When it comes to movie remakes, in most cases, it’s highly evident that they are remakes. But that’s not always the case. In an online forum, someone asked for input on “Movies people may not be aware of are remakes?” These were some of the best (and most surprising) replies. So, get your remote ready.
1. King Kong (2005)
Kicking the list off, one fan suggests King Kong (2005). “Peter Jackson’s King Kong. It’s a hard comparison, on special effects alone – plus most people never saw the original 1933 movie or the 1976 remake. Jackson’s version is not without its faults, but leagues ahead the original and the first remake.”
2. A Star Is Born (2018)
When the 2018 remake staring Lady Gaga and Bradly Cooper hit the big screen, movie and pop music fans were fascinated. But, “It’s the fourth adaption of the same story but the most successful and critically acclaimed one,” explains a viewer.
3. The Departed (2006)
One fan suggests, “The Departed,” prompting another to respond, “No kidding, I had no idea.”
Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award-winning epic crime thriller is, somewhat surprisingly, a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong movie Infernal Affairs. If Asian cinema is something that interests you, Internal Affairs is a movie that’s well worth checking out.
4. Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
One movie fan says, “The Little Shop of Horrors musical with Rick Moranis is a remake of an earlier, non-musical monster film of the same name.”
That is correct, but there’s more to it. Specifically, the 1986 movie is an adaptation of the 1982 off-Broadway musical of the same name. That musical, in turn, was an adaptation of the 1960 movie The Little Shop of Horrors, which was a non-musical comedy horror film.
5. Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)
“Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey,” suggests an animal lover. “Good one,” another fan agrees. “I found that out by watching Inside Llewyn Davis, and there is a moment where he is looking at The Incredible Journey poster.”
We suspect Inside Llewyn Davis might be the source of many people discovering that Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey is a remake of 1963’s The Incredible Journey. Without it, pretty much everyone would think the heartwarming Michael J. Fox movie was an original idea.
6. Heat (1995)
A movie expert recommends “Heat,” to which another replied, “First, one on here that I didn’t know was a remake.”
This example is slightly different from most on this list with one viewer saying, “Yep. Michael Mann’s TV move [sic] L.A. Takedown.”
To explain further, Heat’s script was first used for a television pilot developed by its director, Michael Mann. It became the 1989 television movie L.A. Takedown after the pilot failed to receive a series order. In 1994, Mann revisited the script and turned it into Heat.
7. Three Men and a Baby (1987)
Another fan suggested several movies, the most notable being “Three Men and a Baby.”
The viewer didn’t elaborate, and nobody commented on it, so we’ll take the reins. Three Men and a Baby’s script was based on the 1985 French movie Trois Hommes et un Couffin (which translates to Three Men and a Cradle). It was remade a further seven times in six different languages.
8. A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
Another cinema lover recommends this flick saying, “A Fistful of Dollar [sic] (1964) is a remake of Yojimbo (1961),” prompting another to reply, “This is an interesting one, the plot is basically the same, but the setting is completely different. Not many people know about this connection.”
When this movie was identified as an unofficial remake of Akira Kurosawa’s classic Japanese samurai movie Yojimbo, it resulted in a successful lawsuit by Yojimbo’s production company, Toho.
9. You’ve Got Mail (1998)
Did you know You’ve Got Mail is a remake? One fan says, “You’ve got mail,” prompting another to ask, “Shop Around the Corner. Right?”
Yes, that is indeed right. However, it’s not the whole story. You’ve Got Mail was inspired by the 1937 Hungarian play Parfumerie by Miklós László. That play had already been adapted into two movies – 1940’s The Shop Around the Corner and 1949’s In the Good Old Summertime.
10. Knock Knock (2015)
“I didn’t know Knock Knock is a remake of Death Game until after I watched it, as it doesn’t explicitly credit it,” said on viewer.
Well, it is! Eli Roth’s erotic psychologic thriller – which stars Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo, and Ana de Armas – is a remake of the 1977 movie Death Game. It’s also not the first remake of the movie – the 1980 Spanish movie Viciosas al Desnudo (Vicious and Nude) holds that title.
11. Man on Fire (2004)
“I only learned recently Man on Fire with Denzel Washington was a remake.” The viewer then elaborated, “The original of the same name starred Scott Glenn in 1987.”
That’s entirely true. While Man on Fire is based on the 1980 novel of the same name by A. J. Quinnell, the novel had previously been adapted into a feature film 17 years earlier.
12. CODA (2021)
Last, a movie watcher suggests CODA saying, “CODA, won the Oscar for best film, was actually a remake of a recent French film La Famille Belier.”
That’s true. Although 2014’s La Famille Bélier is a French-Belgian movie, to be more specific. Both movies are brilliant and resonated positively with the deaf community. If you’ve only seen CODA, we recommend watching the film on which it’s based wholeheartedly.
Source: Reddit.