Movie adaptations are more popular than ever, especially in recent years, and it’s surprising how many people don’t realize the original story came from elsewhere. Since the beginning of cinema, book-to-screen adaptations have been very common, and it’s always intriguing to see how the movie’s writer and/or director interprets the source material and translates it to a wider audience. While famous novel adaptations are the most common, some films are adapted from other movies, TV shows, comic books, video games, plays, and more.
It’s worth noting that each adaptation is different. Some are considered more reimaginings or reinterpretations of a story, often moving the narrative to a new setting, or telling the tale through the eyes of another character instead. There are also some titles that are partially inspired by another story, and those films’ plots often blend new and the original story’s ideas together to create something unique. However, there are certain titles that viewers don’t realize are actually adaptations, whether that’s because the source material is relatively unheard of, significant story changes, or the film’s marketing team failed to make it obvious.
‘Men in Black’ (1997)
Source Material: ‘The Men in Black’ Marvel Comics series by Lowell Cunningham (1990-1991)
Unless you’re familiar with Marvel Comics, it’s unlikely you know that the 1997 film Men in Black is an adaptation. The Men in Black comic series by Lowell Cunningham was only published from the beginning of 1990 to the middle of 1991, so it wasn’t exactly the most prominent title in Marvel Comics’ catalog at the time, but it did do well enough to inspire the iconic ’90s movie starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones.
There are some notable differences between the film and its source material, however. While the two projects follow the same basic premise, the comics are far darker than the first movie or its sequels, and the agents kill witnesses rather than wiping their memories, to name a couple of examples. Still, Men in Black has been such a successful franchise that it reignited the comic book series, with several one-shot editions and a sequel being released by Marvel Comics after the first movie’s release.
‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ (1993)
Source Material: ‘Madame Doubtfire’ by Anne Fine (1987)
Robin Williams’ legendary performance in Mrs. Doubtfire is one that audiences will never forget, but it’s even more interesting when you discover the hilarious 1993 movie is actually based on the 1987 novel by Anne Fine, Madame Doubtfire. There are a few changes to the story in the film, like the fact that Lydia and Natalie immediately recognize their father, but as adaptations go, Mrs. Doubtfire does a brilliant job at sticking to its source material.
The most notable difference the movie makes from the novel, though, actually works in its favor, which is an unusual situation for a book-to-screen adaptation. In the book’s ending, Miranda gives Daniel a job as her gardener so that he can still be involved in his kids’ lives, rather than allowing him to continue as Lydia, Christopher, and Natalie’s nanny. However, both audiences and readers typically agree that the movie’s ending is a far better conclusion.
‘Die Hard’ (1988)
Source Material: ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’ by Roderick Thorp (1979)
Although there are several movies audiences didn’t realize were adaptations, Die Hard particularly stands out because its title doesn’t resemble that of its source material. Die Hard is based on the 1979 book Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp, which is actually a sequel to his 1966 novel The Detective. While there are many story-to-screen adaptations, it’s odd to see anything other than the first installment of a book series adapted before its predecessor.
Roderick Thorp’s The Detective was adapted in 1968 and starred Frank Sinatra as the titular character. After Sinatra turned down reprising his role for the sequel, Die Hard‘s script was altered to make it a standalone film.
Due to production changes, Die Hard is more of an “inspired by” film than a completely true adaptation. However, many of Nothing Lasts Forever‘s most notable moments, lines of dialogue, and characters were used in Die Hard. Some of its biggest differences include the changing of the main character’s name, the central location’s owner being a Japanese corporation rather than American, and Joe Leland/John McClane’s daughter being swapped out for his wife, Holly.
’10 Things I Hate About You’ (1999)
Source Material: ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ by William Shakespeare (1590-1592)
10 Things I Hate About You is a reimagining of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, which takes the Bard’s classic story and reinvents it for a modern age. The film swaps out the Italian backdrops of Padua and Verona for an American high school in the late ’90s, and introduces Cameron James, who uses Patrick Verona to help him win the heart of Bianca Stratford, whose father has very set rules about his daughter’s dating life.
Of course, adapting Shakespeare’s plays isn’t always straightforward, but that’s why a reimagining works. 10 Things I Hate About You is a standout ’90s teen comedy classic that audiences love, even if they aren’t familiar with Shakespeare’s original work. The film follows the same basic story as the play, but with modernized differences, delving into themes like social hierarchies and gender equality.
‘Shrek’ (2001)
Source Material: ‘Shrek!’ by William Steig (1990)
Since the release of the first film in the year 2001, Shrek has become a multimedia franchise that has kept both adults and children across the world entertained, but many of them are unfamiliar with its origins. Shrek actually comes from the 1990 picture book Shrek! by William Steig, which follows an ugly monster who ends up marrying an equally unattractive princess.
Like the film, Shrek! teaches that anti-heroes are sometimes worth rooting for, and that appearances aren’t everything in this world. Of course, as Shrek! is a children’s picture book, it’s hard to say that it’s completely dedicated to its source material, especially as there is little for the movie to work with in the first place, but considering the several other Shrek movies and additional projects that have spawned from it, it’s definitely impressive.
‘The Parent Trap’ (1998)
Source Material: ‘Lisa and Lottie’ by Erich Kästner (1949)
1998’s The Parent Trap, starring Lindsay Lohan, is an interesting example because it’s technically an adaptation twice over. The film is based on the 1949 children’s book Lisa and Lottie by Erich Kästner, but it’s also a remake of the 1961 movie of the same name, too. Even more interestingly, Lisa and Lottie was actually a film developed by Kästner during World War II that never came to fruition. Overall, the story has been adapted 17 times worldwide.
The overall stories of The Parent Trap and Lisa and Lottie are generally the same, with a few differences. For example, the answer as to whether Meredith Blake is a villain or not in The Parent Trap is a vague one, but in Lisa and Lottie, her counterpart Irene Gerlach is a much more obvious antagonist. Considering Lisa and Lottie has been adapted so many times, it’s odd that audiences don’t realize it’s an adaptation, but perhaps Lindsay Lohan’s charming performance at such a young age is enough to distract from that fact.
‘Easy A’ (2010)
Source Material: ‘The Scarlet Letter’ by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1850)
Easy A is sneaky, and because its source material plays a big part in the film’s plot, it hides the fact that it’s an adaptation in plain sight. However, many still fail to notice this. Easy A, one of Emma Stone’s best movies, is partially inspired by The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and in the film, Olive Penderghast studies the 1850 novel and applies the story to her own experiences. Like The Scarlet Letter’s Hester Prynne, Olive is shamed by her peers over her promiscuity, even though they’re unaware of the truth.
In a way, Easy A can also be considered a reimagining of The Scarlet Letter, with Olive serving as a version of Hester that lives in a version of society that allows her to fight back. Olive brands herself with a red “A” as part of this protest, and refuses to tell everyone that her sexual escapades are all a lie just to prove a point about their treatment of her in the first place. While Easy A is an adaptation in the very loose sense of the world, it’s still a brilliantly interesting take on The Scarlet Letter.
There are plenty of movies that audiences are unaware are adaptations, but some are more well-known than others. Did you know that these films were adaptations, and if so, which ones? Are there any other movies you didn’t know were adaptations and later discovered were based on a book, graphic novel, video game, or other form of storytelling? Let us know in the comments.
Source link
Add Comment