Adaptation of fairy tales in animation based on the theory of Linda Hatchen (comparative study of the legend "Agha Hasnak" and the screenplay "Raz Gol Almas")

Document Type : researcher

Authors
Zeinab Baniasadi 1
mohammadreza sarfi 2
mohamadali safora 3
1 Kerman Bahonar university
2 kerman bahonar university
3 PhD in Art Research, Department of Animation and Cinema, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/scm.2025.420319.1679
Abstract
Artistic adaptation of literary works is an important area of contemporary comparative literature that adopts an interdisciplinary approach to examine the relationship between literature and other arts, including animation. In this framework, adaptations are evaluated in relation to the structure and content of their source texts. The adaptation of folktales, drawing on the expressive capacities of animation and the narrative appeal of ancient storytelling traditions, enables new interpretations and visual re-narrations of classical texts and serves as an effective means of cultural production in modern societies.



Grounded in comparative literature and Linda Hutcheon’s theory of adaptation, this article proposes a practical model for adapting Iranian folktales into animation. The study employs a documentary method and a descriptive-analytical approach. As a case study, the scene outline of the animated screenplay Raz-e Gol-e Almas, a free adaptation of the folktale Agha Hasanok, is analyzed using the three-act structure of animated screenwriting.



Using a systematic comparative method and comparative tables, the dramatic elements, key scenes, and motifs of the adapted screenplay are examined alongside the source folktale to identify structural, semantic, and ideological transformations. These changes are interpreted within Hutcheon’s framework of product, process, and reception, while also considering animation-specific media features such as design, movement, color, and music, as well as contemporary ideological concerns.



Based on the findings, the article presents a step-by-step model for adapting Iranian folktales into animation, emphasizing textual analysis, identification of dramatic capacities, and alignment with the expressive requirements of the animated medium.
Keywords
Adaptation
Fairy tale
Animation
Linda Hutchen
Screenplay "
Raz Gol Almas"
Subjects
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Society Culture Media
Volume 14, Issue 57
Winter 2026
Pages 205-243

  • Receive Date 11 October 2023
  • Revise Date 25 December 2025
  • Accept Date 31 December 2025