The Secret Scripture (2017)

Despite Sheridan’s care when it came to adapting the novel, Sebastian Barry has been critical of the film, which has been a difficult situation for the director to navigate.

“I think really if you’re a writer, you either need to let it go or do it yourself,” he asserts. “Emma O’Donoghue did her own script for Room, and whether you agree the movie’s a great movie or not, by writing it you are taking responsibility for it. By giving it away, you’re believing that it can be done. I don’t know, it’s hard, because I admire Sebastian as a writer and the book is beautiful. A movie is just a different thing. And it’s not like there was a misunderstanding, I spoke to him once. I don’t feel like the experience was soured. I get that if you go to see the film of something you’ve written and it feels very different, you might feel like, ‘Why the fuck did I bother writing the book?’ I understand it. I dunno, maybe the better course is ‘no comment’?”