This thesis seeks to explore the statement: Queer Gothic Adaptation: Re-imagining the Promethean myth in a Gothic context, marrying sexual identity with the macabre.
The purpose of this thesis is to explore theories surrounding adaptation and to discuss to what extent queer adaptation can heighten or hinder the original piece. This coincides with the role of the screenwriter in creating a film from literary influences, questioning the extent of creative authorship when deriving from and adapting these works. This thesis explores the alleged mongrelisation of both the gothic genre and the works that modern-day gothic films are adapted from, specifically in the case of their queer themes and subtext. It will also question the ideal narrative elements for adapting mythology for a contemporary audience, intertextuality, and assessing how well a complex literary genre like the gothic can be translated into a screenplay and feature film. The significance of this research is that it not only questions and explores theories around adaptation and contemporary interpretations of genre, but it focuses on queer narrative specifically – this allows for further insight into the unique challenges of adapting works with queer subtext into contemporary pieces of film that feature explicitly queer characters and storylines. This research and its influences have significantly helped me as a screenwriter to understand the importance of the literary and film influences on my work, the way that conventions of genre can impact the writing process and the importance of my queer identity and experiences in relation to (and in collaboration with) crafting the narrative. These points will be explored further through the analysis of the screenplay for my feature film, Obituary (Thew, 2024).
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