Okay folks, got a doozy for you.

My friends and I want to film a version of Alice in Wonderland. We have a lot of ideas that we feel would make for a crazier and darker version of the story.

Now I know if I wanted to make a profit off of it, I would need to get all sorts of papers signed and get our script approved, but, what if we didn't want to make a profit?

We would show it off lots of places, but what are the ramifications of a book to film adaptation?

If we are going to do this project, we are going to go full out and make this a major project, and I don't want to do it and then get in a lot of trouble later.

Now, lets say we did want to make a profit off it, where would we go to get papers signed?

ANY input would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Travis

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Forsakenproductions,

If you show it to anyone (even for free) outside of a classroom, or private setting, you are violating copyright law. Technically, you need to get an option for it, which can be obtained from the publisher, and varies in cost between dollars and, well, more dollars. The option gives you the exclusive right to develop it, for a certain amount of time. If you finish the script, and choose to go into production, you need to pay for the rights, which will cost a lot more. The cost of the option will be deducted from the fee for the rights.

so i'm going to be forking out more cash just to obtain permission to do . . .

So do they have to approve the script before I can film it and then they give me a time line to do it in?

I looked on archive.org and this book is in the Project Gutenberg archive. You might want to go check it out because it has a big legal thing at the bottom about the project/copyrights. It says this, which to me right now sounds like you'd be ok but it's 2 in the morning and I'm no pro

quote:

If an individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed.

so if I understand the website correctly (and its after eleven here, so I may be understanding wrong, I understand Helitropes position entirely, lol) Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is public domain and I can do whatever I want with it?

Who would I contact to make sure everything is nice and legal?

http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/11

http://www.archive.org/details/alicesadventwond00carrrich

EDIT: Everywhere I check says its public domain, so it looks like I'm scott free! any other terms or conditions that you guys can think of that I should adhere to?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Forsakenproductions,

I actually have a friend who remade the film into a horror piece. Now he did some massive rewrites, but from what I understand it is public domain.

Yup, there are massive rewrites on my end . . . but so far I think its pretty dang good.