# Question on which author has had the most movies made from their books



## Rps (May 2, 2009)

My wife and I were discussing which author has had the most movies made from their books. I tried to look it up on a number of sources and could not find a definitive list.

I didn't count Shakespeare as his work was really a script, not a book, Conan Doyle wrote many stores, but not sure if they were turned into books later, DIckens and Christie have to be there as does Patterson, Clancy, King, but who has the most books turned into a movie. Off the top of my head I say Michael Creighton but I can't seem to find any proof.

Whom would you say is the book to movie champ?


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## fellfromtree (May 18, 2005)

Without checking, I'd guess King,


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## bsenka (Jan 27, 2009)

I'm sure Arthur Conan Doyle and Steven King have had the most films made, but most of them were from short stories rather than books.

Agatha Christie? Jules Verne?


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## MannyP Design (Jun 8, 2000)

I'm thinking it might be Stephen King IF you include made-for-TV movies (some people don't consider them as equal) as well as theatrically released movies. Shakespeare was a playwright so you could get him on a technicality. Maybe Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?


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## Jugger Grimrodd (Apr 29, 2010)

I would guess that Agatha Christie would be the author that has had the most books made into movies. That is, if you include TV.

I think William Shakespeare is also a contender, if you include all the different remakes/re-imaginations over the years.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

John Steinbeck and Ernest Hemingway come to mind, in that I loved their books and most of the movies made from these books.


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## eggman (Jun 24, 2006)

*Shakespeare*

according to this:

List of William Shakespeare film adaptations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

which cites the 1999 Guinness Book of Records.

Technically he was a playwright/poet... I wonder who the most filmed novelist/short story writer is?


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

That surely must be the Bond series....?? 22 I think.

tho I would guess if you counted multiples of the same story then Conan Doyle by a mile.



> Between 1921 and 1923 they produced a total of 47 two-reelers,
> 
> The stories of Sherlock Holmes were very popular as adaptations for the stage, and later film, and still later television. Continuing in Pop culture references to Sherlock Holmes. The Universal Sherlock Holmes (1995) by Ronald B. DeWaal lists over 25,000 Holmes-related productions and products.


Adaptations of Sherlock Holmes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

from the same link



> *It has been estimated that Sherlock Holmes is the most prolific screen character in the history of cinema.*[3] The first known film featuring Holmes is Sherlock Holmes Baffled, a one-reel film running less than a minute, made by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company in 1900. This was followed by a 1905 Vitagraph film Adventures of Sherlock Holmes; or, Held for Ransom, featuring Maurice Costello as Holmes.[4]
> Many similar films were made in the early years of the twentieth century, most notably the 13 one- and two-reel films produced by the Danish Nordisk Film Company between 1908 and 1911. The only non-lost film is Sherlock Holmes i Bondefangerkløer, produced in 1910. Holmes was originally played by Viggo Larsen. Other actors who played Holmes in those films were Otto Lagoni, Einar Zangenberg, Lauritz Olsen and Alwin Neuss. In 1911 the American Biograph company produced a series of 11 short comedies based on the Holmes character with Mack Sennett (later of Keystone Cops fame) in the title role.
> The next significant cycle of Holmes films were produced by the Stoll Films company in Britain. Between 1921 and 1923 they produced a total of 47 two-reelers, all featuring noted West End actor Eille Norwood in the lead with Hubert Willis as Watson. A later British series produced between 1933 and 1936 starred Arthur Wontner as Holmes


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## Sonal (Oct 2, 2003)

I believe it is Stephen King.
Media based on Stephen King works - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Quickly counting (including remakes, but NOT counting sequels) I get about 44 theatrically-released movies alone.

Depends on your definitions though.... the James Bond character has been in many movies, but most of them weren't adaptations of Ian Fleming's books.


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## tilt (Mar 3, 2005)

Fleming only wrote 14 books, but there are 22 Bond films (23 if you count the original Casino Royale).

Cheers


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

For English language novel-length books, Charles Dickens I think, with about 100 adaptations--if you exclude TV miniseries.

There are about 50 adaptations of just the Holmes novels and about 10 of _The Lost World_, so Conan Doyle kicks in at about 60.


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## Sonal (Oct 2, 2003)

Ah:
"[Stephen King is] Certified by Guinness Superlatives (the "Book of World Records" group) as having the most number of motion picture adaptations by a living author."

Stephen King (I) - Biography

I'm thinking then, Shakespeare, Dickens, King & then Doyle.


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

Sonal said:


> Ah:
> "[Stephen King is] Certified by Guinness Superlatives (the "Book of World Records" group) as having the most number of motion picture adaptations by a living author."


.... the most number of motion picture adaptations by a* living* author.


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## Sonal (Oct 2, 2003)

Macfury said:


> .... the most number of motion picture adaptations by a* living* author.


Yes I saw that, which is why I changed my answer.


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## fellfromtree (May 18, 2005)

I interpret the question to mean how many books were turned into movies, rather than how many movies were made from a book. So multiple adaptations of the same book would still count as 1.
Or, you could go for the author who has had the highest number of their total published number of books turned into movies.


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

Sonal said:


> Ah:
> "[Stephen King is] Certified by Guinness Superlatives (the "Book of World Records" group) as having the most number of motion picture adaptations by a living author."
> 
> Stephen King (I) - Biography
> ...


I'm guessing more like Shakespeare, Dickens, Robert Louis Stevenson, Doyle, Jules Verne Victor Hugo. Most of the King adaptations are based on short stories or novellas. Only about 20 of the films are based on actual full length novels.


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## hhk (May 31, 2006)

Don't forget Jane Austen.


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## PosterBoy (Jan 22, 2002)

No idea the authority of this, but:

From Print to Film: Authors With the Most Film Adaptations



> Beyond the obvious classics (the Bible, Homer, Shakespeare, and Dickens), which authors have had the greatest number of their works turned into films? Following is a list of some 20th Century authors with the most book-to-film numbers (note: these do not include television shows, only motion pictures):
> 
> 1. Stephen King. With 86 films made from his novels and short stories, He may indeed be The King of print-to-film success. Beginning with Carrie in 1976, film adaptations of his works have been huge commercial hits, including The Shining (1980), Misery (1990), and The Shawshank Redemption (1994). While never as frightening as his books, the films made from Stephen King novels continue to scare the hell out of us to this day.
> 
> ...


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## Rps (May 2, 2009)

PosterBoy i never would have thought about Somerset Maugham..... 64 is an amazing total. I was thinking about King also, and Christie as well. But I think Sonal's post would be the definitive source. But I am certainly surprised by the second place finisher......


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

Rps said:


> PosterBoy i never would have thought about Somerset Maugham..... 64 is an amazing total. I was thinking about King also, and Christie as well. But I think Sonal's post would be the definitive source. But I am certainly surprised by the second place finisher......


I thought your criterion was full-length novels only, as you mentioned in your original post.

Posterboy--that list is only for 20th Century authors, of course.


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