Success of Poor Things should inspire Scottish arts world to do more with Alasdair Gray’s work

Lanark was the last major stage adaptation

Scottish writers have already given the cinematic world iconic characters like Peter Pan, Sherlock Holmes, Rob Roy, Harry Potter, Jean Brodie and Mark Renton.

But it is now almost inevitable that Poor Things will prove to be one of the biggest and most successful films ever adapted from a Scottish novel.

That prospect seems to have been somewhat overlooked by the intriguing debate about Alasdair Gray’s Glasgow setting for his 1992 book and the city’s absence from Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos’ vision for Bella Baxter's journey of discovery.

Emma Stone plays Bella Baxter in Yorgos Lanthimos' adaptation of Alasdair Gray's novel Poor Things.

Many of Gray’s fans and champions have undoubtedly been upset and baffled by the city’s omission.

It appears to be a classic case of what could have been, especially since the late author, who passed away in just over four years ago - had shown the director around the city when the film was in the early stages of development.

Questions have inevitably arisen about the failure of the Scottish film industry to bring Poor Things to the screen – or indeed any of his other work.

The most ambitious effort to adapt Gray’s work arrived on stage just four years before his death when Graham Eatough and David Greig’s version of Lanark was one of the most high-profile productions in the Edinburgh International Festival programme.

Emma Stone attends a screening of Poor Things in New York. Picture: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Gray had supported the idea of Lanthimos adapting Poor Things long before then, another aspect to the debate over his adaptation that appears to have been lost on the critics.

The director has also pointed out that Gray had very much influenced both the accent and the character of Godwin Baxter, who was played by Willem Dafoe in his film.

The writer’s backing for the production was revealed just before a preview screening of Poor Things I was lucky enough to attend at the Glasgow Film Festival last autumn.

It was clear that not only had Lanthimos and his cast – led by Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo, who are both in contention for Oscars or their performances – conjured up a truly remarkable film, but that the Glasgow audience was won over by it. It is highly likely that the majority of them were fans of Gray, keen to get a first look at the much-anticipated film.

But there are other interesting aspects to this, not least how many of those who see Poor Things will be prompted to not just read the original novel, but also seek out his other work. It seems almost certain that his novels will reach a far wider audience than ever before thanks to the film adaptation.

But I am also intrigued as to what comes next and how the Scottish cultural world responds to the Poor Things phenomenon.

Hopefully the revival of interest in Poor Things will prompt Scottish film and TV producers, writers and directors, as well as theatres and playwrights, to explore how to bring new versions of Gray’s novels to life.

Perhaps the movie’s success will lead to the making of a new documentary on Gray and his legacy and the instigation of a new exhibition showcasing the many unseen treasures from his archives.