The Business: Why You Should Shun Offers of Adaptation From Hollywood

Author David Stewart lays out why Hollywood--and this includes its junior leagues in Canada, the UK, the EU, etc.--is no place for an author to take his property.

I would add a caveat here: "If you remain an active party with shot-calling power, this can work for you." This is how we got Peter Jackson's adaptations, despite the known provenance of the legal rights permitting that in the first place. Now that Christopher Tolkien is dead, the Estate's new management gives no fucks and thus allows this defiling to occur. JK Rowling's involvement with the film adaptations of the Potter series is well-known, and likely why they are as good as they got. The instant George Lucas sold his babies, you saw what happened to them.

I also add that we should not presume this to be absent in other film/TV markets. There is no evidence that Bollywood, Japan, Hong Kong, Russia, etc. are not likewise driven by these same problems as they too have the issues of high risk recquiring high reward to pay off and thus are likewise incentivized to go for the safest bets they can manage. That they're not yet afflicted terminally with the Death Cult dogma is a benefit, but there is other baggage to deal with that can easily equal that wickedness.

The difference here is that the Hellmouth increasingly cannot be negotiated with on these matters, whereas rising competitors can be negotiated with in your favor. For now, for as long as it lasts, those competitors should be considered as more viable options than Hollywood if you want to see your books adapted into film or TV and even then don't be like Martin and take the deal before you finish the series.