Ink to Film

As Paul and Chris Weitz's adaptation rounds out its first season the emphasis on comedy is clear, but how does that compare to the tone of the books by Martha Wells that it's based on? In episode 353, join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as they debate the show's faithfulness, unpack the comedic shift, lobby for slightly longer episodes, and theorize on what might lie ahead in the recently confirmed s...

Ink to Film is excited to announce they will be recording their first live episode in front of an audience at Seattle Worldcon 2025! Author Martha Wells joins the Ink to Film podcast to reflect on having her work adapted by Apple TV. From Murderbot's origins to seeing Alexander Skarsgård portray it on the silver screen, come get the inside scoop on the adaptation journey. Friday 8/15 4:30-5:30 PM...

Paul and Chris Weitz's Apple TV adaptation of Martha Wells' series "The Murderbot Diaries" sets itself apart from the books from the beginning through shifts in tone, character, and more, but how well are the changes working? In episode 352, join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as they react to Alexander Skarsgård's performance as everyone's favorite SecUnit, learn to love the goofballs humans Murderb...

Martha Wells's career shifted into a whole new gear with the launch of her series "The Murderbot Diaries" which was a surprising success out of the gate. In episode 351, join Luke Elliott and James Bailey as they begin their journey with one of Sci-Fi's newest beloved characters, explore the origins of the iconic bot, unpack neurodivergence coding, talk nonbinary representation, and avoid eye cont...

It's Ink to Film's 350th episode, so join Luke & James as they induct the 2nd ever class into their prestigious "Adaptation Hall of Fame." These films will be forever considered true exemplars for all other filmmakers to aspire to when adapting the written word onto the screen. The nominees are: "Blade Runner," "Jaws," "Children of Men," "The Silence of the Lambs," "Arrival," and "The Shining." Si...

The path to bringing the iconic ogre to the screen was fraught with difficulties, but in the end Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson were able to capture something special from the book SHREK! By William Steig. In episode 349, join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as they relive a childhood classic, embrace true body positivity, explore the lost version of the movie starring Chris Farley, ask how effective...

Did director Edward Berger hide clues about God's will through his filmmaking choices? In episode 348, Join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as they consider symbols beyond just the turtles, compare what works better about the characters in the film, discuss their own religious backgrounds, debate a change made to a pivotal speech, and finally cast their own votes on which one's better: the book or the...

What was it about this novel by Robert Harris that made it so ripe for an award-winning adaptation? In episode 347, join writer Luke Elliott and filmmaker James Bailey as they wade into a papal political thriller about the flawed men who are vying for the office, recount their own spiritual deconstructions, reflect on growing up as Christians, discover an unfortunate Roman Polanski connection with...

Author Edward Ashton (MICKEY7, ANTIMATTER BLUES) joins the show to reflect on having his work adapted by director Bong Joon-Ho into the 2025 film "Mickey 17." In episode 346, Luke Elliott & James Bailey add to their "Creative Conversations" series where they discuss adaptations previously covered with someone directly involved in their creation. Topics include the origins of the Mickey7, why Ed wo...

Rafe Judkins' delivers the best season of his adaptation to date, but how does it stack up to the novels it's depicting? In episode 345, join writer Luke Elliott and filmmaker James Bailey as they finish THE SHADOW RISING at the same time they finish the last 3 episodes of this season, get creepy with Moghedien, traverse the Hills of Tanchico, defend the Two Rivers with Perrin Goldeneyes, mourn so...

The first in the series of director Roger Corman's Edgar Allen Poe films sets a high bar for gothic horror adaptations. It stars the legendary Vincent Price as Roderick Usher, with a screenplay penned by Richard Matheson. The story is more faithful to the source material than Mike Flanagan's version, but there are still some significant changes. It's time for a classic in this former Patreon-exclu...

Rafe Judkins' adaptation returns with style for a third season tackling a pair of huge novels at once through condensed and remixed storylines—but how well is it working? In episode 344, join writer Luke Elliott and filmmaker James Bailey as they break down one of the most ambitious adaptations being attempted on tv right now, pick cast favorites, react to the possible Elayne & Aviendha ship, and...

Book 4 of the Wheel of Time series features some of the series most memorable scenes, but how will they hold up to adaptation? In episode 343, join Luke Elliott and James Bailey as they discuss a little over the first half of this gargantuan novel, learn about the ominous future of the White Tower, return to the Two Rivers with Perrin Aybara, find out how to fully enter the world of dreams, and tr...

Showrunner Rafe Judkins confirmed that season 3 of the Wheel of Time show will be focused on book 4 of the series, but why? In episode 342, join Luke Elliott and James Bailey as they review the entirety of book 3 and lay out what happens so they can keep an eye out for what they include in the show, what is lost, and how it might change things in the series going forward. Stay tuned for more as th...

Jan de Bont's adaptation of Shirley Jackson's novel bears little resemblance to the source material, much less the 1963 Robert Wise film, but with all the talent that worked on the movie it should have still been a success. Stephen King and Steven Spielberg both pitched in, but for whatever reason they couldn't save the movie from critical disappointment. Stars Catherine Zeta Jones, Owen Wilson, L...

Osgood Perkins delivers a Stephen King adaptation to remember with his take on "The Monkey" from the SKELETON CREW collection, but how does it stack up to the numerous other King adaptations being produced by Hollywood in recent years? In episode 341, Laura from the "Why the Book Wins" youtube channel joins Luke Elliott & James Bailey to debate Stephen King films, find humor in the ubiquity of dea...

Bong Joon-Ho's adaptation of Edward Ashton's Mickey7 provides a colorful and hilarious look at a dystopian future, but how does the sharper social commentary stack up to the novel's more philosophical themes? In episode 340, Join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as they react to Mark Ruffalo's on-the-nose performance, get lost in the sauce with Toni Collette, get into the garbage cycler with a little g...

Edward Ashton's expendable protagonist makes for a blue-collar hero for our times—someone who doesn't think too hard, ask too many questions, and most importantly, whose life doesn't matter… or does it? In episode 339, join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as they revisit some SF classics like the "Ship of Theseus," the "Teleporter Paradox," and a spicy new entry in a long running segment "would you do...

Edward Ashton's expendable protagonist makes for a blue-collar hero for our times—someone who doesn't think too hard, ask too many questions, and most importantly, whose life doesn't matter… or does it? In episode 339, join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as they revisit some SF classics like the "Ship of Theseus," the "Teleporter Paradox," and a spicy new entry in a long running segment "would you do...

The backstory behind Ted Hughes's original book THE IRON MAN is a tragic one, and the subsequent film by Brad Bird has a heartbreaking story all its own. In episode 338, join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as they discover an unexpected connection to Sylvia Plath, try to wrap their heads around a "Space-Bat-Angel-Dragon," defend animation's reputation as a medium, explore questions of consciousness a...

With his directorial debut, Gil Junger delivered an iconic romantic teen comedy with his adaptation of the controversial Shakespeare classic, "The Taming of the Shrew" that probably shouldn't have worked. In episode 337, join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as they react to the moment that audiences fell in love with Heath Ledger, explain the Julia Style poem's connection to the Kendrick/Drake feud, a...

Shakespeare's works are renowned around the world as some of the best ever written, so how should we feel about what just might be his worst play? In episode 336, join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as they try to find hidden meanings in the array of identity-swapping games being played by the characters, analyze a framing device that seems to go nowhere, unite in their hatred of the terrible Petruch...

Robert Eggers brings questions of coercion and consent to the fore as he takes on legends of both literature and film with his stealth adaptation of Dracula via the influential German silent film from the 1920s, Nosferatu. In episode 335, join Luke Elliott and James Bailey as they try their Count Orlok impressions out, get surreal in Transylvania, and praise a stellar cast for their memorable perf...

Francis Ford Coppola's influential adaptation of this Gothic masterpiece set the standard for vampire films to follow. In episode 334, join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as they react to a new spicier version of the vampire count, stab a cross and drink its blood, let things flop out, romance the wolf-man, and cross oceans of time for a set of high-fashion red armor. Then they finish out the episode...

Welcome to season 9! We kick things off with a seminal novel for Horror fiction, Bram Stoker's masterpiece, DRACULA. In episode 333, join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as they immerse themselves in the language of the era, learn all about Bram Stoker's relationship to Henry Irving, follow the modern epistolary format with surprise, and get a little bummed about Dracula's relatively easy demise. Join...