How long does it take for a novel to become a movie?

Question

I wrote a novel and want to know how I can get it to become a Hollywood movie, and how long it'll take to become a movie.

Answer 1

You will have to get it published first.  The movie industry is not going to take the time and energy to produce a screenplay out of an unpublished, unknown novel.  Then, it will have to be good enough and popular enough to get the attention of the filmmakers.

Focus on one thing for now.   You wrote a novel!  That is great!  Focus on it as a novel and try to publish it if that is what you want, but don't worry about making a movie out of it at this point.

Answer 2

It has to be published first with a royalty paying publisher.  This leaves out the self-publishing groups.  

After that it has to come to the attention of a movie-industry agent.  Not easy.  Even then, the best you can hope for is an option.  

After a book has been optioned, the screenplay has to be written.  They'll hire a professional for that.   IF they like the screenplay, it might go into production, but it's still doubtful.   There's only so many movies that a company can make in a year and a wealth of material out there.  

If the option runs out (it usually does the first time), you might get more money from a second option and a third and a fourth.....  That's actually where most of the money is for the book author.  

LORD OF THE RINGS (50 years)

I, ROBOT (30 years)

DRAGONFLIGHT (25 years and counting)

THE BOOK OF THREE (35 years and counting)

NATHAN'S RUN (10 years and counting)

With most movies, the screenplay is written first and the novel is written from the script.