An adaptation is a transfer of a

work of art A work of art, artwork, art piece, piece of art or art object is an artistic creation of aesthetic value. Except for "work of art", which may be used of any work regarded as art in its widest sense, including works from literature ...

from one style, culture or medium to another. Some common examples are: *

Film adaptation A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...

, a story from another work, adapted into a

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

(it may be a novel, non-fiction like journalism, autobiography, comic books, scriptures, plays or historical sources). * Literary adaptation, a story from a literary source, adapted into another work.For a critique of the literary roots of adaptation studies and its attendant methodologies, see Simone Murray
"Materializing Adaptation Studies: the Adaptation Industry". Literature/Film QuarterlyVol. 36, No. 1 (2008), pp. 4-20
/ref> A

novelization A novelization (or novelisation) is a derivative novel that adapts the story of a work created for another medium, such as a film, TV series, stage play, comic book, or video game. Film novelizations were particularly popular before the advent ...

is a story from another work, adapted into a novel. *

Theatrical adaptation In a theatrical adaptation, material from another artistic medium, such as a novel or a film is re-written according to the needs and requirements of the theatre and turned into a play or musical. Elision and interpolation Directors must mak ...

, a story from another work, adapted into a

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

. * Video game adaptation, a story from a video game, adapted into media (e.g. film, anime and manga, and television) * Musical adaptation, a play or a film, adapted from another work, that uses musical numbers as a storytelling device. * Translation of another work Adaptation studies, an interdisciplinary field within the arts and humanities, examines the process and implications of transforming a work from one medium to another.

Types of adaptation

There is no end to potential media involved in adaptation. Adaptation might be seen as a special case of intertextuality or intermediality, which involves the practice of transcoding (changing the code or 'language' used in a medium) as well as the assimilation of a work of art to other cultural, linguistic, semiotic, aesthetic or other norms. Recent approaches to the expanding field of adaptation studies reflect these expansions of our perspective. Adaptation occurs as a special case of intertextual and intermedial exchange and the copy-paste culture of digital technologies has produced "new intertextual forms engendered by emerging technologies—mashups, remixes, reboots, samplings, remodelings, transformations— " that "further develop the impulse to adapt and appropriate, and the ways in which they challenge the theory and practice of adaptation and appropriation."

History of adaptation

The practice of adaptation was common in ancient Greek culture, for instance in adapting myths and narratives for the stage (

Aeschylus Aeschylus (, ; ; /524 – /455 BC) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek Greek tragedy, tragedian often described as the father of tragedy. Academic knowledge of the genre begins with his work, and understanding of earlier Greek tragedy is large ...

Sophocles Sophocles ( 497/496 – winter 406/405 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. was an ancient Greek tragedian known as one of three from whom at least two plays have survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or contemporary with, those ...

' and

Euripides Euripides () was a Greek tragedy, tragedian of classical Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to ...

' adaptations of

Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

was an arch adaptor, as nearly all of his plays are heavily dependent on pre-existing sources. Prior to Romantic notions of originality, copying classic authors was seen as a key aesthetic practice in

Western culture Western culture, also known as Western civilization, European civilization, Occidental culture, Western society, or simply the West, refers to the Cultural heritage, internally diverse culture of the Western world. The term "Western" encompas ...

. This neoclassical paradigm was expressed by

Alexander Pope Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early ...

who equated the copying of Homer with copying nature in '' An Essay on Criticism'': "And but from Nature's fountains scorned to draw;
But when to examine every part he came,
Nature and Homer were, he found, the same.
Convinced, amazed, he checks the bold design,
And rules as strict his labored work confine
As if the Stagirite o'erlooked each line.
Learn hence for ancient rules a just esteem;
To copy Nature is to copy them." According to Pope in ''An Essay on Criticism'', the task of a writer was to vary existing ideas: "What oft was thought, but ne'er so well expressed;". In the 19th century, many European nations sought to re-discover and adapt medieval narratives that might be harnessed to various kinds of nationalist causes.

Adaptation studies

Adaptation studies is a growing academic discipline, emerging from what was commonly known as "novel to film" or "literature and film" studies. Within adaptation studies, Geoffrey Wagner describes three types of 'adaptation': transposition (where the text is shown on screen with little change); commentary (where the original is changed, either intentionally or accidentally); and analogy (where the text is significantly altered to create a new work of art).

Criticism

Many scholars argue that adaptation studies has faced challenges in gaining academic legitimacy, often seen as a "bastardization" of both literary studies and film theory. Since the 1950s, the field has been shaped by the tension between studying film culture and the perceived superiority of print culture. As a result of this struggle, the field has progressed "very little" within the scholarly sphere. Additionally, many scholars contend that theorists in the field overlook the cultural, economic, ideological, and historical influences shaping the adaptation industry.

History

Scholars have debated about the exact origins of adaptation studies and exactly when they emerged. Some argue that adaptation is as old as the inception of texts, while others argue that it is a newer practice as the result of audience reception versus text production. Thomas Leitch breaks down the timeline of adaptation into four periods: Prehistoric, Adaptation Studies 1.0, Adaptation Studies 2.0 and Adaptation Studies 3.0.

Prehistoric

The prehistoric phase of adaptation studies is defined by broad generalizations of both film and literature, without focusing on specific adaptations. Although the exact beginning of adaptation studies is uncertain, Leitch identifies its conclusion in 1957, with the release of George Bluestone's ''Novels into Film''.

Adaptation Studies 1.0

Bluestone's publication had a significant influence on this phase of adaptation studies, shaping the foundational principles of the field. These principles highlight the challenges of adapting prose into film and emphasize the differences between the two mediums. Additionally, this period explores the influence of film on contemporary fiction.

Adaptation Studies 2.0

This period is defined by a focus on intertextuality and a critique of earlier models within the field. It is primarily influenced by the release of ''A Theory of Adaptation'' by Linda Hutcheon.

Adaptation Studies 3.0

The latest phase of adaptation studies centers on two main concepts: the integration of digital technologies and the limitations of intertextuality as a comprehensive framework for the field.