Watership Down political sensibilities of the 1990s when it was published. In 1978 Martin Rosen wrote and directed an animated film adaptation of "Watership Down". The voice cast included John Hurt, Richard Briers, Harry Andrews, Simon Cadell, Nigel Hawthorne, and Roy Kinnear. The film featured the song "Bright Eyes", sung by Art Garfunkel. Released as a single, the song became a UK number one hit. Although the essentials of the plot remained relatively unchanged, the film omitted several side plots. Though the Watership Down warren eventually grew to seventeen rabbits, with the additions of Strawberry, Holly, Bluebell, and three hutch rabbits liberated
Martin Rosen (director) "Watership Down" but took over as director after John Hubley died. He also wrote the screenplay for it. This was the first of two novels by Richard Adams he adapted. In 1982 he also produced, directed and wrote the screenplay for another animated feature based on an Adams novel, "The Plague Dogs" (1982). Rosen produced "Smooth Talk" (1986), which won the Sundance Grand Prize. His last film as director was "Stacking" (1987). His last project as producer was the animated ""Watership Down" TV series in 1999. Rosen has also worked in theater production. He was the originating producer of Michael