7 Movies That Threw Source Material Out the Window but Ended Up Amazing, Ranked
We bet you didn’t know those existed, right?
Some book-based movies are great because they follow the plot closely, others are downright awful for exactly the opposite reason, but a rare few that stray far from the source material actually turn out to be amazing.
Here are seven awesome films that basically only have the title in common with the book they are based on (according to Reddit).
7. Moonraker (1979)
Lewis Gilbert’s James Bond film may be based on Ian Fleming’s novel of the same name, but the title is all they share. Following Star Wars ’ rise in popularity, Eon Productions decided to take the name literally and actually include space excursions into the plot of the movie. Still, it’s one of the best Bond installments – it even became the highest-grossing film in the series at the time with $210.3 million worldwide.
6. The Fox and the Hound (1981)
Based on Daniel P. Mannix’s novel of the same name, this Disney movie definitely took liberties with the plot (and thank goodness it did!). Instead of a heartbreaking and, frankly, gory story, the audience got a beautiful tale about the friendship between fox Tod and hound Copper. By the way, with a $12 million budget, the movie was the most expensive animated film to be released back then!
5. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Robert Zemeckis’ fantasy comedy, loosely based on Gary K. Wolf’s Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, was an instant cult classic and commercial success, making $351.5 million against a $50.6 million budget. The movie and the novel took the concept of an alternate reality where humans and cartoons coexisted, but went in completely different directions with it – and it was the right move.
4. Shrek (2001)
You didn’t even know that there was a book, did you? The hit film was in fact rooted in William Steig’s picture book of the same name, though the movie undoubtedly became way more famous than its source material, jumpstarting a whole franchise and cementing DreamWorks as a big name in the animated film industry.
3. Forrest Gump (1994)
Another one of Zemeckis’ masterpieces was also based on a book, though most viewers would probably not like the titular character from the novel. The director managed to make Forrest lovable and his story less ridiculous, which made the film all the richer. The movie went on to receive critical acclaim and earn an impressive $678.2 million at the box office.
2. Annihilation (2018)
First things first – Jeff VanderMeer’s novel and Alex Garland ’s film should be treated as entirely separate media. The filmmaker reimagined the sci-fi horror story and adjusted it wonderfully to the needs of the on-screen adaptation. The movie didn’t exactly make a lot of cash in theaters, but its digital release allowed word of mouth to do its work, and the title is well on its way to becoming a cult classic.
1. Stardust (2007)
Based on Neil Gaiman ’s novel of the same name, this movie turned its source material into something completely magical. While the book is just as clever as the film, it also employs a more practical approach to storytelling. The adaptation, however, just takes you immediately back to childhood, and you feel an inner sense of warmth and coziness all throughout watching it.
Source: Reddit