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16 movies you probably didn’t know were actually based on books

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Image: Paramount pictures
Image: Paramount pictures

Die Hard

This action packed Christmas movie (yes, Die Hard IS a Christmas movie) was based on a 1979 book called Nothing Lasts Forever. The book was a sequel to another book called The Detective which was turned into a movie of the same name featuring Frank Sinatra.

This meant that the role of John McClane (who is a different character in the book) was actually offered to Frank Sinatra before it was given to Bruce Willis.

Image: Amazon
Image: 20th Century Fox


Mean Girls

The 2004 teen movie was based on a parenting novel called Queen Bees and Wannabes. Even though the book is non-fiction, Tina Fey read it and came up with the story and characters from there.

Image: Paramount pictures
Image: Amazon


Shrek

The beloved animated film is based on a fairytale book called Shrek! By William Steig. The rights to the book were originally bought by Steven Spielberg in 1991, but then couldn’t get the project off the ground until Dreamworks launched in 1994.

Image: Amazon
Image: Dreamworks


Legally Blonde

The movie was adapted from a novel of the same name by Amanda Brown. The movie is set at the prestigious Harvard university, but the book and original script is set at Stanford. They had to change locations however after Stanford disapproved of the script.

Image: MGM
Image: Goodreads


Pitch Perfect

Another movie based on a non-fiction book - Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory by Mickey Rapkin. Mickey is a senior editor at GQ who followed various a cappella groups at college level and covered the the singing, groupies, partying and rivalries.

Image: Amazon
Image:Universal pictures

Mrs Doubtfire

Robin Williams’ hilarious 1993 comedy film was originally a novel called Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine. The book goes about the story pretty much the same way, except the two eldest children recognise that the “nanny” is actually their dad, but Miranda, his estranged wife and youngest child Natalie don’t see through the disguise.

Image: 20th Century fox
Image: Amazon

The Parent Trap

Both the 1961 and 1998 films are based on a German novel called Lottie and Lisa. All in all, the book has been adapted into 19 different films including It Takes Two starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.

Image: Buena Vista Pictures
Image: Amazon

Clueless

The super cool teen classic is actually based on Jane Austen’s Emma, but obviously told from a more modern perspective and set in ‘90s Beverly Hills.

Image: Whirl Books
Image: Paramount pictures

Jaws

The movie is based on a novel of the same name by Peter Benchley. The novel was partly based on real events including a series of shark attacks at the Jersey Shore.

Image: Amazon
Image: universal pictures


How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days

This rom-com was based on a short cartoon book called How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days: The Universal Don’ts of Dating by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long. It was basically a handy guide (please note the sarcasm) on how not to scare men away.

Image: Paramount Pictures
Image: Amazon

Forrest Gump

Probably tom Hanks most well-known role came to be from a novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The book and movie are very similar, but there are quite a few differences. For instance book Forrest was over 6 foot tall and weighed nearly 110kg. The author also says the movie took the “rough edges” off the character.

Image: Paramount Pictures
Image: Goodreads

Rambo

The film series starring Sylvester Stallone is actually based on a book called First Blood by David Morrell. Morrell also wrote novelisations of the first two Rambo sequels as he felt the characterisation was off. He didn’t do a novelisation of the 2008 film because he felt the characterisation of the film was closer to the original novel.

Image: High tea dreams
Image: Orion pictures


The Exorcist

The movie that scared the crap out of you and probably put you off anything resembling green soup for a while was originally a novel by William Peter Blatty. Blatty also wrote the screenplay for the movie and got an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Image: Warner Bros
Image: NPR

Cruel Intentions

The scandalous high school drama is actually based off a French novel called The Dangerous Liaisons by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. The original novel is set in 18th century France and is about the decadent lives of the French aristocracy.

Image: Goodreads
Image: Columbia pictures

The Graduate

The novella was written in 1963 by Charles Webb and four years later was adapted into the classic movie we know today. Webb wrote it shortly after graduating from college and said he was uncomfortable with the attention the movie brought him.

Image: United Artists
Image: AV Club

PS, I Love You

The movie is based on Cecelia Ahern’s debut novel of the same name which was published in 2004 and spent 19 weeks at number 1 in Ireland.

Image: Insider



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