Top 10 Movie Adaptations No One Asked For But Were Great
Top 10 Movie Adaptations No One Asked For But Were Great
Sometimes, Hollywood knows best. Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Movie Adaptations No One Asked For But Were Great. For this list, we’re looking at unexpectedly great movie adaptations that few people saw coming. This does not necessarily mean fans of the source material were dreading the film, just that there was little demand for an adaptation.
#10: “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” (2003)
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Typically, studios turn to books, comics, or – in the case of Disney – fairy tales for inspiration. You know, source materials that offer a semblance of depth. So, many were rightfully skeptical when Disney announced a film loosely based on the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride. Against all odds, 2003's "Curse of the Black Pearl" ended up not only being among the year’s highest-grossing films, but was a huge hit with critics. A swashbuckling adventure that hearkens back to the days of Errol Flynn, "Pirates of the Caribbean" proved there is no such thing as a bad idea.
#9: “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (1988)
Top 10 Movie Adaptations That No One Asked For
Blending live-action and animation, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" is a stunning cinematic achievement that has not lost an ounce of charm since 1988. Despite being an adaptation of Gary K. Wolf's "Who Censored Roger Rabbit?" novel, the tone, plot, and characters all underwent significant changes. While the original novel works as a satire of hard-boiled detective stories, the book was still quite a niche product and was greatly overshadowed by the movie adaptation. A story set in a world where toons and humans co-exist is simply begging for a visual medium.
#8: “Brokeback Mountain” (2005)
An adaptation of a short story by Annie Proulx that was originally published in 1997, "Brokeback Mountain" went through quite a lengthy production process before finally arriving in theaters in 2005. While "Brokeback Mountain" was certainly a topic of discussion before its release, that had less to do with its status as an adaptation and more with the themes and subject matter tackled in the movie. Along with boasting two great performances by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, "Brokeback Mountain" wound up being one of 2005's best movies, winning multiple awards and garnering recognition as a significant landmark when it comes to representation in mainstream cinema.
#7: “There Will Be Blood” (2007)
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Paul Thomas Anderson's 2007 epic about the 19th-century oil boom is a tour de force of filmmaking. "There Will Be Blood" earned Oscar nominations for its direction, cinematography, film editing, art direction, sound editing, and of course, acting. Perhaps slightly surprisingly, "There Will Be Blood" was also nominated for "Best Adapted Screenplay," as Anderson's movie was based on a 1920s novel called "Oil!" by Upton Sinclair. Despite using the book as a starting point, "There Will Be Blood" mainly does its own thing, so even if someone wanted an adaptation of "Oil," they didn't get it.
#6: “Paddington” franchise (2014-)
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Paddington Bear has been a staple of British literature since the late 1950s, spawning countless story collections and a couple of TV series. As Paddington's fame is predominantly restricted to Britain, there was not too much hype surrounding the character's 2014 live-action cinematic debut. Not only was the movie adored by critics and basically everyone else, but "Paddington" also spawned a sequel that was somehow even better. Charming and filled with heart, both "Paddington" films are rare family flicks that cater to everyone rather than just kids, while also serving as a loving tribute to Michael Bond's character.
#5: “Shrek” (2001)
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With a very early 2000s soundtrack, tons of Disney parodies, and jokes coming out of both ends, "Shrek" is hard to imagine outside of the confines of cinema. In truth, "Shrek" is based on William Steig's award-winning picture book, a children's story Hollywood had been interested in adapting since 1991. Although the book and film are both about an ogre saving a princess and pride themselves on undermining conventional fairy tale tropes, any similarities are only superficial, as DreamWorks was primarily interested in the concept behind "Shrek." Even if not many people were clamoring for a "Shrek" adaptation, the same cannot be said about the movie's sequels.
#4: “The Shawshank Redemption” (1994)
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Hollywood loves Stephen King, even if the resultant movies tend to be a touch inconsistent. While "Carrie" and "The Shining" were ripe for adaptation, 1982's "Different Seasons," a collection of short non-horror fiction stories, is a deeper cut in the esteemed author's bibliography. 12 years after the collection's release, one of King's stories was adapted into "The Shawshank Redemption," an emotionally-captivating tale of a man's undying hopefulness despite being faced with two consecutive life sentences in prison. In 1987, King sold the novella's film rights to "The Shawshank Redemption's" director for around $5,000, as the story did not like a good fit for the big screen. Sometimes even the original author fails to realize a story’s full potential.
#3: “The Lego Movie” (2014)
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Just because something is popular does not mean it deserves a movie. To say that "The Lego Movie" was a nice surprise would be an understatement, as even Warner Bros was wary of the film's chances. Before release, 2014's adaptation looked like a shameless example of product placement, a commercial masquerading as a film. Basically, "The Lego Movie" could have been "The Emoji Movie." Shockingly, "The Lego Movie" ended up being funny, heartwarming, splendidly animated, and expertly written. Even the sequel is pretty decent, although the spin-offs are a bit hit and miss.
#2: “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014)
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Compared to the likes of Iron Man and Captain America, Guardians of the Galaxy is a far more obscure property, at least, before the team's MCU debut. As the comics had revamped the Guardians in 2008, this iteration was still relatively young. If that was not enough, "Guardians of the Galaxy" is also a space opera, a genre that fell outside of the MCU's normal blueprint at the time. "Guardians of the Galaxy" was a risky move for Marvel, but the film wound up charming its way into pop culture relevance and helped set the stage for the MCU to further explore the cosmic scene. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “Zoolander” (2001) “Manhunter” (1986) “Jackie Brown” (1997) “Clue” (1985) “The Blues Brothers” (1980)
#1: “Blade Runner” (1982)
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Philip K. Dick left an undeniable mark on the sci-fi genre. While quite a few of the author's novels would be made into feature films, they were all released after the author's passing and many even opted for a different title. Based on "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?," "Blade Runner" was the end result of a decade-long struggle to create an adaptation, followed by an even longer battle to release a cut of the film that would do justice to Dick's novel and director Ridley Scott's vision. "Blade Runner" was not a commercial hit upon release, but is now considered a landmark in sci-fi cinema.
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