Hey all,

I am new to the forum, and am wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction to figure out what the law is regarding writing a novel that is based upon a book.  Yes, I wrote that in the right order.  Most movies are based upon books, but I want to write a book based upon a movie that I really liked.  It was a small film that came out in 1995 and only made $2.5 million. 

I am not well-versed in this arena, as I've never started on a project like this before.  Just to compare, I'm reading through John Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany and comparing that to the movie Simon Birch which discloses "suggested by the novel by John Irving, A Prayer for Owen Meany"  I notice that some of the screenplay is direct quotations of the book, though the characters all have different names, and there are details like it is set in a town of the same name, but in Maine rather than New Hampshire, etc. I know that this is a movie that came out after the book, and what I want to do is the opposite. 

Anyway, if anyone can lend a hand, please let me know.

Thanks,

Matt "madipides"