Victoria Hislop 'shunned Hollywood deal'
6th May 2010
Victoria Hislop rejected a Hollywood offer to adapt The Island for the big screen over fears about how the story would be treated.
The author was offered a GBP 300,000 deal to turn the novel into a film for a US studio, but turned it down to work with a Greek television network for a much smaller fee.
Hislop explained that she was worried the story, which follows a British woman who is attempting to trace her ancestry on the Greek island of Spinalonga, might be changed by Hollywood producers.
'I was simply not happy with the approaches from America. I was worried what might happen to my story and my characters,' she commented.
The author also said that she is 'much happier' being able to work with a Greek company on the project, as the country's residents 'took the book to their hearts'.
Last year, The Island was chosen by the Daily Telegraph as one of the 100 books which defined the noughties, coming in 81st. The list was topped by J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.