'The Rook' author Daniel O'Malley was surprised by Starz's adaptation as it made him 'discover new things' about his books
Starz aired the first season of one of its most gripping and thrilling series yet, ‘The Rook,’ and fans are already worried about what the future might hold for Myfanwy (Emma Greenwell) and the rest of the Checquy. While the biggest mystery that enticed us to watch the series has been solved, and Myfanwy’s memory has been restored, the suspense of watching each episode is fresh with the fans, and we are not alone.
Daniel O'Malley, the author of the ‘The Rook’ and its sequel ‘Stiletto’ too was surprised by the showrunners' interpretation of the world that he created. “It has been tremendously exciting to watch it as it emerged, and I have been very lucky to have such talented people within the television industry think it had the potential to work as a show,” O’Malley tells MEA WorldWide (MEAWW), adding how he was not a big part of the TV series because of his own projects and his lack of experience in writing scripts.
“Everyone who was involved in the project came with such excellent credentials and enthusiasm, I didn’t have any worries about leaving them to it,” he says, adding how he would clarify any doubts screenwriters have regarding the universe every now and then. O’Malley also talks about how the show has turned our far more beautiful than he was capable of imagining it.
“One of the best things about this adaptation has been seeing the work of people who have spent years developing their skills and their craft,” he says. “I am so delighted with it. It has taken ideas I had and used them in such new, unexpected ways. They’ve done things that would never have occurred to me to do, and so I am always discovering new things, just like someone reading my books for the first time.”
‘The Rook’ writer is quite happy with all the changes – even the monumental ones – the TV show made. “With the television show of The Rook, I’ve been on the edge of my seat because not even I can take anything for granted. It’s wonderful to have that shock of recognition when I see a character or an idea that I came up with, to hear the names come out of other people’s mouths, but it’s also so exciting to be taken by surprise by the unexpected,” adding how he believes the TV show was made just for him to enjoy.
In fact, the show has had such an influence on him that when he thinks of Myfanwy, he imagines her as actress Greenwell. Meanwhile, Joely Richardson’s portrayal of Linda Farrier would forever impact how he writes the character in the future. That being said, O’Malley is also very aware of the fact that the book and the series are two separate entities.
I was on the edge of my seat. I want more! @StanAustralia @TheRookSTARZ https://t.co/29XnMRnXsi
— Daniel JT O'Malley (@DenimAlley) August 18, 2019
“When I was approached about the possibility of The Rook appearing on television, I was excited from the very beginning. I never had any concerns about how they might do it. For me, the book is the thing that I created. It stands by itself, and it will always be there,” he tells MEAWW. “They would bring their own knowledge and experience and creativity to it, and produce new, interesting elements that I would never think of.”
And, whether or not the TV show will explore the rest of the story, O’Malley definitely will. He teases, “At this moment, I am working away on the manuscript for the third book in 'The Rook' series. I have just printed out the most recent draft and given it to [his first most important critic] my mother to read... The world of 'The Rook' is a very rewarding one to explore because I can look at all of history and all of the world, and describe it through a supernatural lens. It’s always entertaining for me to think about the secret history of the world, where the monsters are hidden in offices and pulling the levers of power.”
O’Malley is also working on other ideas, exploring different genres, and the only restraint he foresees is the one posed by lack of time.
