Historical Adaptation Quotes

When I was at Stratford, the very first thing that I was commissioned to work on was trying to make a musical out of the documentary material about the General Strike, which was the next big historical event in England, after the First World War.

We'd love to do Pirates for the 21st century. People have also asked about Colonization, and a few others.

In a very literal way, of course, Shakespeare did change the course of history: when it didn't fit the plot he had in mind, he simply rewrote it. His English histories play fast and loose with chronology and fact to achieve the desired dramatic effect, re-ordering history even as it was then understood.

Old ideas can sometimes use new buildings. New ideas must use old buildings.

I think any period in history can be adapted into interesting fiction, as long as you approach the actual history with respect.

Historical truth and the marketing needs of the movie and television industry remain fundamentally incompatible.

The great thing about history is that it is adaptable.

I think that when you see the trailer [on movie "300"] - my feeling is anyway and maybe I'm not objective because I live it - but I think when you see it you immediately go, 'Okay, this is another sort of way of doing this.'

I have a rule: I will not alter the basic history of a real-life character to suit our fictional needs in a big way.

I like to say 'Reign' is the '24' of the pre-Renaissance. I think we're going to take a lot of liberties with history, as well as extend it over a longer period of time.

I don't think I have ever created an entire fiction piece or followed a historical piece and made that into a sermon.

I'm very, very leery of nonfiction books where they change timeframes and use - what do they call those things? - composite characters. I don't think that's right.