The process of transforming a story already written in another medium (novel, stage play, short story) into a motion picture treatment or screenplay.

An adaptation is a film that has been adapted from another literary source. These sources include: novels (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), short stories (In the Bedroom), plays (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), novellas (The Man Who Would Be King), articles (Adaptation), non-fiction books (Jarhead) and, increasingly, video games (Resident Evil). Critics and audiences alike often note that some adaptations are more "faithful" than others to the original text. But filmmakers counter that the pruning and shaping of source material is often necessary to successfully create the dramatic moments that are essential in film as a medium. What many commentators seem to agree on is that if a film captures the spirit, if not word for word or page for page, of the original text, then the adaptation is successful. So a film like A Beautiful Mind may not stick to the details of mathematician John Nash's life, but what we get is a dramatic retelling of that life that highlights and even exaggerates the life elements that make for a more cohesive story.

the presentation of one art form through another medium; a film based upon, derived from (or adapted from) a stage play (or from another medium such as a short story, book, article, history, novel, video game, comic strip/book, etc.) which basically preserves both the setting and dialogue of the original; can be in the form of a script (screenplay) or a proposal treatment Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) is a very faithful rendering or adaptation of Edward Albee's play of the same name; also, Gone With the Wind (1939) was adapted from Margaret Mitchell's novel, and Apocalypse Now (1979) was taken from Joseph Conrad's Hearts of Darkness.

a film based on a pre-existing work, usually a novel or stage play. Also see literal adaptation and loose adaptation.

a written work (as a novel) that has been recast in a new form; "the play is an adaptation of a short novel"

taking literature and converting into a script/screenplay

Putting existing material e.g. a novel, into screenplay format. Involves choosing which aspects of the story do and don't make it onto the screen.

1) The rewriting of a work written in a different genre or medium than it was originally written. For example, turning a novel into a play would be an ADAPTATION 2) the translation of a work from one language to another

Rewriting of fact or fiction for film presentation, usually in the form of a completed screenplay, or a proposal treatment.

a reinvention of an existing story or play. Includes turning novels into plays, plays into musicals, or making changes in language or plot.

a script which is based on another medium such as a novel, a short story, a play, an article, a comic book, a video game, etc.

A rewrite or reworking of a piece for another medium, such as the adaptation of a novel for the screen. ( see: screenplay)