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Movies based on novel of a different name?

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Movies based on novel of a different name?

Old 01-23-06, 02:19 PM
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Movies based on novel of a different name?

For something I'm writing, I'm trying to put together a list of well-known movies that were based on well-known novels but, for whatever reason, used a different title. The upcoming Poseidon, for example, will be based on The Poseidon Adventure, but won't use the books's title. (I'm not counting "re-imaginings" like West Side Story-Romeo and Juliet or your pet theory that Star Trek II is really Moby-Dick, etc.)

I don't have too many examples off the top of my head. I can think of a few movies that changed names because they didn't have legal rights to the novel in question (Nosferatu, Ossessione), a few that changed their name because they're based on play adaptations of the novel in question (A Place in the Sun, The Heiress), and, for some reason, a couple recent John Irving movies (Simon Birch and The Door in the Floor).

Any others?
Old 01-23-06, 02:23 PM
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Not all are full novels:

"The Body" by Stephen King became "Stand By Me."

"Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" by King became "The Shawshank Redemption."

"I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson became "The Omega Man." (sort of)

"Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" by Philip K. Dick became "BladeRunner."

"We Can Remember it for You Wholesale" by Dick became "Total Recall."

"Eaters of the Dead" by Michael Crichton became "The 13th Warrior."

Last edited by uberjoe; 01-23-06 at 02:31 PM.
Old 01-23-06, 02:23 PM
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"Nothing Lasts Forever" became Die Hard
Old 01-23-06, 02:37 PM
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Red Dragon-Manhunter
Heart of Darkness-Apocalypse Now
Red Alert-Dr. Strangelove
Legion-Exorcist III
Fallen Angel-Angel Heart
The Klansman-Birth of a Nation
Glory for me-The Best years of our lives
Old 01-23-06, 02:39 PM
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Skipping Christmas -> Christmas With the Kranks (Probably to avoid confusion with the Ben Affleck dud "Surviving Christmas")

Red Dragon -> Manhunter (to avoid confusion with "Year of the Dragon")

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory -> Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Old 01-23-06, 02:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Groucho
"Nothing Lasts Forever" became Die Hard
Wasn't Die Hard 2 also based on a novel? They just rewrote it to slip in John McClane.
Old 01-23-06, 02:50 PM
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"Flowers for Algernon" became "Charly"
Old 01-23-06, 02:55 PM
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Traumnovelle(sp?) was the basis for Eyes Wide Shut.
Old 01-23-06, 03:25 PM
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Originally Posted by Charlie Goose
Wasn't Die Hard 2 also based on a novel? They just rewrote it to slip in John McClane.
Yep, according to IMDB, the novel is called 58 Minutes.

More recently, Munich was based on a book called Vengeance.
Old 01-23-06, 04:53 PM
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"The Orchid Thief" became "Adaptation"

Well... sort of.
Old 01-23-06, 04:54 PM
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Originally Posted by uberjoe
Not all are full novels:

"I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson became "The Omega Man." (sort of)
Was also done as "The Last Man on Earth" with Vincent Price.

Wasn't Manhunter intended to be Red Dragon all along, it was just when nearing release it was changed to avoid confusion with the other dragon movie?
Old 01-23-06, 04:55 PM
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Rum Punch by Elmore Leonard = Jackie Brown
Old 01-23-06, 04:58 PM
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Originally Posted by vasb
Rum Punch by Elmore Leonard = Jackie Brown
Beat me to it! It was the movie I first thoguht of when I saw this thread......
Old 01-23-06, 05:05 PM
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The Hellbound Heart became Hellraiser
Old 01-23-06, 05:07 PM
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Wise Guy by Nicholas Pileggi = GoodFellas
Red Dragon by Thomas Harris = Manhunter
Old 01-23-06, 05:49 PM
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Joseph Conrad's "The Secret Agent" became Hitchcock's "Sabatoge"
Old 01-23-06, 07:27 PM
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Old 01-23-06, 08:06 PM
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"Twinkle Twinkle Killer Kane" was filmed as "The Ninth Configuration".
Old 01-23-06, 08:06 PM
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Sort of fitting:

Burglars Can't Be Choosers/The Burglar in the Closet became simply "Burglar"
Old 01-23-06, 08:58 PM
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Originally Posted by milo bloom
Was also done as "The Last Man on Earth" with Vincent Price.

Wasn't Manhunter intended to be Red Dragon all along, it was just when nearing release it was changed to avoid confusion with the other dragon movie?
At the time they thought the title sounded too much like a kung fu flick so they changed it to Manhunter.
Old 01-23-06, 09:13 PM
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Originally Posted by rkndkn
"Twinkle Twinkle Killer Kane" was filmed as "The Ninth Configuration".
Sweet! First thing I thought of when I saw the 'Legion' entry.
Old 01-23-06, 09:52 PM
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Old 01-23-06, 11:20 PM
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The movie "based" on the book Less than Zero should have had a different name!
Old 01-23-06, 11:35 PM
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Originally Posted by uberjoe
Not all are full novels:
"Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" by King became "The Shawshank Redemption."
The story was "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption." There is no "the" in the title.
Old 01-24-06, 08:12 AM
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Killer Angels --> Gettysburg

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