilton's first Helm novel, Death of a Citizen (1960). [justwatch.com]
78. The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966), based on the 1961 Nathaniel Benchley novel The Off-Islanders. William Rose's screenplay was nominated for an Academy Award for best adapted screenplay. [justwatch.com]
79. Man's Favorite Sport? (1964), based on the magazine story "The Girl Who Almost Got Away" by Pat Frank (which first appeared in the July 1950 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine). [justwatch.com]
80. Dr Strangelove (1964), loosely based on Peter George's thriller novel Red Alert (1958). Stanley Kubrick, Peter George and Terry Southern's screenplay was nominated for an Academy Award for best adapted screenplay. [justwatch]
81. Tom Jones (1963) and The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones (1973), are based on Henry Fielding's classic 1749 novel The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. John Osborne's script for the 1963 film won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. It won the BAFTA Award for Best British Screenplay. It won the Writers Guild of Great Britian Award for Best British Comedy Screenplay. [justwatch.com for 1963 film, justwatch.com has no entry for the 1973 film]
82. Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), based on Truman Capote's 1958 novella of the same name. George Axelrod's screenplay was nominated for an Academy Award for best adapted screenplay. [justwatch.com]
83. Auntie Mame (1958), based on the 1955 novel of the same name by Edward Everett Tanner III (under the pseudonym Patrick Dennis) and its 1956 theatrical adaptation by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee. [justwatch.com]
84. Lucky Jim (1957), adapted from the 1954 novel Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis. [justwatch.com]
85. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), based on the 1949 stage musical of the same name which was, in turn, based on the 1925 novel of the same name by Anita Loos (who also co-write the stage musical). The screenplay by Charles Lederer was nominated by the WGA for Best Written Musical. [justwatch.com]
86. I Was a Male War Bride (1949), based on I Was an Alien Spouse of Female Military Personnel Enroute to the United States Under Public Law 271 of the Congress, a biography of Henri Rochard, a Belgian who married an American nurse, and based on Male War Bride Trial to Army, Baltimore Sun 1947, by Henri Rochard. [justwatch.com]
87. Ball of Fire (1941), based on the (apparently undated, unpublished) short story From A to Z by Thomas Monroe and Billy Wilder. [justwatch.com]
88. Mr and Mrs Smith (1941), a screwball comedy by Alfred Hitchcock based on an unpublished short story by Norman Krasna under the original working titles of "Who Was That Lady I Seen You With?" and "No for an Answer" (Krasna also wrote the screenplay). Trivia: RKO bought the short story at the encouragement of Carole Lombard (who eventually starred in the movie) and then Hitchcock was hired. Lombard died shortly after the film was released in an airplane crash. [justwatch.com]
89. Bringing Up Baby (1938), adapted by Dudley Nichols and Hagar Wilde from a short story by Wilde which originally appeared in Collier's Weekly magazine on April 10, 1937. [justwatch.com]
90. The Thin Man (1934), based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Dashiell Hammett. This was followed by several sequels: After the Thin Man (1936), Another Thin Man (1939), Shadow of the Thin Man (1941), The Thin Man Goes Home (1945), Song of the Thin Man (1947). After the Thin Man was based on an original story by Dashell Hammett. The screenplay by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett for that film was nominated for an Academy Award for best adapted screenplay. Dashell Hammett's story the film is based on was not previously published but was written for the movie. However, that was the last of the series to involve Dashell Hammett in the writing process. For example, the story for the next one, Another Thin Man, was written by Anita Loos. The married couple Goodrich and Hackett wrote the screenplays for the first three films. [justwatch.com for 1934 film, justwatch.com for 1936 film/a>, justwatch.com for 1939 film, justwatch.com for 1941 film, justwatch.com for the 1945 film, justwatch.com for the 1947 film]

Based on Plays

1. Twelfth Night (2018), full-text adaptation of William Shakespeare's play of the same name. [justwatch.com, however it is on amazon prime even though justwatch doesn't list it]
2. Much Ado About Nothing (2012), adapted for the screen, produced, and directed by Joss Whedon, from William Shakespeare's play of the same name. There is also a 1993 adaptation by Kenneth Branagh. [justwatch for 2012 version, justwatch for the 1993 version]
3. Mamma Mia! (2008), based on Catherine Johnson's 1999 musical of the same name. [justwatch.com]
4. As You Like It (2006), based on the Shakespearean play of the same name. There are several other adaptations, such as the one in 1936 starring L. Olivier. [justwatch.com]
5. She's the Man (2006), inspired by William Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night. [justwatch.com]
6. A Good Woman (2004), based on the 1892 play Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde. [justwatch.com]
7. The Importance of Being Earnest (2002) or TIOBE (1952) and others, all based on Oscar Wilde's classic 1895 play of the same name. [justwatch.com for 2002 film, justwatch.com for 1952 film]
8. Deliver us from Eva (2003), a modern update of William Shakespeare's play The Taming of the Shrew. [justwatch.com]
9. My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), started as a one-woman play written by and starring Nia Vardalos in the summer of 1997. However, it is technically not adapted from her play for reasons I don't understand. In any case, the screenplay by Nia Vardalos was nominated for both an Academy Award and a WGA Award for Best Original Screenplay. [justwatch.com]
10. Love's Labour's Lost (2000), based on the comic play of the same name by William Shakespeare. [justwatch.com]
11. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), based on the play Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare. [justwatch.com]
12. The Birdcage (1996), based on Jean Poiret's 1973 play La Cage aux Folles. Elaine May wrote the screenplay, which was nominated for a WGA award (Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published). Several other films (such as La Cage aux Folles in 1978) were also adapted from this play. [justwatch.com]
13. Twelfth Night (1996), adapted from William Shakespeare's play of the same name. [justwatch.com]
14. Noises Off (1992), based on the 1982 play of the same name by Michael Frayn. The play was nominated for a Tony Award. [justwatch.com]
15. Switch (1991), based on George Axelrod's 1959 play Goodbye Charlie (and the 1964 film of the same title). [justwatch.com]
16. Switching Channels (1988), based on Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur's 1928 play The Front Page. It is also a remake of the 1940 film His Girl Friday. (See also Front Page (1974) below.) [justwatch.com]
17. Roxanne (1987), based on Edmond Rostand's 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac. The screenplay by Steve Martin won the WGA Award for Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. [justwatch.com]
18. Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), based on the 1919 French play Boudu sauvé des eaux. The screenplay by Paul Mazursky and Leon Capetanos was nominated for the WGA Award for Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. [justwatch.com]
19. Crimes of the Heart (1986), based on Beth Henley's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1979 play of the same name. [justwatch.com]
20. The Canterville Ghost (1986), based on the 1887 short story "The Canterville Ghost" by Oscar Wilde. There is also a version made in 1985 and one from 1944. The other remakes are dramatic, not comedy. [justwatch.com 1944 version]
21. Just One of the Guys (1985), loosely adapted from William Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night. [justwatch.com]
22. Educating Rita (1983), with a screenplay by Willy Russell based on his 1980 stage play of the same name. [not on justwatch.com]
23. California Suite (1978), based on the 1976 play of the same name by Neil Simon. [justwatch.com]
24. Heaven Can Wait (1978), Harry Segall's 1938 play of the same name. The script was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (Elaine May and Warren Beatty). The film Down to Earth (2001), starring Chris Rock, is also based on the play, as is Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941). For the 1941 version, Harry Segall won the Academy Award for Best Story (an award that ended in 1956), while Sidney Buchman and Seton I. Miller won for Best Screenplay. [justwatch.com for 1978 film, justwatch.com 1941 film, justwatch.com 2001 film]
25. The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975), based on the 1971 play of the same name by Neil Simon. [justwatch.com]
26. The Sunshine Boys (1975), based on the 1972 play of the same name by Neil Simon. The screenplay (also written by Neil Simon) was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay, nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay, and won the WGA Award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium. [justwatch.com]
27. The Front Page (1974), also based on Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur's 1928 play of the same name. [justwatch.com]
28. Phantom of the Paradise (1974), a loosely adapted mixture of several classic European works: Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera, Oscar Wilde's 1890 The Picture of Dorian Gray, and Faust by Goethe/Christopher Marlowe. [justwatch.com]
29. Avanti! (1972), based on the play of the same name by Samuel Taylor, which had a short run on Broadway in 1968. Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond were nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium, and nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay. [justwatch.com]
30. Little Murders (1971), based on the 1967 play of the same name by Jules Feiffer (who also wrote the screenplay), was nominated for the WGA Award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium. (Not to be confused by The Little Murders of Agatha Christie which is a French TV comedy based on the works of Christie.) [justwatch.com]
31. The Owl and the Pussycat (1970), based upon the 1964 play of the same name by Bill Manhoff. The script by Buck Henry was nominated for Writers Guild of America Award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium. [justwatch.com]
32. Cactus Flower (1969), based on the 1965 Broadway play of the same name written by Abe Burrows, which in turn was based upon the French play Fleur de cactus by Pierre Barillet and Jean-Pierre Gredy. The screenplay by I.A.L. Diamond was nominated for a WGA Award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium. [justwatch.com]
33. McLintock! (1963), loosely based on William Shakespeare's play The Taming of the Shrew. [justwatch.com]
34. Sabrina (1954), based on the 1953 play Sabrina Fair by Samuel A. Taylor. Another adaption with the same name was made in 1995. [justwatch.com 1954 version, justwatch.com 1995 version]
35. Kiss Me Kate (1953), inspired by William Shakespeare's play The Taming of the Shrew. [justwatch.com]
36. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), based on Joseph Kesselring's 1941 play of the same name. (Trivia note: This was remade as a made-for-TV film in 1962 with Boris Karloff, who was also in the original play production.) [justwatch.com]
37. The Philadelphia Story (1940), based on the 1939 play of the same name by Philip Barry. The screenplay by Donald Ogden Stewart won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Trivia note: MGM remade the film in 1956 as a musical, retitled High Society. [justwatch.com]
38. His Girl Friday (1940), also based on the 1928 play The Front Page by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur. If I had to pick a "most favorite" film it would be this one. The screenplay and film are in the public domain. I've written other blog posts on this film. [justwatch.com]
39. Twentieth Century (1934), adapted by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur from their 1932 Broadway play of the same name, itself based on the unproduced play Napoleon of Broadway by Charles Bruce Millholland. [justwatch.com]

Based on Wodehouse There were several TV series based on the works of PG Wodehouse (e.g., Blandings and Jeeves and Wooster), as well as stage plays and radio plays. There were also a number of silent movies. We list only the more recent narrative movies in English, and those based on a novel or play (not simply using Wodehouse characters).

1. Piccadilly Jim (2004), based on the 1917 comic novel Piccadilly Jim by P. G. Wodehouse. Film adaptations were also made in 1919 and in 1936. [justwatch.com]
2. Heavy Weather (1995), based on the 1933 novel Heavy Weather by P. G. Wodehouse. This is a TV film, so should not be on this list, but I love this film. It stars the brilliant Peter O'Toole. Please watch it if you can. [this film is not on justwatch,com]
3. The Girl on the Boat (1962), based on the 1922 novel of the same name by P.G. Wodehouse. [no entry for this film on justwatch.com]
4. Anything Goes (1936 film) and Anything Goes (1956 film), each a musical-comedy adapted from the 1934 stage musical Anything Goes by Guy Bolton, and P.G. Wodehouse (music by Cole Porter). [justwatch.com for 1956 version]
5. A Damsel in Distress (1937), loosely based upon the P.G. Wodehouse 1919 novel of the same name (and on the 1928 stage play written by Wodehouse and Ian Hay). [justwatch,com]

Mel Brooks Adaptations by the one and only Mel Brooks.

1. The Twelve Chairs (1970), based on the Russian 1928 novel The Twelve Chairs by Ilf and Petrov. (According to wikipedia, it is one of at least 18 film adaptations of that novel.) Writer/director Mel Brooks was nominated by the Writers Guild of America for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium. [not on justwatch,com]
2. Young Frankenstein (1974), Mel Brooks’ spoof of the various film adaptations of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. [justwatch,com]
3. Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), Mel Brooks’ spoof of the various film adaptations of the Robin Hood story. (The story goes back to at least the 1400s but was recorded, for example, in Howard Pyle's 1883 children’s novel The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood.) [justwatch,com]
4. Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995), Mel Brooks’ spoof of the various film adaptations of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula, as well as spoofing the novel itself. [justwatch.com]