J.K. Rowling listed as one of Hollywood’s 25 Most Powerful Authors

She may be at the helm of a colossal empire comprising of - among her numerous accomplishments - seven books (which have been translated into 73 languages), eight enormously successful films, theme parks, Pottermore, and a massive assortment of commodities, but it is not quite enough for J.K. Rowling to capture the top spot, or even crack the top ten, in this year’s Hollywood’s 25 Most Powerful Authors list, published by The Hollywood Reporter (THR).

This list, which crowned Stephen King with highest honours, placed J.K. Rowling at spot 11, just behind the Twilight saga’s Stephanie Meyer and included authors such as Nicholas Sparks (3), EL James (4), Suzanne Collins (5), and George R.R. Martin (7). The Hollywood Reporter says of the list:

"THR selected those living authors who have been most successful in shepherding their books from page to screen, balancing success in publishing (total output, sales, best-sellers) and in Hollywood (completed adaptations, projects in development, screenwriting and producing credits) while accounting for cultural influence."

This is well translated by author James Patterson (8) who said, upon hearing of his placement on this list, "Power list? More like powerless list." THR also explains:

"But while conventional wisdom puts writers far down the totem pole, the truth is that from The Hunger Game to the upcoming The Hobbit, books remain the most durable source of content for films and TV."

Despite the vast riches that have resulted in what THR calls "doing a George Lucas-style deal", J.K. Rowling states "If I ever do such a thing, you’ll know I had a gun to my head or lost my marbles." Granted, we would all still be lining up at the midnight premiers of anything that has her name on it.

The full list can be seen here. Please leave any comments regarding the list, as there is surely much that can be said.

Thanks to Brandon (@indigo_15) for the tip!