The New Gold Rush of Book Adaptations?

Hollywood is going back to books and it's paying off. HAIL MARY, THE HOUSEMAID, WUTHERING HEIGHTS, VLADIMIR, PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION. The adaptations are coming fast and from every corner of the literary world.

It would be easy to just assume studios are playing it safe, that they're leaning on proven IP, built-in fanbases, and the validation of an existing readership to reduce risk in an uncertain market. And there's truth in that. The numbers back it up: original movies made up just 40% of ticket sales last year, while adaptations consistently generate around 55% more revenue than their original counterparts.

But there's another way to read it. Audiences are not just responding to familiarity, they're responding to stories with deep worlds. To characters that feel real. To the kind of emotional specificity that a well-written novel carries in its bones. In a landscape flooded with content, books offer something increasingly rare: a reason to care before the trailer comes out. And gives studios the freedom to can explore other mediums.

So is Hollywood going back to safety? Maybe. Or most likely, audiences want elevated stories with a less predictable structure — and the industry is, for once, listening.

For writers. the opportunity is hiding in plain sight. Write a short story, a memoir, a graphic novel, a blog… The IP doesn't have to be famous. It just has to be the right story at the right moment. Producers are actively looking for material with a built-in foundation, and writers who bring both the creative instincts and the underlying rights to the table are walking in with an enormous advantage. The adaptation boom isn't the death of original stories; it's an invitation to own your story across formats.

This Week in the Writers' Room

The Pitch Tank with Nicole Tossou- Wednesday, March 25th at 4pm PT!

This Wednesday, March 25th at 4pm PT, we welcome Nicole Tossou, Executive Producer of THE NIGHT AGENT Season 3 on Netflix and most recently featured in Deadline for Executive Producing Halle Berry's upcoming FX series MOTHER DOOM, for a live Pitch Tank inside the Writers' Room.

Four writers will pitch their projects directly to Nicole, receive real-time feedback, and one writer will walk away with a script request.

If you would like to join the Writers’ Room, access weekly events, submit to dozens of open writing assignments, and attend exclusive pitch tanks with industry executives- click HERE for a free trial!

This Week’s Exciting Announcements!

This week, we're spotlighting a talented Stage 32 Writer and Performer, Michael Oosterom.

Congratulations to Stage 32 member and PAGE Award Winner Michael Oosterom who was announced as a Nicholl Finalist!

Michael Oosterom is a Los Angeles based actor/improvisor/puppeteer who has performed leading roles in series on Amazon Prime, Netflix and Disney + with Sid and Marty Krofft Productions and The Jim Henson Company. He's the former Production Manager for Jim Henson's Creature Shop and has puppeteered on numerous projects with The Muppets. He's an alumni of The Groundlings Sunday Company and an ensemble member of Brian Henson's live improvisational comedy puppet show Puppet Up: Uncensored! For younger audiences he's written stage adaptations of Hans Christian Andersen and Shakespeare. He wrote and directed the web series AdvoCat and co-hosted the podcast Nerd Like Me. His stage career has included roles with The San Francisco Mime Troupe, The California Shakespeare Festival, The Wilma Theater & The American Conservatory Theater. Gold Prize winner, 2025 PAGE International Screenwriting Awards.

See Michael's Stage 32 Profile here!

The Stage 32 + Mark Creative Management Film & TV Drama Screenwriting Contest Quarterfinalists Have Been Announced!

We're thrilled to reveal the quarterfinalists in this year's Stage 32 + Mark Creative Management Film & TV Drama Screenwriting Contest — and the scripts are now available for producers, managers, and executives to review. With 80 writers advancing from a highly competitive field, the talent on display is exceptional. If you're looking for your next drama feature or TV pilot, this is exactly where you want to be looking.

The Grand Prize Winning screenwriter will receive:

• Development placement for script development and packaging with Mark Creative Management
• Career Accelerator Prize Package ($4,000 value) including script development, career consulting, writer branding, and comprehensive education resources
• Personal Mentorship Track with dedicated 1:1 career development sessions from our success team
• Industry Marketing Campaign promoting winner to our exclusive roster of 2,500+ managers, agents, producers, and executives
• Strategic Partnership where Stage 32 and Mark Creative Management executives collaborate to prepare your project to take directly to market

Our Finalists will receive:

Our Finalists will receive a Career Momentum prize package valued at $1,500, including Career Development, a Writer Branding Workshop and an Education package, and will have your logline featured in a Stage 32 Look Book sent to over 2,500+ top entertainment industry executives, giving your work unparalleled exposure!

But that’s not all! Everyone who makes the Semi-Finals will receive a Career Breakthrough prize package valued at $1,000, our Quarterfinalists will receive a Career Elevation prize package valued at $500, and all Entrants will get a prize package valued at $100!

Today's Ask Me Anything Event with Producer Nikita S. Adams in the Producing Lounge!

If you want a clear understanding of how projects actually get made in today’s IP-driven market, this is a conversation you should not miss.

Today in the Producing Lounge, veteran executive and producer Nikita S. Adams is hosting a FREE 24-hour Ask Me Anything focused on one of the most important areas of the business right now: how to develop source material and IP into a series or film.

With over 25 years of experience across film, television, and representation, Nikita has worked at the highest levels of the industry. Her career includes development and production on projects like HBO’s LIFE SUPPORT starring Queen Latifah, selling IP-based projects to Amazon, MAX, and Paramount, and leading television development at Folding Chair Productions with an overall deal at Warner Bros Television.

She has also held key roles at BET, New Line Cinema, 20th Century Fox Television, Hallmark, Jamie Foxx’s Foxx/King Entertainment, and Forest Whitaker’s Junto Films, before transitioning into representation at Paradigm and A3, where she championed writers, talent, and production companies across the industry.

In other words, she has seen this business from every angle.

Throughout the AMA, Nikita will be answering your questions about the creative and business side of adaptation, how to position yourself in an IP-driven marketplace, what buyers are actually looking for, and how to approach developing material that can sell in today’s environment.

If you’re an author, screenwriter, producer, filmmaker, or creative looking to understand how to navigate the current landscape, where books, true stories, and existing IP dominate development conversations, this is a rare opportunity to learn directly from someone who has been doing this at a high level for decades.

Nikita will be answering questions all day for 24 hours, so take advantage of it!

Click here to join in and ask your questions now!

Need help navigating the industry? Contact success@stage32.com

Stage 32 has hundreds of opportunities. Reach out to our success team at any time for personal guidance and career advice.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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