How many books make it to the screen?

How many books make it to the screen?

Derek Johns (Managing Director - AP Watt Literary Agency) gives expert video advice on: Will an agent sell my book rights to Hollywood?; How many books make it to the screen?; If my book gets optioned, will I get to write the screenplay? and more...

Film rights are the "holy grail" for authors, but the odds are stacked against them. A number of books get optioned, but, of the books that get optioned, perhaps only 1 or 2% ever actually reach the screen. It also takes a very long time. A recent instance of this here would be 'The Last King of Scotland,' by Giles Foden, which took 10 years from the publication to release on the screen.