IP adaptation has always been one of the important sources of content output for film and television dramas. In the era of gradually shortening the shooting cycle, popular novels have become a major trend in film and television drama shooting by virtue of their popularity and stable audience groups. From the last century Qiong Yao, Jin Yong, Gu Long and other authors set off a boom in film and television adaptation, to the current Zijin Chen, Ma Boyong and other works have been snapped up by the producers, the popularity of IP film and television has not decreased.
In this article, the TV series TV-insight takes stock of 22 authors and their works that have been successfully filmed and television with 5 or more works for readers' reference.
The big film and television users of the 90s and 00s:
Qiong Yao, Jin Yong, Gu Long
Qiong Yao, Jin Yong, Gu Long, these three people have become an inescapable symbol of contemporary Chinese popular culture, few people like them, from novel fire to movie fire to TV series, the three families eat all.
Qiong Yao is the writer with the largest number of film and television adaptations of novels among non-martial arts fiction works. Starting from the 1965 movie "Cousin Wanjun", Qiong Yao's works officially began the process of film and television. In less than 20 years, as many as 50 films have been adapted from Qiong Yao's novels.
In 1986, Qiong Yao's TV drama era began with "Several Sunset Red". With the launch of "Wanjun", "Deep Rain", "Three Alleys of Plum Blossoms" series, "A Curtain of Dreams" series, and "Huan Zhu Gege" series, Qiong Yao drama has profoundly affected the youth of a generation of Chinese.
Jin Yong wrote a total of 15 martial arts novels in his lifetime, of which 14 were long martial arts novels. According to the statistics of Time Network, Jin Yong's works have adapted and derived a total of 117 film and television dramas (including those that have been filmed but not broadcast), including 16 "The Legend of the Sky and Slaying the Dragon", 15 "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", 14 "The Condor Heroes" (and 1 cartoon), which are still IP film and television classics.
Gu Long is the contemporary Chinese-language writer whose works have been filmed the most. Over more than fifty years, the work has been remade at least 183 times. The works that have been remade 10 times or more include "Peerless Double Pride", "Amorous Swordsman Heartless Sword", "Chu Liuxiang" series, and "Lu Xiaofeng" series. Among them, the "Chu Liuxiang" series has been remade 25 times, which is the most filmed contemporary Chinese novel.
In addition to the above three writers, there are two more worth mentioning. They are Yishu and Zhang Ailing.
Yishu was at his peak and was on a par with Qiong Yao. Her novel "Xibao" has been adapted into a movie twice, and the novels "The Story of the Rose", "The Golden Years", "Picking Up the Flowers", "Jade Pear Soul", "Rouge", "Pearl", "Star Fragments" and "Single Woman" have also been adapted into movies in the last century. After two or three decades, the popularity of Yishu's novel adaptation has not diminished. In 2017, the TV series of the same name adapted from Yishu's novel "My First Half of Life" was broadcast; In 2020, the TV series of the same name adapted from Yishu's novel "Golden Years" was broadcast.
Zhang Ailing's works are known as "paper movies". Among them, "Half Life" was adapted for 3 editions, and "Love in the City" was adapted for 2 editions. Big directors also favor Zhang Ailing. Ang Lee's "Lust and Caution", Guan Jinpeng's "Red Rose and White Rose", Xu Anhua's "Love in the City", "Half Life", "The First Incense"... Zhang Ailing's "Grievance Girl" and "Golden Lock" have also been adapted into film and television works.
10s: Romance film and television adaptations blow out
Suspense authors emerge
The 10s was the era of the explosion of the number of online novels, and the "romance +" theme novel provided a lot of material for film and television works. The "sadistic love" of Bandit I Sicun, Ding Mo's "Suspense Love", and Rao Xueman's "Pure Love" works have all been well received by the market. At the same time, the tomb robbery series such as the third uncle of the southern school and the world's overlord singing have also been moved to the screen, and adaptations have emerged one after another.
Ming Xiaoxi's representative works "Bubble Summer", "Whirlwind Girl", "Ming Ruo Xiaoxi", "There Will Be Angels Love You for Me", "Fire Like Song" and "Rose of the First Night" were adapted into TV series. Among them, "Whirlwind Girl" has achieved outstanding results, and is the 15-year summer ratings champion.
Guo Jingming's "Phantom City", "How Much Flowers Fall in Dreams", "Sadness Against the River", "Summer Solstice Has Not Arrived" and so on have all been adapted into TV series, but unlike other authors who simply sell novel copyrights, Guo Jingming has become the director of his works. From 2012 to 2015, the 4 "Small Times" series of films adapted from his novels grossed 1.8 billion at the box office, and Guo Jingming became one of the most popular film directors of that year. Following "Small Times", Guo Jingming struck while the iron was hot, and the movie "Jue Ji" directed by Guo Jingming was released. In 2023, the TV series of the same name "Cloud Feather" adapted from Guo Jingming's new work, also directed by him, has been completed.
Tonghua became a god with his debut novel "Step by Step", and his subsequent works exploded. The success of the adaptation of "Step by Step", "The Most Beautiful Time", "Desert Ballads" (TV series renamed "Strange Fate in the Wind"), "Song in the Clouds", "Ancient Love Songs" and "Those Young Times That Can't Go Back" has accumulated a lot of popularity for her. Similar to Guo Jingming, she is not only an author and screenwriter, but also the boss of Starlink Film and Television. Since 2013, Tonghua has gradually transformed behind the scenes and done film and television planning. She has successively produced dramas such as "Jinyu Liangyuan", "Give Me Up, Hold Me", "I Like You" and so on. In 2022, he also participated in the film and television work of his work "Sauvignon Blanc".
The 10 adapted TV series "Lonely and Empty Spring Desire", "Too late to say I love you", "Good Season Like a Dream", "Good Period Like a Dream on the Sea of Flowers", "A Thousand Mountains and Twilight Snow", "Le Junkai", "Life Is Like the First Meeting", "Love Switch", "East Palace", "There is You in This Life" I don't know how many tears have earned the audience.
Ding Mo is known as the "suspenseful romance diva". At present, eight novels have been filmed and television, "suspense novel" "He is coming, please close your eyes" and "If the snail has love" are made by the noon sun and are well-made. "Beauty for Stuffing", "You and My Time in the City" and "Dark Clouds Meet the Bright Moon" are all played by first-line actors, and "Mo Negative Cold Summer", "Bright Moon Shines Jiangdong Cold" and "He Neighbors with Moonlight" have all been recorded.
Rao Xueman's main theme is youth, and the box office of the adapted work is not a big hit, but because it is a youth theme, the cost is not high, so the film and television are extremely cost-effective. "Left Ear", "Secret Fruit" (TV series and movie adaptations), "The Golden Castle of the Little Goblin", "Hourglass", "Seventeen Years That Will Hurt" and "Leaving Song" are all filmed.
As a remake of the film and television industry, Jiu Yuexi has purchased the film and television remake rights for 12 novel IPs, and the film and television adaptation is in full swing. The Academy Award for Best Film "Young You" is adapted from her novel "Young You, So Beautiful". "A City, Waiting for You" (the TV series was renamed "My Human Fireworks") and "Little South Wind" (the TV series was renamed "Dark Fire") are all completed and ready to be broadcast; "You Are More Beautiful Than Beijing" (TV series renamed "You Are More Beautiful than Starlight") is being filmed; "White Olive Tree" has also completed the filing of film and television.
Mo Bao Feibao is not only a successful author, but also a mature screenwriter. In addition to his works "Zhou Shengru", "One Life to Live", "Dear, Love", "My Time, Your Time", "In Blizzard" and "I Want to Miss You Very Much" have been adapted, Mo Bao Feibao has also participated in the screenwriting work of "Step by Step", "Why Sheng Xiao Mo" and "The Legend of the Green Hill Fox". It is reported that "In Blizzard", "I Want to Miss You Very Much", "Zhou Shengru", "One Life" and other Mo Bao Feibao's own works, she also served as a screenwriter.
Jiu Lu Fei Xiang is a rookie who has risen in the IP adaptation industry in recent years. At present, he has published 14 works, 7 films and televisions, and Jiu Lu Feixiang focuses on the field of ancient words. In 2019, Jiu Lu Feixiang's first film and television work "Swagger" was broadcast on iQiyi. "Acquaintance with Jun Chu / Just Like the Return of the Old Man" adapted from "The Legend of the Mackerel" and "Canglan Recipe" adapted from the novel of the same name have achieved good results. The upcoming "Seven Times of Good Luck" is adapted from "Impulsive, Seven Lives Are Ominous", "With Feng Xing", "Protecting the Heart" and "Si Mei" are all adapted from the novel of the same name by Jiu Lu Feixiang.
As the author of the first place in the total points ranking of Jinjiang, Priest's works are very popular and influential. P University has a total of 30 works in Jinjiang, of which 13 have signed film and television contracts, "There Are Bandits", "Soul Town", "Tianya Ke", "Mountains and Rivers" and "Silent Reading" have been launched; "Kill the Wolf" has been completed and ready to be broadcast; "Derailment" has been filed.
Although Gu Man's adaptations have not reached five (for 4, the adaptations are popular and representative, so they are specifically listed), her novel adaptations emphasize scarcity and timeliness, the novel is simple and bright, there are no big ups and downs, and the success rate of film and television adaptation is extremely high. Each of her articles can always become the special one in the same period at the time point of film and television. Now when the sweet drama "Shanshan is Coming" was broadcast, it was like a clear stream when palace heroines such as "Beauty Heart Scheme", "The Legend of Wu Meiniang" and "The Legend of Lu Zhen" were popular in mainland film and television dramas; "Why Sheng Xiao Silent" exploded due to the fresh setting of urban beauty + workplace elite reunion after a long absence; "A Slight Smile is Very Alluring" is the first romance drama with the theme of online games in China; "You Are My Glory" first test scientist and big star CP.
In addition to these romance IPs, reality and suspense IPs are also favored by film and television companies.
Anai is good at writing realistic novels. The adapted "Big River" series, "All Very Good", "Ode to Joy" series, "Wind Blowing Half Summer" and "Meet the Season" all have accurate control of the mood of the times, both dramatic and conflictual, and the explosion is well deserved.
Most of the subjects of Yibei's writing are related to urban life. The broadcast "Xiaomin's Family", the completed "Mature Year" and the already filed "Little Day" all focus on the difficulties of family life. In addition, the novel "Baby" and the new work "Flower Road" were also sold for film and television rights.
The third uncle of Nanpai focuses on "tomb robbery" IP. His "Tomb Robbery Notes" series has endured, and the 15-year-old "Battle of the Nu River", the 18-year-old "Sand Sea", and the 22-year-old "Tibetan Sea Flower" were all broadcast on Tencent. In 16 years, after successfully creating "Old Nine Gates", iQiyi has continuously released new adaptations of the "Tomb Robbery Notes" series every year, such as "Reboot of the Extreme Sea Listening Thunder" broadcast in 20 years.
The road to adaptation of the works of the world's hegemony is also relatively optimistic. Among the 5 "Ghost Blowing Lights" series, there are Pan Yueming, Jin Dong version of Hu Bayi, which is more recognized by the public, and "Longling Labyrinth" with 8 points on Douban. "Trek Kunlun Market", "Sinkhole Eagle Hunting" and "River God" 1 and 2 have relatively good reputations.
20s: Ma Boyong and Zijin Chen
Usher in the era of "sell before writing, book in advance"
If we talk about the early IP copyright competition, it is the platform to speed up the construction of its own content library; So starting from Youku joining hands with Zijin Chen and iQiyi holding hands with Ma Boyong, this kind of cooperation between platforms and authors has become a new type of cooperation between platforms and authors from focusing on individual projects to valuing the author's own capabilities.
Ma Boyong and Zijin Chen are one of the most successful writers of Chinese film and television, holding multiple film and television adaptation head IPs.
Ma Boyong's first film and television adaptation was "The Hidden Dragon of the Three Kingdoms". What made him out of the circle was the top-notch-configuration, movie-textured TV series "Chang'an Twelve Hours", and the hottest "Feng Qi Luoyang" in 21 years continued to expand Ma Boyong's influence. In addition to the already broadcast "Three Kingdoms Secret", "Chang'an Twelve Hours", "Antiques Bureau Middle Bureau 1234", "Feng Qi Luoyang", "Feng Qi Longxi" and "Daming under the Microscope", the production of "Chang'an's Lychee" and "Two Beijing Fifteen Days" market is particularly expected.
In his nearly 10-year full-time writing career, Zijin Chen has only written 7 novels. But his novels are more obvious, because the structure is unique and suitable for adaptation, and his works have always been very marketable. From 15 years to the present, all his works have been sold before they are written, and the story is booked directly by the film and television company.
The rights to "High IQ Crime" and "Low IQ Crime" were bought by Alibaba Pictures and are being developed into movies. The latter two works adapted from his works "Undocumented Crime", "Hidden Corner" and "The Silent Truth", the latter two of which were released on iQiyi's "Misty Theater" in 2020, and their reputation exploded, and the Douban score rushed to 9.2 and 9.3, and also opened and ignited the signboard of "Misty Theater".
From the "tomb robbery universe" of the world's tyrant and the third uncle of the southern school, to the "suspense universe" of Zijin Chen and Ma Boyong, "writer IP" is becoming more and more sought after. "Feng Qi Luoyang" has already finalized the film and television plan before the novel of the same name was published, and the writer's personal IP influence has prevailed over the novel itself. This is a stage leap for authors who have always been in a weak position.
epilogue
IP adaptation has accelerated the development of the mainland film and television industry. Fundamentally, as the "source of content", the combination of online literature and "content amplifier" in the film and television industry can often produce a 1+1>2 effect, and IP adaptation helps to improve the efficiency of content construction and production and film and television industrialization.
However, the explosion of IP film and television has led to the imitation creation of more writers of the same type, and the homogenization of web literature has homogenized the TV series adapted from this. A large number of works of the same type have emerged on the market, making the audience aesthetically fatigued.
Secondly, the price problem of the adaptation market is also chaotic. It is understood that the copyright price of IP in Jinjiang Station has risen in recent years. Not only are the big IPs with high popularity selling for a lot of money, but even small short articles with mediocre popularity are often seven-figure asking prices.
With the advent of the pan-entertainment era, the value of the film and television IP industry chain should be re-examined. There is a natural gap between literature and film and television works, and in the process of transformation, how to mine IP with in-depth development value, how to develop it systematically, and how to deal with the relationship between platforms and authors, it is still worth thinking about.