It makes sense for Hollywood to look to the written word for inspiration when it comes to producing new films. But, the sad truth is there's become an over-reliance on using pre-existing material to either find the next big franchise or to capitalise on the success of a bestseller. It's fair enough – these adaptations will always be guaranteed large box office takings thanks to the book's readers merely showing up to see how the film has translated certain parts to the screen.
While there are solid examples of successful big-screen adaptations –
The Lord of the Rings, stray
Harry Potter films,
Gone Girl – there have more than likely been a larger number of botch jobs.